Harrington jacket

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Harrington jacket is a short, lightweight jacket, made with cotton, polyester, wool or suede — usually with a tartan or check-patterned lining.

The first "Harrington" jackets were made by British clothing company, Baracuta in the 1930's and they still make the same model, the G9. Other companies such as Merc London produce jackets in the same style. Whilst always a popular casual jacket, Elvis Presley gave added popularity to the jacket when he wore the Baracuta G9 in his 1958 movie King Creole.

Based on the American Ivy League look, the jacket became fashionable in the United Kingdom in the 1960s amongst mods, skinheads and Gabbers. They again became popular in the late 1970's and early 1980s with punks and mod revivalists. Harringtons are often worn with Fred Perry or Ben Sherman shirts amongst the mod or scooterboy subcultures.

This style of jacket earned the nickname Harrington because of its association with the character Rodney Harrington played by Ryan O'Neal on the TV series Peyton Place.

[edit] References in Film

• Elvis Presley in King Creole (1958)
• Frank Sinatra in Assault on a Queen (1966)
• Jack Klugman in the television series, The Odd Couple (1970-5)
• Christopher Reeve in the movie Superman II wears a beige Harrington jacket as does Brad Majors in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
• Michael Keaton in the movie Mr. Mom also wears a beige Harrington jacket.
• Michael Moore in his documentary The Big One wears a navy blue Harrington jacket.

Brian Hamill, the popular hollywood actor from Glasgow has a collection of Harrington jackets from the 1980s.

• In the beginning of the movie The Long Good Friday, Kevin McNally is seen wearing a beige Harrington jacket.