fashionbriefs
9:41in productionCh. 1 · East Broadway, 1913/ 9:41 · ceiling 15 min
Outerwear · Workwear

Schott NYC

1913

The first zippered jacket wasn’t fashion—it was friction, fitted, and forged on the Lower East Side.

The Schott NYC Perfecto is a functional garment made in 1928 from horsehide, with a belted front, D-pocket, flap change pocket, zippered sleeve cuffs and shoulder epaulettes. Founded in 1913 on East Broadway, Lower East Side, Manhattan, Schott NYC was the first company to put a zipper on a jacket. Its cultural impact was amplified by Marlon Brando wearing a Schott 618 in The Wild One (1953) and The Ramones adopting it as part of their uniform look.

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Chapters & takeaways4
  1. 0:52
    East Broadway, 1913

    Schott NYC began in 1913 on East Broadway—not as a style house, but as a maker of durable outerwear for New York’s working streets.

  2. 2:27
    The Zipper Was the First Detail

    It put the first zipper on a jacket—and built the Perfecto around that single, aggressive innovation: horsehide, belt, D-pocket, epaulettes, zip cuffs.

  3. 4:18
    Authority Without Adornment

    Marlon Brando wore a Schott 618 in The Wild One (1953), but the stars were added later—the jacket’s authority came from cut and cloth, not ornament.

  4. 5:42
    Uniform, Not Uniformity

    The Ramones wore it not as costume but as continuity—a fixed point in punk’s chaos, proof that one garment could outlast a genre.

Worth your time?

Yes. Wear the whole thing.

4.5/ 5
What works
  • zips up the front
  • belt cinches at the waist
  • D-pocket holds keys without sagging
  • zippered cuffs seal against wind
What does not
  • breathes
  • softens quickly
  • flatters broad shoulders or narrow waists without adjustment
  • hides its function as armour
Wear it if
  • riders who need protection
  • performers who need a frame, not a costume
  • people who want clothing that asserts before it explains
Skip it if
  • those who prioritise quiet tailoring
  • seasonal lightness
  • unstructured ease
The written brief1 min read

What the garment is and where it came from

A leather motorcycle jacket. Made in 1928. First produced by Schott NYC, founded in 1913 on East Broadway, Lower East Side, Manhattan.

How it works, in terms someone would actually use

It zips up the front. The belt cinches at the waist. The D-pocket holds keys without sagging. Zippered cuffs seal against wind. Epaulettes sit flat, unobtrusive, functional.

What it gets right

The horsehide is dense and scuffs without tearing. The belted front defines silhouette without constriction. The flap change pocket stays closed while moving. The cut drops straight from shoulder to hip—no darts, no ease, no apology.

What it does not

It does not breathe. It does not soften quickly. It does not flatter broad shoulders or narrow waists without adjustment. It does not hide its function as armour.

What it changed

It made the zipper a garment fixture, not a novelty. It turned motorcycle gear into a uniform for rebellion—first on East Broadway, then on screen, then on stage.

Who it is for, and who it is not

It is for riders who need protection. For performers who need a frame, not a costume. For people who want clothing that asserts before it explains. It is not for those who prioritise quiet tailoring, seasonal lightness or unstructured ease.

Is it worth your time

Yes—if you need a jacket that resists abrasion, signals defiance by construction not decoration, and has held its shape in film, music and street for over seventy years.

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