Perfecto
The Perfecto (also Schott Perfecto ) is a leather jacket that was introduced in 1928 as protective clothing for motorcyclists by the American manufacturer Schott NYC , based in New York City . The jacket was the first motorcycle jacket of its kind when it was launched. The model, which is available almost exclusively in nappa leather and mainly in plain black , has been manufactured to the present day. The cut and features of the jacket have only changed slightly since it was launched. There are numerous copies of the Perfecto from other manufacturers in varying degrees of similarity.
The Perfecto gained international fame in the 1950s thanks to prominent sponsors, especially among (US) film actors and rock musicians . Its spread and popularity have made it a pop culture icon . The Perfecto leather jacket can be assigned to the Americana , similar to the popular items of clothing jeans and sneakers, which were also developed in the USA .
history
Company founder Irving Schott designed the Perfecto in 1928 for a Harley-Davidson wholesaler on Long Island in the US state of New York . The model is said to have been the first jacket that can be closed with a zipper . Schott named the jacket after the brand name of his favorite Cuban cigar, Perfecto . The first models were sold at a retail price of $ 5.50 .
Furnishing
The upper material of the Perfecto model is consistently smoothly tanned, colored buffalo leather ( English : steerhide ) or horse leather (English: horsehide ). The unicoloured silk or nylon inner lining of the jacket on the body and sleeves is quilted and padded . All closures of the model - zippers, press studs , belt buckle and eyelets - are made of unpainted, silver-colored metal.
Perfecto leather jackets are cut hip-length. The jackets are closed at the front with a sturdy zipper that extends from the lower hem to the tip of the left jacket lapel . The zipper is slightly offset to the right in the vertical axis of the trunk; When the jacket is closed, the front parts of the trunk, which overlap several centimeters wide, create a storm flap that protects motorcyclists from the wind . An approximately five centimeter wide belt with several loops on the lower hem serves as an additional fastener, which is closed at the front with a buckle. Both jacket lapels can be laid on top of each other up to the approach of the Kent collar and closed. When the jacket is open and half-open, the tips of the lapels and collars can be attached to the body of the jacket with snaps to prevent them from flapping in the airstream. The lower ends of both sleeves are also equipped with zippers; this is also intended to minimize the ingress of airflow. This adjustable narrowing of the sleeve hems allows the jacket to be worn with gauntlets.
The Perfecto is equipped with a total of five pockets - four outside and one inside pocket - on the front of the fuselage. One inset pocket with a zipper on the outside on the right and one on the left of the fastener is used to warm the hands. A third pocket, on the outside left at chest height, with an inclined opening and also with a zip, can be used to store items such as driver's license and vehicle documents that are always within reach . The fourth and smallest outer pocket, let into the upper material on the left at stomach level and closable with a button flap, is suitable for storing small parts such as an ignition key . On the left side of the chest, the Perfecto has an inside pocket embedded in the jacket lining.
As decoration, Perfecto leather jackets are provided with shoulder flaps , each of which is closed with a push button.
Sociocultural meaning
American actor Marlon Brando wore a Perfecto in the 1953 feature film Der Wilde in his leading role as Johnny Strabler, leader of a group of young motorcyclists. Brando thus made a significant contribution to the spread, popularity and image of the Schott Perfecto as an expression of youthful maladjustment and rebellion. Since then, the image of the motorcycle rocker has been associated with the Perfecto . A musical group that has contributed significantly to the popularity of the jacket model in rock music circles since the 1970s is the New York punk band Ramones . The group used Perfecto leather jackets as one of their trademarks.
literature
- Mick Farren: The Black Leather Jacket . Non-fiction book on the cultural history of the black (motorcycle) leather jacket, English. Abbeville Press Publishers, New York, NY 1985. ISBN 0-89659-573-0
Web links
- The history of the Perfecto leather jacket on schott-jacken.de (accessed on June 11, 2012)
- The history of the Perfecto on the official Schott NYC company website (accessed June 11, 2012)
- Photos with Marlon Brando (in the movie Der Wilde ) and the rock band Ramones in Perfecto leather jackets (accessed June 11, 2012)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The history of the Perfecto on the Schott company website (accessed on June 11, 2012)
- ↑ “[…] we got the uniform defined. We figured out that it would be jeans, T-shirts, leather jackets — Perfectos, like the one I had — and the tennis shoes. We wanted every kid to be able to identify with our image. " - Johnny Ramone, guitarist for the Ramones, in: Commando: the autobiography of Johnny Ramone, p. 45. Abrams Image, New York 2012. ISBN 978-0-8109-9660-1