THE PERFECTO
The birth of a legend
In 1928, when Irving Schott made the first motorcycle jacket, no one could have predicted its lasting impact on the fashion industry or its incredible popularity with people from all walks of life. Today, you don’t need to belong to a gang or ride a Harley-Davidson to wear a black leather jacket.
Irving’s Cuban cigar, the Perfecto…
Whether negotiating costs, talking with his first salespeople or dealing with suppliers, Irving Schott always had his favorite Cuban cigar, the “Perfecto,” in his mouth. Like Groucho Marx, Winston Churchill and George Burns, he made the cigar his signature accessory.
The Perfecto® motorcycle jacket
The first motorcycle jacket was made for Beck Distributors, a Harley-Davidson distributor in Long Island, New York. It retailed for $5.50. Soon afterward, Irving Schott launched a line of motorcycle jackets under the Perfecto® brand name. Since the early 1950s, only Schott’s top-of-the-line motorcycle jackets have carried the Perfecto® label.
In 1954, Marlon Brando
The Schott Perfecto® jacket played a central role in the cult film “The Wild One,” starring Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin. Yet as the jacket appeared more often and grew more popular, sales actually fell! The Perfecto® jacket was banned in many schools because it was often associated with troublemakers!
James Dean
In 1955, when James Dean—a symbol of teenage rebellion—died in a car crash, sales soared. His tragic death brought the motorcycle jacket into fashion and gave Schott’s sales a new boost.
Today
Today, the Perfecto® jacket remains the centerpiece of Schott’s men’s and women’s range, which now includes more than 150 warm-weather pieces in a variety of styles and leathers, from lambskin and goatskin to horsehide. In 2018, the Perfecto® jacket turned 90 and had never looked younger!
The Perfecto® jacket by Schott NYC
