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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,[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]
Established as a manufacturer of motorcycle clothing in 1913,[4] Schott, a Russian immigrant, named the brand after his favorite cigar, as he did not think his Jewish family name would sell the garments. It is said to be the first such jacket with zippers and has since come to define the look of motorcycle jackets.[1][5]
Schott later manufactured a very similar jacket for the Beck label, of which he was previously a representative, called the Beck 333 Northeaster, and in the late 1940s Schott introduced a new jacket based on the original Perfecto design called the 613. It was soon nicknamed the "One Star" because it had a star on each shoulder epaulette. These jackets have a snug, almost tailored fit, which is suited for motorcycle riding, but are short by today's standards.[6]
- ^ a b Fashion in Popular Culture: Literature, Media and Contempora by Joseph Hancock, Toni Johnson-Woods, Vicki Karaminas, Intellect Books, 2013 ISBN 1841507164,
- ^ International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 67 by Jay P. Pederson University of California, 2005 p. 338
- ^ Nothing in itself: complexions of fashion, Volume 24 of Theories of Contemporary Culture Series, Herbert Blau, Indiana University Press, 1999 ISBN 0253335876
- ^ Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader, December 2005, Causey Enterprises, LLC
- ^ Out Sep 2005, Vol. 14, No. 3, ISSN 1062-7928, Here Publishing
- ^ Green, Dennis. "How a small, family-owned company in New Jersey has been manufacturing American cool for more than 100 years". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-12-31.