The Rake

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

Source: Brown leather USAAF aviator jacket, Chapal for The Rake; powder blue washed cotton denim shirt, Drake’s for The Rake.Navy denim-look cotton whipcord trousers, Camps de Luca; navy cashmere tie, E. Marinella, both property of The Rake.

There are certain leather jackets that are inextricably linked with certain values. For example, the J-24 Buco/Schott Perfecto double-breasted motorcycle jacket conjures up images of a sneering Marlon Brando slouched against his Triumph motorcycle in The Wild One, and, as such, perfectly characterises the word ‘rebellion’. The A-2 aviator jacket, issued by the United States Air Force to officers since 1931, has been donned by such an incredible litany of real-life and screen heroes, from General Douglas MacArthur to Steve McQueen, that it will forever be associated with acts of immeasurable heroism. Who can forget McQueen in his A-2 made by American brand Rough Wear in The Great Escape, his jacket draped insouciantly like a flag of defiance against his German prison camp oppressors?

Throughout my life I’ve owned dozens of A-2 and G-1 (the Navy version) jackets, numerous vintage jackets, and several modern ones — and each time I’ve worn them I’ve felt connected to their rich and heroic history.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Rake

The Rake4 min read
Gods Of Creation
Michael Browne has a particular sense of mission. His love of shape and precision has made him famous across the world. His training began in 2008 at Paul Smith Bespoke, and continued in 2010 with the masters of statuesque tailoring, Joe Morgan and R
The Rake6 min read
The Vine Of Beauty
As a self-employed oenophile, I admit I do my fair share of work from bed. It turns out I am in great company, as the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild agreed to a collaboration with Robert Mondavi from bed in 1978. It was a collaboration that brough
The Rake1 min read
Baste Instinct
GROOMING: TYLER JOHNSTON AT ONE REPRESENTS FASHION ASSISTANT: HELLY PRINGLE MODELS: O’SHEA AT SELECT AND ROBERTAS AT CHAPTER ■

Related Books & Audiobooks