How Biker Jackets got the fame they deserve

Today, you & I are going to learn about biker jackets, eventually getting so mesmerized by their tailoring and rugged history that we end the day by buying 1. Biker jackets have different aliases, the most famous ones being Racer jackets and Café Racer Jacket. 

The classic leather biker jacket came into being because of the 2 brothers Irving and Jack Schott in 1913, but it wasn’t until the late ‘20s when Schott NYC released their first commercial leather jacket for Harley Davidson called the Perfecto. The name was derived from a famous cigar company of the same name, which was Irving’s beloved cigar.

This was apparently the first leather jacket designed especially for bikers, with functioning zippers and belts to keep them layered and safe on the road. It gained popularity amongst bikers quickly because of its edginess and utility. This jacket was priced at $5.50 at the time, and the bikers were quick to buy it because you want reliable garments when you’re on the road, going 80 mph like there’s no tomorrow.

With leather priced at $5.50, I’m sure most of you would kill for a time machine right now. 

Seeing bikers wear these heavy, rough, and stylish jackets around the city and in their staple ‘cafés’, people became intrigued and eager to make it a part of their wardrobe. It was a seemingly difficult task to pull off a leather jacket if you don’t own a motorcycle. Tattoos, aviators, and an aura that yelled “unapproachable” were some of the conditions that were unknowingly laid down by bikers.

It truly became a trend when Hollywood opened its gates to the leather jacket. Seeing Marlon Brando in The Wild One was the little push that people needed; imitation is flattery (maybe not according to Drake, but that’s a whole other conversation.) James Dean really raised the pedestal when he wore a leather jacket in Rebel Without a Cause. And we really cannot forget Danny from Grease with his tight & sexy black leather jacket. So the Hollywood epidemic was a hit, to say the least. 

Something that we all know in the back of our heads but never really acknowledge is the fact that biker jackets come in more than one fabric, which is leather. Though their inception was in leather to suit motorcycle riders and even the military, they have evolved wonderfully into suede, denim, waxed cotton, et cetera. 

Now it goes without saying that punk and rock bands’ indulgence in leather jackets spiked the blood of rebellious teenagers, and the leather jacket found its way in every collection, even for women now. Blondie, Joan Jett & Debbie Harry were some of the icons who rocked the jacket and encouraged women to start looking rough and chic in these biker jackets. This was bound to happen, inevitably. Fashion seeks androgyny in every nook and cranny, so women in biker jackets only make more sense. 

I feel learned enough to buy biker jackets now, don’t you? If you know me, you know I stimulate splurging. So let’s get a fine piece of biker jacket home. 

FLAMES

VINTAGE VAULT

ALMARI