Introduction Cowboys, Aviation pilots, Burly bearded men on Harleys, Elvis, MJ and rock bands, all have one thing in common: Black Leather Jackets. It’s not only an American trend, but also a global phenomenon. World wars saw the Nazis patronizing leather Bombers and Motorcycle leather Jackets. Japs and their wabi-sabi ideal hold these clothing pieces with reverence. Indian Princes too were hunting and getting their custom jackets done from the hides of animals they killed. The sale pattern of these jackets is one such reason why economists tweaked the information Processing Perspective of a logical buyer and included notions like fantasies, fancies, aesthetic pleasure and emotional reactions as important consumption defining criteria. Yes and someone rightly said four wheels move the body and two wheels move the soul. When Richard Thomson sang the ballad 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, the girl in the poem wears a black leather jacket and falls for a young bandit biker, who lives only for his motorcycle. Traditionally, a Black Leather Jacket is a symbol of rebel, an attire of bad boys. It’s one such product, which has sustained its demand from consumers for over a century. History: Black leather Jacket first became popular with the aviation industry in the 20^th century. Pilots used these jackets that were referred as black bomber jackets. These jackets were associated with characteristics like comfort, durability and protection in extreme climatic conditions. Proud officers embellished the back of their jackets with military insignia and squadron patches. The original design of Bombers was as per the U.S. Army standards 1930 made up of horsehide and had knitted wristband and waistband, zipped front and zipped pockets on the chest. The increase in demand for these bombers during the World War I and II led to the use cowhide and goat hides too for manufacturing these clothing pieces.

German military and fighter pilots extensively used black bomber jackets during world wars.

Bombers used by the U.S. Air force are coded as A-2. These are made of sheep Napa leather. The fitting of these jackets is loose. Officers are not allowed to add any embellishments on the back or shoulder. Hollywood has romanced with Bombers in several war based movies and persona like John Wayne, Marlon Brando and Gregory Peck helped it to make extremely popular among the masses in the 50s. Post world war, the growing young American population started to question its social fabrics and set social norms. In 1953, “The Wild One” movie was released, which went onto influence the restless teens greatly. Motorcycles caught the fancy of young American anti Heroes. The Young America relished being a rebel, a Hero and a revolutionary. The usual dress code was blue jeans, T-shirts, uncombed hair and a black leather biker jacket. This was not only a common scenario in America, but also a global picture. Hollywood was influencing a rebel world altogether. Globally, motorcycle riders caught fancy of these apparels for their functional utility, sex appeal and protective cover. It was time of rebel, it was time of wild. The 1970s started the era of “Happy Days” of Henry Winkler  clad in a leather jacket. It was a time when the rebel of 50s was maturing to functioning and being a responsible member of society. Leather motorcycle jackets became a symbol for the nation building men back those days. Further, these clothing pieces rose to fame not only among street bikers, but also amidst the nation builders. President George Bush and Barack Obama both have occasionally donned Bombers during a few of their visits to the defense establishments. Black Leather Jacket: Ageless Fashion To know as why black bomber still remains as an integral part of a man’s closet, we will need to dig deep to find its utilitarian and the notional values it provides. One element, which is connected to black bomber jacket, is the motorcycle culture. A multitude of motorcycle clubs and gangs has promoted leather biking kits to the pinnacle. Motorcycle has been a symbol of machismo appeal, rebel trait, fearlessness and independence. John Russell (VP Harley Davidson Motor Company) says, “We sell to the 43-year-old accountants the ability to dress in leather, ride through small towns and have people be afraid of them”. This in no way indicates that bike and leather is meant only for men, as the bold and beautiful too have taken it up for the same notional values. Someone has aptly said, “At any age, a woman looks sexy and rebellious on a bike – even if, in real life, she just dropped off her kids at soccer practice.” The smooth connect that leather bomber creates with the body uplifts its sex appeal greatly. It is a unique and erotic fashion element sought by both mainstream heterosexuals as well as by gay community, which is also known as “leathermen”. Black bomberas a fashion statement is global and cross gender clothing. It’s a piece of material culture, which has sustained generation changes and persisted with modern fashion sensibilities. It is incredibly timeless, rugged yet sophisticated. In fact, it’s been a subject case study in economics and business schools too. Various online surveys have been conducted to analyze the unending appeal of black bomber jackets. A Typical Leather Motorcycle Jacket Let us look at a typical leather biker jacket. Made from lambskin, this leather biker jacket features a ribbed and knitted design for added comfort and safety. Talking about its style, the jacket reflects a classic as well as sporty look to suffice the style needs of every biker. It is fully lined for extended durability and strength. Survey People were asked a few questions about their personal experiences of owning a leather jacket and its notional values. They were also asked about the reaction they received from the onlookers after sporting a leather jacket. The survey and study by economists suggested the following: Although technological advancements have brought in various material choices for bombers other than leather, riders all across the world prefer and adore the traditional leather motorcycle jackets. The option of adding patches on these jackets gave riders a way to express their spiritualism and faith by wearing appropriate badges. Thus, leather bombers not only protect the wearer, but are also a means to express faith. Events organized by motorcycle clubs gave their members an opportunity to ride wearing these jackets and participate in several Fundraising social and charity events. According to many personalities, sporting leather jackets is no less than a matter of sheer pride and also an excellent means to showoff their patriotic passion. Conclusion Black leather jackets that came into existence as a protective and safety uniform for aviators and military personnel of the 1930s also became iconic fashion elements in 1940 and still persist in modern times. Over the century, craftsmanship has evolved tremendously with modern technology, but leather jackets made the old style ooze keeping the freshness of latest fads intact. Therefore, it can be concluded that Leather Jacket is a unique piece of clothing and is eternally stylist, timeless, cool and trendy.