The 1950's film The Wild One, starred Marlon Brando wearing a Schott Perfecto black leather motorcycle jacket. The Schott Perfecto was then banned in many American high schools. This was the start of the leather jacket as a rebellious style icon (Schott was the first company to put a zip on a leather jacket).
In England the film The Wild One was banned. Despite this, British rockers were quick to catch on to this new rebellious youth culture by wearing Lewis Leathers red lined, black leather jackets called the Bronx Jacket.
The British would continue to wear this leather jacket throughout the '60's were it was worn by John Lennon, and in the '70's were it was picked up by punk bands like The Clash, and also Sid Vicious whose mother found a letter in his leather jacket after he died saying "Please bury me in my leather jacket, jeans and motorcycle boots. Good Bye"
i love mad magizine
ReplyDeleteThe Clash wore the Lewis Leathers Lightning, not Bronx.
ReplyDeleteBefore joining the Sex Pistols Sid Vicious wore a Lewis Leathers Dominator jacket. The Bronx style biker jacket he later took to wearing doesn't appear to be of the Lewis Leathers variety.