The Evolution of Motorcycle Style
From gentleman’s pursuit to rebel trademark, a history of the motorcycling aesthetic and its revolutionary effects on culture and fashion
The Tweed Suit
In the early days of motorcycling, riding was an expensive activity pursued almost exclusively by men of means, and motorcycles were less a form of transportation than a way to spend a sunny day in the park. Propriety dictated that a gentleman be presentable when he went out for a spin, and since tweed suits were the standard countryside uniform of the the late-nineteenth century, so it was for motorcyclists as well. The only item of clothing shared by the common man was the full-length boots worn to protect the feet.
The Flat Cap and Gauntlet Gloves
The first to really establish a motorcycling uniform were the police and military riders of the early-twentieth century. By that point, motorcycles had become fast enough that more protection was necessary. Taking a page out of the equestrian handbook, riders began wearing gauntlet gloves along with their full-length boots to keep the wind out, as well as provide a little extra skin protection should they go down. A less protective addition to the motorcycling wardrobe was the flat cap, most often worn by couriers and police officers.
The Competition Sweater
In the late-teens and early-‘20s, competition motorcycling became popular thanks to improvements in reliability and handling. The garment of choice for racers was the competition sweater. Made of brightly colored wool, the sweaters were close-fitting to keep from billowing in the wind, and had the name of either the motorcycle brand or the club embroidered down the front in felt letters. The competition sweater became a badge of honor for motorcycle racers and clubs alike, and are still popular among vintage enthusiasts today.
The Leather Jacket
As motorcycles got faster, the need for protective clothing grew, and many bikers turned to the thick leather horsehide of World War I-era military overcoats. In 1928, Irving Schott, a jacket maker in New York City, created the first leather jacket specifically for motorcycling. Named after his favorite cigar, the Perfecto, the jacket originally retailed for $5.50. In time, Schott’s black leather jacket would become synonymous with motorcycling.
The Waxed-Cotton Motorcycle Jacket
In England, motorcycling means dealing with inclement weather, and while leather is great for protecting the skin, it doesn’t keep out the rain. In 1935, J. Barbour & Sons, a company that had been making hunting jackets since 1894, created the first waterproof waxed-cotton jackets just for motorcyclists. The jackets had four pockets, the upper left angled specifically for maps, and they quickly became the wet-weather motorcyclist’s protection of choice, and remained so until rival company Belstaff created the now iconic waxed-cotton Trialmaster in 1948. Famous motorcyclists from Che Guevara to Steve McQueen to Ewan McGregor have been known to rock both of these classic jackets.
The Engineer Boot
No one knows for sure when the engineer boot first appeared, although some have dated it as far back as 1928. It was likely developed sometime in the ‘30s, with two companies, Chippewa and West Coast Shoe Company, as its earliest manufacturers. The engineer boot was made with a stovepipe leg fashioned over an English riding boot, and was created for engineers working on America’s railroads during the Depression. It wasn’t until the ‘40s, however, that the boot became the footwear of choice for motorcyclists. To this day, if you’re going for the classic biker look, you can’t do it without a pair of black engineer boots.
Marlon Brando
When Brando first appeared on movie screens as Johnny Strabler in the 1953 classic The Wild One, few people in America had ever actually witnessed a biker gang. Aside from the ridiculous canvas cap (which real bikers never wore), Brando nailed the uniform of a ’50s biker: the black leather Schott Perfecto jacket, the blue jeans, the engineer boots. It was a look that would go on to inspire rebels, teens, musicians, and outlaws for generations to come, not to mention an entire culture of motorcycling in the U.K. called “ton-up” boys, who gave us, among other motorcycling iconography, the café racer.
The Leather Vest
By the 1960s, the uniform of choice among motorcycle clubs was the leather vest, also known as the cut. Clubs like the Hells Angels MC attached their name and insignia to the back of the vests so that they could fly their “colors” wherever they went. The look eventually became synonymous with both Harleys and outlaw bikers—so much so that today, when a Harley rider wants the badass look, his go-to garment is a black leather vest.
The Perfecto Goes Punk
For more than two decades, the Schott Perfecto was associated with outlaws and counterculture, so when punk music came along in the ‘70s, it’s no surprise that the Perfecto was a staple of the scene. According to our very own Style Guy, the Perfecto was actually a big part of the male hustler aesthetic in 1970s New York, which is where the Ramones picked it up. From there it became the bread and butter of the punk fashion diet. Since then, you’d be hard pressed to find a rocker without a Perfecto in his closet.
The Power Ranger
Unfortunately motorcycle fashion, much like mainstream fashion, took a turn for the worse in the 1980s. Thanks to the Kawasaki Ninja and the rise of sport bikes, bikers wanted to look like their favorite racers, so they wore day-glo leather jackets with crazy shapes and zigzags on them, and suddenly the motorcycling world had been overrun by throngs of Power Ranger lookalikes.
Back to Basics
Thanks to 2000s’ popularization of all things vintage, motorcycle style has more than recovered from its ‘80s hiccup. Classic motorcycle clothing companies like Schott and Belstaff are producing modern takes on the Perfecto and the Trialmaster—not to mention the great black motorcycle style jackets coming from companies like All Saints and Saint Laurent. Selvedge denim is as popular as it’s ever been, and heritage boots are on the feet of nearly every hipster in America. We’ve come a long way to end up back to where we started, but sometimes it’s best to stick with the classics.