So why Is the CP Company goggle jacket so popular I hear you ask… Well, its distinctive construction is designed with a touch of Italian flair, while perfectly blending style and practicality. Staying true to its original design of a moto racing jacket over 50 years ago, the jacket’s modern design is based on its roots of style, utility, and functionality.  

A Casual Icon

The CP Company Goggle Jacket is perhaps the definition of a ‘grail’ for many. For any man with more than a passing interest in clothes, there are certain pieces that inspire and ignite the imagination, whether for their looks, innovative technical specifications, or associations with a certain lifestyle or period in time. 

Combine any or all of these with limited availability, a high price or both, and you end up with a sought-after garment with a cult status: a grail. The Goggle Jacket possesses all of these characteristics in spades. 

The creator of the jacket — legendary CP Company and Stone Island designer Massimo Osti — had a knack for creating clothes that elicit these kinds of feelings; considering himself more of a fabric engineer than a fashion designer. Osti always sought to push forward in terms of textile innovation while honouring the sporting, maritime and military heritage that inspired him, an approach that speaks to men the world over.

History of the Goggle Jacket: Militaria to Mille Miglia

One of Osti’s most iconic designs, the Goggle Jacket epitomises these inspirations. The first version of the Goggle Jacket was conceived as part of CP Company’s sponsorship deal for the 1988 Mille Miglia (‘1000 Mile’) vintage sports car endurance race: a 1000-mile round trip race from Brescia to Rome and back using only classic and vintage cars. 

Originally staged annually from 1927 to 1957, the race paved the way for the rise of some of Europe’s most illustrious car manufacturers from Ferrari to Porsche. From the Sixties onwards, the rules were changed to only allow vehicles released before 1957. 

Due to the lack of modern conveniences in these cars, the participants needed adequate protection from the harsh elements during the often grueling race, and Osti took it upon himself to design the ideal garment for these purposes: forward-thinking but with classic styling and, above all, practicality.

At the time of the 1988 race, Osti had already been experimenting with creating a jacket with built-in protective optics, first incorporating them into an elongated collar in the Explorer Jacket. But after delving into his extensive archive of militaria, Osti hit on his ‘eureka moment’: a 1960s-era Swiss Army sniper jacket.

You can instantly see the stylistic and practical correlations between  this and the Goggle Jacket, particularly the abundance of pockets, ideal for holding essentials for soldiers, racecar drivers and regular Joes alike. The jacket also features a hood with a pull-down mesh cover to provide full-face protection. Coupling this concept with his existing optical frame design, the CP Company Goggle Jacket was born.

Originally made from a simple beige twill cloth, the jacket captured the attention of drivers and spectators alike, and was incorporated into the CP Company collection in 1989, where it has remained as a staple of their lineup ever since.

 

Lens Flair

In more recent collections, the designers have experimented with the Goggle motif, adding the lens viewers to pockets and sleeves on everything from lightweight hooded jackets to cargo shorts. The original designs are guaranteed to be sold for high prices, and this, cements the CP Goggles motif status as a genuine classic — not only of fashion but within industrial design, emblematic of CP Company and Osti’s ethos as a brand, and the lifestyle they represent: the perfect jacket for any and all adventures.

View our full range of CP Company Jackets and other apparel, from CP Company t-shirts and CP Company hoodies online at Aphrodite Clothing today.