James Dean will forever be a source of inspiration for us. That’s why we’ve decided to bring our artisanal outerwear talents and create a special jacket as a tribute to this Rebel Without A Cause.
We’ve already discussed our love of Jimmy before. This son of Indiana farmers had such a unique personal style that certainly shown through his attire, both in and out of the cinema. Instead of the clean cut suits worn by a majority of classic Hollywood’s leading men, James Dean imposed his casual attire on America. Sure he may have had a few spades of Ivy Style in him, with his OCBDs and overcoats, but he was largely dressed down. Tees and jeans were his uniform of choice, though he was notably seen with that unique breton stripe polo which we have brought back for you guys.
Despite all this, our absolute favorite piece from James Dean’s great Americana wardrobe would have to be his blouson. These casual jackets were very common as work and sportswear back in the day, being worn with nearly everything from flannels and chinos to a trusty pair of selvedge jeans. Dean was known for wearing quite a few of them, swapping them out for leather jackets as needed, but the real one we most likely know him for was the iconic red jacket from Rebel Without A Cause.
Apart from the vibrant red shade, James Dean’s blouson was actually rather unassuming. It wasn’t flashy like his biker jackets, which were black and had a fur collar. Instead, it just has a regular point collar (contrasting against the two-button standing collar of Baracuta G-9s) and side gusset pockets; the material was a sturdy water resistant one that was practical, but certainly not ultra-flashy.
Despite all this, you can’t deny that James Dean wore the hell out of the thing, pairing it with a simple tee shirt and jeans. And now thanks to him, the image is burned into our minds, resulting in the fact that if we had our own Red Blouson, we could have a but a crumb of his rugged charm. And that’s what brings us here today.
At its core, Craftsman Clothing is about artisanally producing the best outerwear that we’ve always wanted to have. This is why we’ve brought in MTO opportunities for classic A-1s, louche safaris, and the rare Shearling flight jacket and Grizzlies. We’re proud to say that this now extends to a faithful reproduction of James Dean’s red harrington jacket.
The Dean Harrington
We’ve brought back all the essential details in this classic jacket, which we’ve made up in an updated and practical water-resistant poly-cotton blend. The wide point collar is just ready to be propped up, perfect for protection against the light elements. Honestly though, you’re probably going to use it for moody posed pictures. Unlike the traditional G-9, our Harrington comes without wrist and hem ribbing, making it much more like the original one worn by James Dean (as he actually wore a McGregor Drizzler). The jacket is unlined, so it can be as light as possible, being able to be stuffed into a travel bag as needed. We’ve also brought in buttons at the cuffs and waist, so you can adjust the fit as needed. And bonus points if you pay attention to the center zipper: it’s a YKK!
As a tribute to our beloved Style Icon and Rebel, we’ve gone the extra mile to include the original poster of Rebel Without A Cause printed right on the back. Think of it as an elegant version of wearing your favorite band tee! It gives the jacket plenty of character that is sure to turn heads when you walk out toward your trusty Triumph motorcycle.
Like all other products we’ve made, the Dean Harrington is also available as MTO. You can choose to get the jacket with or without the film poster and can even request other colors as needed! All you have to do is send us an email to Info@CraftsmanClothing.com and we’ll start your custom order. Whichever one you go with, just know that it will quite literally go with everything. Jeans and gurkhas (in cotton drill and denim) are just some of the many options you can go with; I definitely like the idea of it being worn with wool trousers for a rakish edge. You could even go deeper with our trust Jimmy polo. In any case, everything we offer at Craftsman is infinitely versatile, so the style options are endless!
You can now place your order for the Dean Harrington here. Now that we’ve made the classic James Dean jacket available to you, there’s no excuse to try some of his somber charm for yourself. Wear it on your motorcycle or when you’re “torn apart”. One thing is for sure, when you’ve got on the Dean Harrington, you’ll be abstract. Different. Oh yeah, and cute too.
