Schott N.Y.C.
Perfecto (1928), Irving SchottStarting as a manufacturer of raincoats in a basement on the Lower East Side since 1913, Irving Schott, son of a Russian immigrant, focussed on a forthcoming American classic: the motorcycle. Schott designed his first motorcycle jacket in 1928, revolutionizing the way Americans dressed for the outdoors. The Perfecto, named after Schott’s favorite cigar, was the first jacket to feature a zipper and defined the look of motorcycle jackets in general. The Perfecto was immediately embraced by a new generation of bikers as a symbol of excitement and adventure on the road.
In the late 1940s, Schott introduced a new jacket based on the original Perfecto design called the ‘One Star’, named after the star on each shoulder epaulette. These jackets had a more tailored fit, and were worn by icons as Marlon Brando in the movie The Wild One (1953) and The Ramones in the 1970s.
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