The quintessential casual jacket
On every mod’s coat rack there is a jacket which exceeds in its versatility above all other options. On the 2nd edition of Mod Monday Mood boards we will be sharing the history and legacy of the classic British Harrington and how it can be incorporated in a mod and a contemporary wardrobe.
British beginnings
In 1937, British company Baracuta created the ‘G9’, a lightweight and roomy jacket, based on golfing jackets (hence the ‘G’ in G9). Despite its conception in Northern England, the G9 became synonymous with Rodney Harrington (whose real name was Ryan O’Neal) from the American soap opera ‘Peyton Place’. The jacket thus became known as the Harrington jacket which began to take over America in the 1950s
As preppy fashion developed into its own unique subculture, the Harrington jacket was swiftly adopted by wealthy Ivy League students due to its unique British charm. The Harrington had yet another iconic screen appearance when a bright red jacket was seen being worn by James dean’s Jim Stark in ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ alongside a plain white T-shirt, Levi’s 501 jeans and black motorcycle boots. From this point onwards the Harrington skyrocketed in popularity with the likes of Elvis Presley and Steve McQueen also adopting the jacket.
Adoption by Mods
With the roots of the Mod Subculture growing in London, ideas from the Ivy League style were picked at, with button down shirts, knitted ties, and today’s focus, the Harrington coming back into fashion for Britain’s swinging youth. The Harrington jacket was perfect for these counter cultural teens due to its ability to with stand the constant drizzle of England due to its Mancunian heritage as well as its rebellious connotations.
The Harrington jacket saw a significant resurgence in the late 70s and early 80s with a
melting pot of subcultures once more in England. Each subculture found and adopted the Harrington in their own ways, mods continued to wear them as a symbol of the 60s, skinheads wore them and often added patches to them to signify their musical preferences, scooter boys wore them as a way to hold out against the wind and drizzle of England, and punks wore them with a unique blend of studs, safety pins, and patches.
Styling your Harrington
The versatility of the jacket, being able to worn at least 8 months of the year in England, without a doubt lead to its success as a staple in every wardrobe, mod or not. At Sherry’s we offer a range of colours, all with a classic tartan lining as well as its summery sibling, the Monkey jacket.
As previously mentioned, James Dean’s iconic outfit consisted of a red Harrington jacket, straight leg jeans, a white T-Shirt, and black motorcycle boots. This outfit can very easily be modified to create more of a mod look, with desert boots, and a Polo shirt (we suggest Ben Sherman due to their organic cotton construction which holds its shape and colour) however you could substitute the jeans for a pair of sta-prest trousers and a check shirt for a smart casual look.
Mood board
The Harrington is one of the most versatile jackets around so the key is to explore the possibilities of the jacket and have fun doing so. We've put together a mood board inspired by the history of the iconic Harrington across both the UK and America!
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