A Short History of the Leather Motorcycle Jacket

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.

Innovation being the modus operandi of the times the Schott brothers targeted the motorcycle market and the leather jacket. In 1928 Irving Schott produced the first leather motorcycle jacket from his own design. At $5.50 each and named the "Perfecto" it was an instant success. This rugged and durable leather motorcycle jacket became the symbol of the American fascination with motorcycles and the symbol of freedom and the biker image.

American life was again interrupted with the start of WWII. The US Air Force commissioned Schott to produce a "bomber jacket" for the flyers in the air over enemy territories. The air is cold at the flying altitudes over Europe and the Pacific as well. The leather jacket fought of the chill and blocked the wind. Schott's naval pea coat provided servicemen with a warm rugged coat to keep them away from the weather and conditions at sea. Schott went on to produce these leather and wool pea coats for the US Military for 60 years.

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 Schott's thank you for appreciating our quality leather products and our passion for the motorcycle jacket.

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

SchottNYC.com, first to put a zipper on a jacket, has made leather jackets since 1928.
Don't reprint the same version as everyone else. Get your own unique content leather article here.