The "Worn to be Wild" Story

It was an ordinary day. Reading that Harley-Davidson Museum is going to pay tribute to the fascinating history of one of the most enduring and iconic articles of clothing in our popular culture. I'm sure you know by now that I'm talking about the black leather jacket. I remember back in 1965, when I bought my first motorcycle, a Honda 90, that it just wasn't complete without a black leather jacket. I had a friend in one of my Industrial Arts classes atMillersville State Teacher's College that had one he wanted to sell for $15. That was a hefty price back then when my tuition for the semester was $144 and I struggled to pay about $50 for books. But, if I was going to ride my cycle to school, I had to have it. Not a real bulky jacket like some, but did keep me warm on those cold spring mornings when I had to be at school by 7:30 AM. Actually, the jacket was neater than the puney cycle I was driving. I took my wife on our first date on the cycle and found out pretty quickly that her dad had a black leather jacket that he used to ride his Harley. Now that was a cycle. He left us use it from time to time to go crusin' and we looked cool. At least I thought we did with the big saddle bags on the back and the windshield in the front. These were things my little 90 didn't have. Did tip his Harley over at gas station one time and had to get help to get it upright again. I eventually sold my cycle and the jacket was part of the deal. Only way I could sell it; jacket was more important than the cycle to the guy that bought it! I eventually bought a bright red Corvette in the late 1990s and once again, had to have a black leather jacket. My wife got this one for me as a Christmas gift. Matter of fact I bought her a black leather jacket the same Christmas that she still wears. And ...... as time passed, I sold the Vette to my next door neighbor Hank. I offered to sell him the jacket along with the car, but since he outweighed me by a good 75 pounds, the jacket didn't fit him. I still wear it from time to time when it is extremely cold outside. It really does keep you toasty warm. Well, back to my story about the Museum and the display they will have. Over 100 artifacts will be displayed including a jacket worn by Elvis. It will open June 16 and be titled "Worn to be Wild" and will also use motorcycles to explore how a single article of clothing became so ingrained in our pop culture. The history of wearing animal hides can be traced back as far as the Palaeolithic period where cave paintings depicted the use of leather clothing. Wall paintings and artifacts in Egyptians tombs indicate that leather was used for clothing, burying the dead and for military equipment. Matter of fact they even found some drawings of motorcycles in some of those old tombs. The 20th century jacket achieved iconic status when Marlon Brando wore one in 1953 when he stared in "The Wild One." Two years later, "Rebel Without a Cause" staring James Dean was released. The film and Dean's subsequent death in an auto accident sealed the connection in the public's mind between speed, danger, rebellion, and the black leather jacket. The early leather motorcycle jackets which were worn in the 20s and 30s were a brown goatskin with a fitted waist. They imitated the Bomber Jacket that was worn by the Army Air Corp prior to WWII. In the 50s and 60s the jacket was popularized by the rockers and greasers. Today the black leather jackets are seen as being fashionable as well as serving as protective gear for motorcycle riders. Every time Carol and I travel to Maryland to visit our daughter and her husband and our grand-daughters, we travel past the Harley plant in York, PA. In warm weather the roads are filled with motorcyclists wearing their leathers. Shop upon shop are filled along Rt. 30 with cycles parked in the lots in front of them as the riders look for that perfect black leather jacket to make their wardrobe complete. Just as I did back in 1965. Too bad I don't look as cool today as I did back then in my black leather jacket! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photos are from top: Marlon Brando in a promo photo for the movie "Born to be Wild", LDub wearing his Corvette black leather jacket, and Carol's black leather jacket well as her brown leather cowgirl's jacket that she wore when riding her horse "Blackie" during her high school years. The last time that jacket was worn was when our youngest son wore it for a Halloween party.