Alpha Industries

Alpha Industries Jackets & Menswear

Want the best bomber jacket on the market? Look no further than Alpha Industries. Originally made for the US Army, Alpha Industries jackets are supreme in quality and design - and there's a fantastic men’s range to choose from! From the heavy weight winter parka through to a summer weight bomber jacket, Alpha Industries outerwear and clothing cannot be surpassed. Here at Atom Retro you’ll discover a huge men’s range of Alpha Industries bomber jackets, parkas and military-inspired menswear, including the celebrated NASA collection. Look out for distinctive details and technical features such as sleeve zippers and oversized Alpha Industries branded tabs.

The History Of Alpha Industries:

Samual Gelber founded Alpha Industries in October 1959 and began making military clothing from a factory in Knoxville, Tennessee. The US Defence Department recognised the outstanding quality of Alpha Industries clothing and in 1959 the DOD issued contracts to manufacture Air Force N-3B parkas and Navy shipboard shirts. Although Alpha Industries made many different types of clothing, it was to be the MA-1 Flight Jacket (awarded DOD contract in 1963) and the M-65 Field Jacket (1965) which they would first become famous for. These two styles were made almost exclusively by Alpha Industries. By the 1970s surplus Alpha Industries clothing was being sold by the Army and Navy stores in the US and word of mouth spread about the excellent quality and design. Alpha Industries clothing was valued over other surplus army and navy clothing because its commercial clothing was made with the same quality and materials as the military garments. With a reputation like this it was only a matter of time before Alpha Industries casualwear took off - the MA-1 Flight Jacket and M-65 fishtail parka was renowned as a Mod fashion staple in the 70s. These classic Alpha Industries bomber jackets, with the iconic sage green or black with bright orange linings, are still available today.

Because it was hard for Alpha's factory workers to distinguish between the commercial and military contract clothing, Alpha added their now iconic three bars to the labels of the commercial clothing ranges. Although not intended by Alpha, the three bars logo became a visual trademark of Alpha Industries and customers quickly learnt to recognise it as representing superior quality, performance and comfort. The three bars are still part of the Alpha Industries logo, so you too can recognise genuine Alpha Industries jackets or clothing.

Above: Alpha Industries Blount Avenue Factory Complex c. 1984.

The roots of Alpha Industries actually pre-date 1959 and is a direct descendent of three companies Superior Togs Corporation, Rolen Sportswear and Dobbs Industries.

In January 1948, Robert Lane and his wife Helen incorporated Superior Togs Corporation in NYC. Lane had previously owned and operated several apparel companies dating back to before WWII. In 1949 Superior Toggs Corporation began manufacturing flight jackets for the US Defence Department.

In fact they would go on to make some of the most well known US Army Air Force Flight Jackets, including the B-10 and L-2 Jackets and the A-9 and A-10 Flight Pants. By late 1952, Superior Togs operations were suspended, most likely relating to problems concerning the performance of it's Government contracts.

In December, 1952 as Superior Togs operations ceased, Lane founded a new company, Rolen Sportwear, who immediately took on the government contracts Superior Togs had obtained from the US DOD. In reality Rolen Sportswear was Superior Togs under a different name and legal structure.

In 1956-1957 Lane began discussing the creation of a new company with his accountant Samual Gelber. On June 7th, 1957, Lane and Gelber formed Dobbs Industries, owned 90% by Gelber and 10% by Lane. Dobbs began operation in Knoxville, Tennessee. This particular location was selected because Wynn Industries, a large group of integrated Government clothing contractors known to Robert Lane was based there.

They leased part of a factory from Southern Aviation, leased sewing machinery from the Southern Athletic Company and contracted with Robert Wilson Company to prrovide a workforce of sewing machine operators. All these companies were affiliated with the aforementioned Wynn Industries Group. 

Despite growing rapidly, so quickly they outgrew their original factory space and had to lease a larger space from the Levi Strauss Company, Dobbs Industries soon ran in to trouble. In the Spring of 1959, Dobbs Industries was notified by the US Government that it was the subject of an investigation concerning an allegation that Lane was involved in an effort to bribe a Government employee to obtain a contract.

The relationship between Lane and Gelber soured and Gelber decided to strike out on his own. With the help of Herman Wynn (of Wynn Industries), Gelber established a new company.

On October 17th, 1959, Gelber incorporated this new company in Knoxville, Tennessee and named it Alpha Industries, Inc. The name was selected by Gelber during a meeting with his lawyer's office to prepare the Incorporation documents. When asked what the name should be, Gelber looked round the Lawyer's office and pointed at the word Alpha on a certificate hanging on the wall from Alpha Phi Delta (the attorney's law school fraternity) and told the Lawyer to name the company Alpha Industries... and this is where the Alpha Industries story begins, a story that continues to this very day!

Above: October 29th, 1959 - Letter to the U.S. Army announcing Samuel Gelber's formation of Alpha Industries.

(Photographs and extracts taken from The Alpha Story - 50 Years Of An American Military Clothing Company.)