Britain has given birth to some of the most iconic fashion brands to date including the likes of Grenson, Barbour, Fred Perry, Vivienne Westwood and Belstaff to name a few. Leading the way in top quality craftsmanship and design, the Brits can proudly say their brands are steeped in heritage and history, which has been carried on throughout the years and helped build the excellent reputations and statuses in the world of men’s fashion. Belstaff have been creating top quality menswear since the 1920’s and the brand has recently been re-launched as a contemporary luxury brand, but keeping its rooted history to the motor sport heritage, making it one of the best brands in the modern day fashion scene.

BELSTAFF HISTORY

Launched in 1924 by Harry Grosberg, Belstaff has become one of the best British Heritage brands to date known worldwide for their high performance outwear and even more renowned for its Belstaff jackets. The brand started up business in a factory located in Stoke-on-Trent where the clothes were originally manufactured. Belstaff’s main aim was to produce high quality outwear, conducting research into technology which would make products waterproof, windproof and resistant to heavy friction, resulting in the first brand to produce a fabric that was totally waterproof but breathable, now commonly known as ‘waxed cotton’. Specialising in garments for motorcyclists, aviators and the army, protective clothing was their main focus, resulting in developing a range of gloves, goggles, boots and helmets. By the 1940’s Belstaff was producing more than 40,000 Black Prince Motorcycle Jackets a year. In the 1990’s the brand was hit hard by the textile crisis resulting in a brief move to Wellington, where they still faced trouble and Belstaff was confronted with closure. Motorcyclist Franco Malenotti thought there was something stimulating about the brand, and as a result bought a share in the company, whose main focus was creating new designs and high tech fabrics to help the brand move forward. June 2011 brought Swiss Group Labalux onto the scene, resulting in them buying the company for a reported $161 million and appointing former design director of Burberry Martin Cooper as chief Creative Director.

Notable Pieces Over The Years

Belstaff has been the choice of clothing for cyclists and aviators alike over the years. The history of the brand is surrounded by motorcycle, adventure and travel and has a reputation for delivering fashionable, functional and stylish garments throughout their ranges. Producing a number of high profile jackets over the years has resulted the brand steadying themselves as one, if not the best British Heritage Brand to date. Below explains a number of notable pieces over the years which have helped shape the jackets produced to-date.

The Trialmaster

The Trialmaster Jacket was First Produced in the 1950’s, this jacket became an instant hit with bikers and has become without a doubt the most famous Belstaff Jacket. Featuring 3 revolutionary design details including the precurved sleeves for improved fit and comfort, pivotal armholes and a showerproof lining to stop the wax coating penetrating the inside of the jacket. It was huge with motorcycle enthusiasts including famous champions Sammy Miller who holds the record for the most victories of 1250, Phil Read who used to wear it when competing in the Grand Prix and Ernesto Che Guevera on his journey across Latin America. More recently stars including Steve McQueen, Angelina Jolie, Kate Moss and George Clooney have been seen sporting this jacket, which shows Belstaffs intention to close the gap between utility and chic fashion.

The Black Prince Motorcycle Jacket

This Jacket proudly holds the title of the bestselling waterproof jacket of all time. Selling over 1.6 million units over 40 years while in production at its purpose built Silverdale factory, which was solely for the production of this jacket, it is one of the most famous Belstaff Jackets to date. Wanting to keep the traditional manufacturing process going, this jacket was created using these processes to help preserve the English Heritage of the brand. As a result, the older Belstaff jackets especially from the 1950s and 60s are keenly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Below showcases some of the most popular Belstaff Jackets available to buy instore and online from Aphrodite Clothing.

THE HERTFORD QUILTED JACKET- £695 

The timeless style of this jacket mixed with some of the best archival features from over the years combine to create the Herford jacket. These design elements have helped this jacket become one of the most popular season after season. The iconic Belstaff leather branding can be seen on the sleeve of the jacket, a full length zip with buttoned storm flap and funnel neck for added warmth and protection along with moto quilt articulated sleeve at the elbow, 2 slanted chest pockets for easy access and 2 press stud fasten patch pockets. A more defined silhouette can be achieved with the use of the adjustable rear waist tabs.

State of the art technology combined with superior lightness and performance materials have been combined to create the Belstaff technical quilts. Micro yarns are packed into a dense weave, then treated with Teflon for a water repellent finish. Diamond and channel quilt stitching creates textural interest in a padded effect.

THE ROADMASTER JACKET – £525 – View Online

The Roadmaster jacket is a slimmer version of the iconic Trailmaster Jacket which has become famous worldwide. Belstaff have come to adopt a standard of high performance, high quality and manufacture, and this jacket is no different. This jacket features the close fitting four patch biking pockets, which has been perfected over the decades in a number of other jackets to help bring the spirit of the open road to the modern day urban living society. Other features include the reinforced elbows and shoulder patches along with a lined collar and cuffs in cotton velvet for extra warmth and comfort, underarm vents to let the garments breathe when necessary.

These features are all finished off with the iconic Belstaff patch and Union Jack Belstaff label along with a metal commemorative 2012 plaque on the interior of the jacket. This is a jacket that shows off the superiority of the brand and why it has become what it is today

THE TROPHYMASTER JACKET –  £895 

The Trophymaster Jacket, as a tribute to where the Belstaff brand started out and their historical roots, has been crafted from 6 ounce waxed cotton sourced from an historic British Mill. Again the Tophymaster jacket mixes elements from the brands archives and new modern theories together to create a timeless piece, whose silhouette will no doubt be around for years to come.

The waxed cotton has been mixed with leather detailing including shoulder patches, elbow patches and collar detail adding to the archive biker feel. The patch pockets on this jacket are another nod to the biking influence and how they have been perfected over the years, to integrate into the modern man’s daily lifestyle aswel as the original biker needs.

THE PANTHER JACKET – £1,195

A quality hand waxed jacket that offers a mixture of the best archived Belstaff designs to create one of the most fashionable, functional and stylish design that makes this a truly must have jacket. The muted finish helps the jacket age over time, acquiring a patina unique to the owner and their lifestyle, making this a jacket full of stories in years to come. Features of this jacket include water resistant qualities, extra protection in the reinforced elbows and shoulders and a triple snap throat latch to help keep out the wind and rain.

As with most Belstaff jackets, 4 close fitting four patch biking pockets are a main feature along with a signature check cotton lining, underarm vents and the famous signature Belstaff Patch and Union Jack Label. All finished off with a metal commemorative 1966 metal plaque. A true British design great that is still making strides in the modern day competitive fashion scene.