Punk and the Motorcycle Jacket

The Ramones

The first leather motorcycle jacket with a zipper was created by Irving Schott in 1928. Schott had begun his company, Schott NYC, with his brother, Jack in 1913. Schott named his leather jacket, Perfecto, after his favorite brand of cigar. Irving Schott’s asymmetrically positioned zipper closure replaced the more common center-front button-down versions. This allowed bikers to lean over their bike without the closure cutting into the body. The jacket was originally sold by a Harley Davidson distributor on Long Island for $5.50--$154 in 2021 dollars. The most popular color was brown, with black overtaking it in popularity during the 1950s. This was largely due in part to its appearance in the film The Wild Ones. The film featured Marlon Brando wearing a black Schott Perfecto. Brando was not the only actor donning this now iconic jacket. James Dean was also frequently seen wearing his black Perfecto on and off the screen. The motorcycle jacket’s popularity was later sustained by its close association with the punk rock movement. While other manufacturers, such as Harley Davidson, and high fashion designers have taken on the motorcycle jacket over the years, the Schott Perfecto remains a staple of the industry. Schott’s initial design has changed very little over the last 88 years and has the reputation of being well made and durable.

The Ramones were a punk band our of New York City who were frequent performers at CGBG. CGBG was opened in 1973 and quickly found an underground following. All of the band members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname "Ramone," although they weren't related. The lead singer, Joey Ramone, occasionally wore rhinestone belts, platform shoes, makeup and jewelry (trends drawn from glam rock), but the band is better remembered for its iconic look of torn skinny jeans and black leather motorcycle jacket.