Style needs

After falling in love with the Balmain Homme Perfecto this season and mourning the loss of my Junya Watanabe circa 2007, I'm even more obsessed with finding the perfect motorcycle jacket. One requirement is that I can actually afford it. I've been delving into the history of the "Perfecto", the iconic motorcycle jacket originally created by Irving Schott in NYC in 1928, which blew into the public consciousness in 1953 due to the classic Marlon Brando film, The Wild Ones. Even James Dean famously wore the Perfecto, cementing its reputation as the rebel uniform. Random trivia: Schott named the Perfecto after his favorite Cuban cigars.

Many companies and countless fashion brands have created their own unique versions of the Perfecto. But, they all share the same short fitted silhouette; double breasted asymmetrical zipper, sometimes referred to as "lancer front"; zippered sleeves; collars with snaps and usually a belt.