History of Harrington Jacket

A Sports coat, the G9 or the baracuta. The men's Harrington jacket goes by many names, but one thing that remains is that it will forever be a wardrobe must-have and a timeless piece of men's fashion.

A Harrington jacket is a lightweight, waist-length jacket made of cotton, polyester, wool. A  staple for any man's wardrobe and forever made iconic by the legendary James Dean.

But how did it come about, and what is the history of the Harrington jacket? 

While many subcultures claim ownership for the popularisation of the men's Harrington jacket, a joint effort all around helped launch this jacket into the mainstream.

In 1930s Manchester, England, brothers John and Isaac Miller found great success manufacturing full-length Mac coats for a variety of well-known designer brands like Burberry and Aquascutum, under the name Baracuta.

As their business grew, so did their status, granting access to some of Manchester's exclusive societies, including membership at the Manchester Golf Club clubhouse.

Whilst there, the brothers noted how the long rain macs they were so well known for and designing were simply no good when it came to golf, as it would not grant you full movement for your swing, and so the Baracuta G7 Jacket was born (G for golf, you see!).

From there, the popular golfing jacket was adopted by famous Americans who loved to golf, such as: Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Ronald Reagan.

From there, it Famously appeared on the likes of James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and Steve McQueen (who wore it in both The Thomas Crown Affair and on the cover of Life Magazine in April of 1963). 

However, the men's Harrington jacket got its namesake from Ryan O'Neal, who famously wore this as his signature jacket in the soap opera Peyton Place. The Harrington jacket became so synonymous with Rodney Harrington's signature preppy style that it became known as the Harrington Jacket.

Despite finding mainstream success in the states, the jacket was still in favour of those in the UK with a less conventional style, and it became adopted by the Mods in the 1960s, then punks in the 1970s and '80s, and then the skinheads in the '90s.

This jacket's versatility and classic style have proven to not only stand the test of time but be a fashion staple of many subcultures, becoming the go-to choice when in need of a light jacket.