The Leather Jackets Made Famous by Film, Music and Motorcycles

Leather jackets started out as practical clothing. Motorcyclists wanted protection on the road, while pilots needed something warm enough for cold cockpits and high altitude flying. Film and music changed how these jackets were seen, turning biker, bomber and aviator styles into established parts of men’s fashion.

Many of the details are still there today. Cross zips, large collars, ribbed cuffs, patches and thick sheepskin all have a story behind them.

Marlon Brando and the biker jacket

The black biker jacket was around before Hollywood got hold of it. In 1928, Irving Schott introduced the Perfecto motorcycle jacket in America, a design now widely credited with helping establish the modern leather biker jacket. Schott says the first version sold for just $5.50 through a Harley Davidson dealer on Long Island.

Then came Marlon Brando.

In the 1953 film The Wild One, Brando played motorcycle gang leader Johnny Strabler in a black Schott Perfecto style jacket, jeans, boots and peaked cap. The film helped cement the connection between black leather, motorcycles and rebellion.

You can still recognise the basic formula in modern motorcycle jackets and biker styles:

• An asymmetric or cross zip front
• Wide lapels
• Zipped cuffs and pockets
• Metal hardware
• A short cut that works well on a bike

TruClothing’s current leather range includes traditional Brando style cross zip jackets alongside simpler biker designs, so you do not have to copy the full 1950s look to wear one.

How rock and punk made black leather their own

Music gave the biker jacket another life.

The Ramones made black leather part of their uniform during the 1970s. Their 1976 debut album cover showed all four members in ripped jeans and leather jackets, a look that became closely connected with the band. The Queens Museum later included jackets worn by Joey and Johnny Ramone in an exhibition examining the group’s influence on music, fashion and art.

British punk developed its own take on leather. Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren drew on motorcyclists’ leathers, military clothing and bondage gear in designs sold through their famous King’s Road shop, with the Sex Pistols helping to bring those clothes to a much wider audience. The V&A also holds a customised British punk leather jacket dating to 1977.

That history is one reason a black leather jacket still looks right with simple clothes. Jeans, a T-shirt and boots or trainers are enough. The jacket already brings most of the detail. 

RAF pilots gave Britain its own famous leather jacket

The aviator jacket has a very different story.

American inventor Leslie Irvin developed a heavy sheepskin flying jacket to protect aircrew against extreme cold. After setting up a manufacturing business in Hertfordshire, his design was approved by the British Air Ministry for pilot use in 1932.

The original Irvin jacket used thick sheepskin for insulation, with a leather outer, large collar, heavy zip and adjustable straps. Its shorter cut also made movement easier inside a cramped cockpit.

By the Second World War, the jacket had become closely associated with RAF aircrew. It was famously worn by Spitfire and Hurricane pilots during the Battle of Britain, giving Britain its own instantly recognisable version of the flying jacket.

Those details are still easy to spot in modern men’s sheepskin jackets and aviator styles. Thick collars, brown leather, exposed sheepskin and sturdy zips all have their roots in jackets designed for warmth rather than fashion. 

Top Gun put the pilot jacket back in the spotlight

For a later generation, the leather flight jacket meant Top Gun.

The 1986 film starred Tom Cruise as naval pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and helped bring military flight clothing to a much wider audience. Smithsonian Air & Space reported that the film helped turn collecting flight equipment into a mainstream hobby.

Badge covered brown leather jackets, fur collars and pilot styling remain closely associated with the film. TruClothing’s current leather bomber jackets and aviator range include classic pilot designs as well as Top Gun inspired jackets. 

Which leather jacket style suits you?

The easiest way to choose is to look at the history behind each shape.

• Choose a cross zip biker jacket if you like the Brando, rock and punk look.
• Go for a cleaner racer style if you like motorcycle jackets but prefer less hardware.
• Try a leather bomber if you want a simpler jacket with military roots.
• Choose an aviator or sheepskin jacket if you prefer the heavier RAF and pilot inspired look.

The reason these jackets still work is that their most recognisable details were there for a purpose long before they became style choices. Browse TruClothing’s men’s leather jackets and you can still see the influence of motorcycles, wartime aviation, Hollywood and music in the designs being worn today.