Leather jacket

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Woman in leather jacket on a Vespa scooter in Belgium Woman in leather jacket on Vespa, Antwerp Belgium.jpg
Woman in leather jacket on a Vespa scooter in Belgium
Different parts of a leather jacket Giubbotto Chiodo.jpg
Different parts of a leather jacket

A leather jacket is a jacket-length coat that is usually worn on top of other apparel or item of clothing, and made from the tanned hide of various animal skins. The leather material is typically dyed black, or various shades of brown, but a wide range of colors is possible. Leather jackets can be designed for many purposes, and specific styles have been associated with subcultures such as greasers, motorcyclists, and bikers, mobsters, military aviators (especially during and directly after World War II) and music subcultures (punks, goths, metalheads, rivetheads), who have worn the garment for protective or fashionable reasons, and occasionally to create a potentially intimidating appearance.

Contents

Most modern leather jackets are produced in Pakistan, India, Canada, Mexico and the United States, using hides left over from the meat industry. Fabrics simulating leather such as polyurethane or PVC are used as alternatives to authentic animal hide leather depending on the needs of the wearer such as those pursuing vegan lifestyles or for economic reasons as synthetic fibers tend to be less costly than authentic leather.

History

Soviet tank commander Semyon Krivoshein wearing a black leather coat based on the reefer jacket Armia Czerwona, Wehrmacht 22.09.1939 wspolna parada.jpg
Soviet tank commander Semyon Krivoshein wearing a black leather coat based on the reefer jacket

In the early 1900s, aviators and members of the military wore brown leather flight jackets. One of the first modern leather jackets, the type A1, was created by Chapal in 1925. [1] During the Second World War the garments became known as "bomber jackets" and were heavily insulated and prized for their warmth. The jacket was often part of an overall uniform ensemble meant to protect bomber pilots from exposure to the extreme climate conditions found at high altitudes and often incorporated sheepskin, using the intact fleece on the inside for warmth.

Russian Bolsheviks commonly wore leather jackets, which became a quasi-uniform for commissars during the Russian Civil War, and later for the members of the Cheka. Yakov Sverdlov allegedly initiated this practice. [2]

Material

Antelope, buckskin, goatskin, sheepskin, horsehide and cowhide are the hides most commonly used to make leather jackets. As soon as the skin is removed from the animal at the meat processing plant, it is refrigerated, salted, or packed in barrels of brine. It is then sent to the tannery, where the skins undergo a series of processes designed to preserve and soften the hides. Sewing materials such as thread, lining, seam tape, buttons, snaps and zippers are generally bought from outside vendors and stored in the garment factory.

Popularity

Queen Rania of Jordan in a leather jacket at the 2010 World Economic Forum The Queen of Jordan at the World Economic Forum 2010.jpg
Queen Rania of Jordan in a leather jacket at the 2010 World Economic Forum

In the latter half of the 20th century, the leather jacket—in many forms—achieved iconic status and general acceptance through an inextricable[ citation needed ] link to Hollywood. Such jackets were popularized by numerous stars in the 1940s and 1950s, including actor Jimmy Stewart (who had actually commanded a U.S. bomber squadron during World War II) in the film Night Passage (1957). [3] The brown leather jacket has become a de rigueur part of the wardrobe for the Hollywood adventurer, from Gary Cooper in For Whom the Bell Tolls to Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones film series.

A leather jacket could be used to shape a character, providing an important ingredient used to define the very essence of 'cool'. Prime examples include the Perfecto motorcycle jacket worn by Marlon Brando's Johnny Strabler in The Wild One (1953), Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale on The Avengers , David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight in Knight Rider and Michael Pare in Eddie and the Cruisers duo (1983 and 1989). All these served to popularize leather jackets among American youth from the "greaser subculture" of the 1950s and early 1960s. Later depictions of this subculture feature via The Fonz from the television series Happy Days , produced in the 1970s and 1980s, but set in the 1950s and 1960s (Fonzie's leather jacket is now housed in the Smithsonian Institution), and in the film duos Eddie and the Cruisers and Grease. Flight jackets, also (occasionally with fleece collars, as seen in the film Top Gun (1986), have remained fashionable for decades.

In the 1990s, a variety of leather jacket patterned after an eight ball, referred to as an eight-ball jacket, was briefly trendy. It occasionally resurfaces as a retro fashion item. [4]

American actor Gary Cooper wore a leather jacket in his role as an International Brigades guerrilla fighter in the Spanish Civil War in For Whom the Bell Tolls For Whom The Bell Tolls trailer.jpg
American actor Gary Cooper wore a leather jacket in his role as an International Brigades guerrilla fighter in the Spanish Civil War in For Whom the Bell Tolls

There are many more examples of iconic leather jackets worn in popular culture, such as the Schott Perfecto worn by the T-800 character of the Terminator films and the longer ¾ length trench coat style worn by action heroes such as Steven Seagal, by Wesley Snipes as Blade in the Blade films, by Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne as Neo and Morpheus in The Matrix films, or by Richard Gibson as Herr Otto Flick on the television sitcom 'Allo 'Allo! These jackets often become emblematic of their respective characters, symbolizing their personas and contributing to the visual identity of the film or show.

