mySince Marlon Brando walked into that bar in 1953 The wild With its Levi's 501s, Schott Perfecto biker jacket and engineer boots, the leather jacket has symbolized rebellion. The impact László Benedek's film had on youth culture, cinema, and movie stardom was immeasurable, though its most enduring legacy lies not in Brando's arrogance, but in the black leather jacket worn by his hard-knuckled rebel. .
At the time, The wild It was considered such a threat to society that the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) refused to classify it for 14 years, citing its description of “unrestricted vandalism.” The leather jacket itself was banned in American schools, considered a sign of criminal intent in itself. Since then, it has become a fashion item for bad guys, rebels and punks. Jeff Nichols' latest film, Tom Hardy's drama The cyclistsnow in UK cinemas, harkens back to this moment in American history: a time when the leather jacket was a symbol of unrest and revolution, but also of belonging.
Before becoming a cultural icon, the leather jacket was a utilitarian item of clothing, worn primarily by pilots and highway patrol cops to stay safe in rain and inclement weather. Irving Schott, who had begun making raincoats in a New York City basement selling door-to-door with his brother, designed the now-iconic Perfecto jacket in 1928, naming it after his favorite cigar. It was originally sold through Harley Davidson stores, meaning it became intertwined with biker culture from the beginning. Schott was later commissioned to produce the uniform for US Air Force pilots, creating the bomber jacket.
“It was always associated with dangerous sports,” said Roger K Burton, stylist, costume designer, founder of the Contemporary Costume Collection and author of Rebel threads tells me. Dangerous sports and, ironically, authority.
“Leather was durable, warm for pilots at cold altitudes and for armies on the move; “It didn't break easily,” notes film critic Christina Newland. “That's the same reason why motorcyclists, who were often veterans, would have adopted it.” After World War II, the huge surplus of aviation leather jackets was given to the savings system, making the item financially accessible. Riding their Harley Davidson helicopters, “even the Hells Angels imitated highway patrolmen,” laughs Burton. This symbol of majestic order, practicality and uniformity would soon be repurposed as an emblem of anti-authoritarianism.
It was the movies that transformed biker and bomber jackets from a majestic uniform to a symbol of counterculture and cool. In The cyclistsJohnny (Hardy), a married truck driver with children, is so inspired by Brando's attitude in the film that he creates his own motorcycle club, The Vandals. They are united by his love of helicopters, beer, and an aggressive sense of community, symbolized by his leather jacket, his “collar.” In the opening scene, Benny (Austin Butler) from The Vandals is attacked in a bar because he refuses to take it off. “You'd have to kill me to get this jacket off me,” he growls. His leather jacket (sometimes also denim) is the rebel's uniform.
The gang of 'The Bikeriders' are kids in jeans and leather who don't look like they came out of 'Grease'
Christina Newland, film critic
The leather jacket, in its different forms, has symbolized both rebellion and belonging. In the counterculture classic easy rider (1969), Peter Fonda's Wyatt wears a tight-fitting leather jacket with stripes and stars embroidered on the back, while driving down American highways smoking marijuana and getting into trouble. Fat (1978) has two high school gangs: the T-Birds, with their black biker jackets, and the Pink Ladies, with their satin pink jackets. In the teen television series. riodale, when narrator and local weirdo Jughead (Cole Sprouse) walks into school sporting a SouthSide snake jacket, he immediately sows fear and awe (or as much fear and awe as Sprouse can convey, I guess). And in David Lynch's surreal road movie wild at heart (1990), Nicolas Cage soliloquies about his snakeskin jacket ad nauseum: “Did I ever tell you that this jacket represents a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom?”
This all goes back to Brando, whose portrayal of Johnny in The wild “He spoke for the rising tide of youth culture, the birth of the teenager,” says Newland, “and he did it all with a leather jacket and swagger in that famous exchange of dialogue: 'Hey Johnny, what are you up against?' rebelling?' 'What do you have?'”
Brando's performance directly inspired Elvis Presley's costumes in Jail Rock (1957) and, although James Dean does not wear a leather jacket in Rebel without a cause (1955), was equally influenced by Brando's work and rebellious attitude.
In the UK, leather jackets did not become popular until the early 1960s. Burton dates back to rockabilly singer Gene Vincent's first appearance on British television, on Jack Good's. boy meets girls parade in 1959, where he was dressed in “full leather.” The Beatles played their famous set in Hamburg wearing matching leather jackets, which became their staple on stage from 1960 to 1962. And of course, the warring subcultures of the time were the Mods, with their suits and parkas, and the rockers, who wore their leather jackets and pompadours, directly inspired by The wild. Their fights led to extensive media coverage: youth culture was violent and rebellious, it was claimed, and the media labeled them “internal enemies” of the United Kingdom.
Years later, sociologist Stanley Cohen studied the phenomenon and coined the term “moral panic” in his 1972 book. Popular devils and moral panics to describe the enormous fury caused by fashion-conscious young people getting into fist fights on the beach. “When something becomes street fashion, there's always someone who jumps on the bandwagon of making cheap, accessible items for kids,” recalls Burton, who provided the mod clothing for the classic coming-of-age film. quadrophenia (1978). “There were endless little ads in the back of the music press for leather jackets.”
In France, fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent, then director of Dior, attempted to transform the leather jacket into a haute couture garment. In 1960, inspired by the beatniks and the American counterculture, he presented a collection starring leather. However, critics and buyers were not impressed. It wasn't until the 80s that the leather jacket became stylish. With pop stars and celebrities like Madonna, Grace Jones and Cher wearing leather jackets and custom-made leather suits, it became “exclusive and expensive.” Since then, it has been used widely in a variety of contexts, both on the catwalk and on screen.
Nowadays, there is nothing clandestine about a leather jacket, but The cyclists gives it meaning once again. In the movie, The Vandals are “guys in jeans and leather who don't look like they came out of Fat”says Newland. The costumes, designed by Erin Benach, have a “lived-in quality.” They are practical, resistant and very worn items, with snags and motor oil stains and wear.”
Nichols' film reminds us that there was a time when the leather jacket was not something you could get at Zara, but rather a symbol of an attitude, a lifestyle, and a commitment to a cause. It's a reminder that the leather jacket, ever since Brando walked into that bar with his brash attitude, has always been a statement of intent.
'The Bikeriders' is now in theaters
