The Leather Motorcycle Jacket History

Every Schott leather jacket is made in the USA. Each comes with a 90 year history of the great American dream. Over 90 years, four Schott generations and the love of open spaces and open roads. This history has spanned one King, two world wars, 22 presidents and numerous skirmishes. We've learned to leave our troubles behind and hit the road with the wind in our face.

In 1913, as Ford's new Model T began to crowd the already bustling streets of New York City, two brothers, the sons of a Russian immigrant, went after their piece of the American Dream. Irving and Jack Schott starting making raincoats in a basement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan which were then sold by street peddlers door to door.

By the mid-twenties, while Babe Ruth and Al Capone were making headlines for breaking records and breaking laws, Schott NYC was making headlines of its own by revolutionizing the way we dress for the outdoors when they were the first to put a zipper on a jacket.

Eager to innovate, it was no surprise that Irving Schott then set his sights on another American classic in the making - the motorcycle. In 1928, nearly 40 years before Harley Davidson would create their own, Irving Schott designed and produced the first leather motorcycle jacket. Retailing for $5.50 at a Long Island Harley Davidson distributor, the Perfecto was durable, rugged, and immediately embraced. To this new generation of "bikers," the Perfecto was a symbol of the excitement, adventure and danger that fueled their fascination with motorcycles.

Soon the country would be thrust into a World War and the Schott brother would be commissioned by the US Air Force to produce what became the "bomber jacket" out of leather. The leather was an asset to keep the wind away from our soldiers bodies, and kept them warm at the high altitudes they flew at. Below, on the decks of the ships, servicemen utilized the Schott leather pea coats, and wool pea coats, to keep the chill of the open sea from reaching down to their bones.

With WWII over and the threat of communism put in check by MacArthur in Korea, this country was witnessing the rise of a new rebellion - one that would be fought with fast cars and Rock and Roll. In 1954, the now cult classic "The Wild Ones" featured the hot young actor, Marlon Brando, perched on his motorcycle wearing his Schott Perfecto. The subsequent spike in popularity of the Perfecto surprisingly resulted in decreased sales. The jackets were actually banned by school systems around the country because they symbolized a burgeoning teen demographic, the "hood".

In the past 50 years, Schott NYC has continued to grow under the leadership of new generations of our family. Product lines and styles have expanded, nylons and wools have grown in popularity, accessories from bags to sunglasses can be found worldwide. But at the core of our business still lies the 100 year old factory right of outside of NYC.

In an old brick building we design and produce the styles that have - and will continue to - connect with the American spirit. More importantly, we are still dedicated to the ideals of quality, innovation, and individuality that were so important to Irving Schott - and that remain important to every person who buys one of our jackets.

Four generations of our family thank you for appreciating our passion.

SchottNYC.com, first to put a zipper on a jacket, has made motorcycle jackets since 1928.
You can get a unique content version of this article.

Article Source: http://www.wellnessarticlelibrary.com

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated