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Travel back to 1959. Knoxville, Tennessee. The United States Department of Defense recruits Alpha to revamp its military jacket. Why? Because as the jet age takes flight to greater heights and ground troops encounter trickier terrain, the technological needs and real-life demands of our soldiers change. Simply put, but not simply achieved, Alpha re-engineers outdated designs. As better fabrics are developed and tested, Alpha makes better jackets for our soldiers-better designed, better produced, and more reliable. Alpha garments are ranked as warmer, more comfortable, and designed to meet any climatic challenge or test of time.

Alpha. Tried. Tested. Proven

Today, Alpha Industries is not only a global enterprise, manufacturing and selling its products throughout the world, but also the premier supplier of jackets for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army, and Marine Corps. Alpha sets the standard as a leader in cutting-edge outerwear design. From flight decks to civilian sidewalks, Alpha stands on the frontlines of quality and fashion, as a testament to innovation, creativity and manufacturing know-how. The honest truth is that Alpha is tried, and tested, and proven. And that's where you come in. Now it's your turn to try it out.

Over 40 Million Served

Alpha's history as a manufacturer for the U.S. Military is a long and successful one. For over 40 years, the United States Department of Defense has relied on Alpha Industries for outerwear to protect Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Since first opening our factory in 1959, Alpha has continuously manufactured the M-65 Field Coat, fabricating more of these coats than any other company. And, since the mid-1960's, we've manufactured virtually every MA-1 Flight Jacket used by U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy pilots. All told, Alpha Industries has produced over 40 million pieces of military outerwear to perform under the most severe conditions imaginable.

3-Bars Make The Difference

Long before anyone even knew the name Alpha, our three bars had earned quite a reputation among purchasers of surplus military apparel. In surplus stores throughout the country, customers sought out the jackets with the three bars on the military specifications tag.

There's an interesting story behind this; when Alpha Industries received a military contract and that contract was fulfilled, "surplus" materials were always left over. In order to use these materials and keep our factories operating, we continued to make jackets following the strict military specifications. These jackets would be sold to surplus stores. But, for internal purposes, we needed to develop a way to separate these jackets from the ones that were actually going to be shipped to the military.

On jackets going to the military the label contained a single black bar separating the identification of the type of jacket and its specifications. We developed a replacement label to be used for surplus jackets. The only difference between this and the actual military label was that we put three black bars between these two pieces of information. And this label was the only difference between these surplus jackets and those that were actually to be worn by the military. Other contractors also manufactured surplus coats, but they changed to lower grade materials using lighter fabric, thinner insulation, less durable zippers and fasteners. And they didn't change the internal labels; their garments still had the single black bar. Over time, customers at surplus stores began to notice that the jackets with the three bars were the best. And no wonder; because, after all, these were the exact same jackets that American pilots and ground crews were wearing at bases around the world. In fact, if you look closely at the Alpha logo, you'll see that we integrated these three bars into the mark that has come to symbolize our company and its products.

Known Around The World

From the streets of virtually every city in the U.S., to the streets of Europe and Japan, the Alpha name is known. In fact, at one time a single store in Japan had a waiting list of over 900 people hoping to get an Alpha jacket. Alpha continues to produce the same quality garments be began making back in 1959, only now, we adjust and modify our products to meet your demands. Alpha continues to be the most sought after Authentic military brand in Europe and abroad.

Going Fashion

Years of manufacturing for the military and selling surplus paved the road for a smooth transition into the commercial fashion market. At the street level, Alpha was known as the producer of iconic military jackets worn by soldiers who faced
extreme danger and harsh conditions. These products emerged into popular culture and the fashion world because Alpha’s quality and manufacturing expertise had to be superior. And soon enough Alpha became a distinct fashion brand worldwide, with recognition in American and in major international markets in Europe and Asia. Alpha sets standard as a leader in cutting-edge apparel design. From flight decks to civilian sidewalks, Alpha stands on the frontlines of quality and fashion. Alpha is tried, tested and proven, and will remain part of the American Culture.

Don't Settle For Less Than An Original

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, Alpha jackets get high praise--we've consistently find poor quality copies around the world. So, you need to know how to recognize the original, Authentic Alpha.

Here are the telltale signs to look for: 

• The first, and easiest to find, is the authentic Alpha three-bar logo.
• There is a tab version of our logo on the sleeve of every flight jackets.
• Look in the pocket, there is a larger logo patch in there as well.
• Look at the black-and-white military specification tag. In between the identification of the type of jacket it is and the actual specifications, there will be three solid black bars.
• Check the feel of the fabric. Alpha jackets have a heavier, better-quality fabric than most others.
• Finally, check the brass zipper, it will have the word ALPHA and our logo on it.

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