The biker jacket – what can I say? I remember a time, many years ago when biker jackets weren’t on trend. When they came back into vogue I hesitated before buying one as I never like to spend too much money on anything which could be a fleeting trend; but t the trend never went away and I’m not sure it will. The biker jacket as we know it today was first designed in 1928 by Irving Schott, only available to buy from the Harley Davidson store in New York it was priced at a very reasonable $5.50. Named The Perfecto after Schott’s favourite cigar, this seemingly innocuous style of jacket would go on to be a central element of everything from Hollywood movies to counterculture movements.
If you look at that elite group of men who are constantly referred to when seeking the definition of classic menswear – Marlon Brando, James Dean and Steve McQueen, each of these people are linked to the history of the biker jacket. Marlon Brando in The Wild One (1953) is one of the most iconic images in both fashion and film. James Dean’s cool persona relied heavily on his biker jacket and Steve McQueen’s legacy is a wardrobe that defines ‘timeless‘. If anyone has achieved perfection in menswear my money is on it being one if not all three of these guys.
Nowadays biker jackets are ubiquitous and no longer hold the rebellious power they once did when sported by punks like The Ramones and the Sex Pistols. You can spend as little or as much as you want on a biker jacket.The classic is black leather but they come in every colour and material you can imagine. Fork out thousands for premium versions from designers such as Saint Laurent Paris or Acne Studios or buy a more reasonably priced version from any number of places in Westfield for just a few hundred. Topman do a great version in a range of colours including super-chic grey. All Saints do a number of great worn-in versions too. For those of you with bigger budgets Burberry is a good bet along with some of the designers stocked in House of Fraser. Whatever the brand dress, it up with a formal shirt and trousers or throwback to the 1950’s with a white t-shirt and blue jeans. Either way this is as close to perfect as any item of clothing has ever come.
This is a collaboration post with Westfield
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