Safety gear

There is a substantial difference between leather jackets made for fashion purposes, and those worn for protection, such as motorcycle personal protective equipment. Leather jackets designed for protective use are safety equipment and are heavier, thicker, and sometimes even equipped with armor, thus they are a practical item of clothing regardless of the symbolism invested in them by popular culture. A leather jacket primarily designed for fashion purposes would not be much protection in a motorcycle accident because of the jacket's flimsy construction. Motorcycle jackets often have more substantial zips, weatherproof pockets and closures, higher collars, and are styled to be longer at the back than the front to protect the kidneys of the riders from the cold while the rider is bent forward over the motorcycle.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorcycle personal protective equipment</span> Protective clothing and helmets for motorcycle safety

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glove</span> Covering worn on the hand

A glove is a garment covering the hand, with separate sheaths or openings for each finger including the thumb. Gloves protect and comfort hands against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease; or in turn to provide a guard for what a bare hand should not touch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacket</span> Clothing for the upper body

A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear. Some jackets are fashionable, while others serve as protective clothing. Jackets without sleeves are vests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaps</span> Leather leg coverings

Chaps are sturdy coverings for the legs consisting of leggings and a belt. They are buckled on over pants with the chaps' integrated belt, but unlike trousers, they have no seat and are not joined at the crotch. They are designed to provide protection for the legs and are usually made of leather or a leather-like material. Their name is a shortened version of the Spanish word chaparajos. Chaparajos were named after the chaparral, from which they were designed to protect the legs while riding on horseback. Like much of western American horse culture, the origin of chaparajos was in the south of Spain, from which it then passed on to the part of New Spain that later became Mexico, and has been assimilated into cowboy culture of the American West. They are a protective garment to be used when riding a horse through brushy terrain. In the modern world, they are worn for both practical work purposes and for exhibition or show use. Chaps have also been adopted for use on motorcycles, particularly by cruiser-style motorcycle riders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greaser (subculture)</span> 1950s and 60s youth subculture in the United States

Greasers are a youth subculture that emerged in the 1950s and early 1960s from predominantly working class and lower-class teenagers and young adults in the United States and Canada. The subculture remained prominent into the mid-1960s and was particularly embraced by certain ethnic groups in urban areas, particularly Italian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Latin Americans.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fur clothing</span> Clothing made of furry animal hides

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheepskin</span> Hide of a sheep

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">A-2 jacket</span> US WWII-era flight jacket

The Type A-2 leather flight jacket is an American military flight jacket originally invented and developed for and closely associated with World War II U.S. Army Air Forces pilots, navigators and bombardiers, who often decorated their jackets with squadron patches and elaborate artwork painted on the back. Sometimes casually referred to as a bomber jacket, its original designation was "Jacket, Pilot's (summer)", and its wartime usage was limited neither to pilots nor to bomber crews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cut-off</span> Modified and decorated jacket worn in biker, metal and punk subcultures

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schott NYC</span>

Schott NYC is an American clothing manufacturing company located in New York City. The company was founded in 1913 by brothers Irving and Jack Schott. Schott NYC was the first company to put a zipper on a jacket and they created the classic Perfecto motorcycle jacket, which was made popular by films such as The Wild One (1953). The company made clothing for the United States Armed Forces during World War II and later also for American law enforcement. Schott NYC is still owned by the Schott family and still manufacture much of their clothing in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfecto motorcycle jacket</span> Line of motorcycle jackets from Schott

Perfecto is a secondary brand of "lancer fronted" leather motorcycle jackets designed by Irving Schott and manufactured by the American clothing company, Schott NYC. The first jacket was introduced in 1928, making it the first such styled leather motorcycle jacket. There is some debate as to whether Marlon Brando wore a Schott Perfecto or a replica made by Durable in the 1953 seminal movie The Wild One. Punk rock pioneers The Ramones wore Perfecto jackets in the 1970s and fashion designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier created their variations in the 1980s.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scooterboy</span> Member of one of several scooter-related subcultures of the 1960s

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Leathers</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazakh clothing</span> Clothing worn by the Kazakh people

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Car coat</span> Outer garment for automobilists

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References

  1. Chapal Paris - Histoire
  2. Leon Trotsky, "Jacob Sverdlov," 1925.
  3. "Brig. Gen. James M. Stewart". National Museum of the Air Force. Archived from the original on 2013-07-06. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  4. Detrick, Ben (2014-12-24). "A '90s Jacket Comes Back Into Fashion". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-13.