History of the Leather Bomber Jacket

Leather jackets often make me think of people like Kate Moss, and the Olsen twins. Models who are "off duty" wear this garment as an unofficial uniform. The leather bomber jacket, a staple of layering outerwear, had a practical beginning. It was created in the early 1900's, during World War I, and by World War II, the A-2 Leather Bomber Jacket was standard issue. This garment has become a go to item, and has a rich fashion history.

1918

According to The Black Leather Jacket, by Mick Farren, German fighter pilots were the first people to wear leather bomber jackets as a part of their military uniform. This layer of protective outerwear kept them warm in the cold cockpits of their planes.

1928

Irving Schott, a Manhattan raincoat maker, designed and made the first motorcycle jacket for Harley Davidson. This was the first time when function and fashion married in the creation of a American icon like the bomber jacket. Schott named the garment after a cigar: the "Perfecto." At the time, the jacket sold for $5.50, a paltry sum when compared to a version Balenciaga created which costs $3000, and is desired by celebrities today. Aviator jackets had buttons, but the jacket designed by Schott was shortened and had a zipper closure.

1930's & 1940's

The leather jacket became synonymous with the military uniform by World War II. The U.S. army standardized the A-2 Leather Bomber Jacket at this point in history. It had several distinguishing features which included: a collar that resembled a snap down shirt, a light cotton or silk lining, knit waistband and cuffs, shoulder straps, and a leather hanging loop. The A-2 Leather Bomber Jacket had a single piece of leather making up the back of the garment to reduce stress on the item as a whole.

1950's

In the 1950's Hollywood encouraged the idea that this jacket meant that the wearer was a tough guy. The garment became a symbol of rebels everywhere. In the 1953 film "The Wild One," Marlon Brando played a dubious motorcycle gang leader. He was the first actor to wear a Schott "Perfecto" leather jacket in a big screen movie. 1955's "Rebel Without a Cause" film showed handsome James Dean linking the bad boy image to a leather jacket.


1960's

Steve McQueen, the famous "King" of cool, worked his magic during the 1960's counter culture movement. Anti-war and creative freedom advocates were drawn to popular figures like McQueen and The Beatles (an international British band,) who made wearing a leather bomber jacket popular. The fan base of celebrities in the 60's bought and wore fashion that imitated their favorite entertainers.

1970's & 1980's

During this era, women embraced wearing leather jackets, which you might say became "unisex." They were asserting their equality as feminists. Female rock musicians like Joan Jet, and Blondie started wearing the jackets like their male rock counterparts, but they added pins, studs, and other metal items to their leather jackets.

1990's

Supermodels like Kate Moss created the idea of "model off duty" style. Their casual, yet chic fashion included the streamlined and less ornate leather jacket that pared down the design of the harsh looking leather bomber style.

Present Day

High fashion has given the many design styles of the leather jacket a permanent home. Celebrities who like to show their street style wear items from Anine Bing, Rick Owens, and Balenciaga. Fashion rules have changed to the point that a leather jacket may be worn in any situation, even over formal wear.

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