Belstaff

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The Belstaff logo

Belstaff, founded in Longton, Staffordshire in 1924 is a garment manufacturer no longer based in England where it produced high-performance waterproof jackets. The company has made several advances in jacket technology and currently is one of the most well known companies in its field with some products appearing in several movies.

[edit] History

Founded in 1924 by Eli Belovitch and his son in law Harry Grosberg in Staffordshire, Belstaff produced male and female motorcycle all-weather jackets being the first ever company to use waxed cotton. However,over a number of years jacket technology advanced other parties in need of weather protection and the company diversified into creating goggles (primarily for the increasing aviation market), gloves and several other garments intended to keep its occupier warm, dry and safe.

The next 40 years saw Belstaff's popularity increase employing some 600 staff, producing several jackets now sought after by collectors. Belstaff became a subsidiary of james halstead in 1948 - a company also famous in later years for the success of the Australian brand Driza-Bone.The 1970s saw the creation of the XL500, which self-claimed by the company was virtually indestructible in normal use.

In the 1980s, Belstaff diversified into the golf wear market creating the successful "Vent-o-Lite" range that was adopted as the official garment of the European Ryder Cup Team.

The company was hit hard by the textile crisis of the 1990s precipitating the close of Belstaff's Longton Stoke-on-Trent factory after previously closing its Silverdale site . Moving to Wellingborough, production was vastly reduced, but managed to maintain its good name throughout the decade. The range was also manufactured in Australia by a sister company Driza-Bone. The company grew again and in 1994 introduced Belfresh, a new design of nylon that allowed the transmission of perspiration from the body to the outside of the jacket, while deflecting other weather conditions, this was believed to be the most advanced of its time.

In 2005, through a collaborative effort with a leading weaving mill, Belstaff developed the Cotfort material: a fabric made from high-quality cotton, nylon, and Elastan fibers.

The fall/Winter 2007/08 Belstaff collection introduced the "New Che Guevara Replica Jacket". A Perfect replica in numbered series of the legendary Belstaff coated cotton jacket from the 1950's. The same jacket used by Ernesto Guevara for his legendary motorcycle journey across Latin America.

Today, Belstaff has achieved worldwide success with the opening of such markets as Japan, the Far East, Russia, the United States, Australia, and South America.

[edit] Movies

Beginning in 2005, Belstaff's apparel aroused a great deal of interest in the United States and the garments were requested for many popular films, including Batman Begins, Blade: Trinity, The Interpreter, Tomb Raider II, Mission: Impossible III, X-Men 3, Ocean's Twelve, War of the Worlds, "The Departed", The Aviator, and most recently by Will Smith wearing a Trial Master Legend Jacket in I Am Legend.

The "Aviator by Belstaff" collection, inspired by original apparel in Belstaff's museum, was launched in 2005. This clothing was made in the 1930s and 1940s to protect aviators in extreme weather conditions. The Aviator by Belstaff collection, made with respect for the original materials to ensure maximum authenticity, were chosen by Miramax Films for the costumes of the film The Aviator.

Belstaff also feature a garment marketed and worn by Kevin Spacey who played the villain Lex Luthor in the film Superman Returns.

[edit] External links

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