WORN TO BE WILD: THE BLACK LEATHER JACKET

The black leather jacket. Rebellion. Sex appeal. Confidence. Rock ’n’ roll.

The motorcycle jacket acquired its symbolic identity over the last half of the 20^th century. Its roots go even deeper, and its current meaning embodies some interesting contradictions. It evolved from earlier leather garments developed to protect their wearers from danger. Today it carries a suggestion that its wearer is a little dangerous. It was adopted by rugged—or ragged—individualists who rejected mainstream ideas of fashion. It has now become a crucial accessory of the fashion-conscious.