Several generations removed from his untimely passing, James Dean is viewed more as a mythical figure than a human actor. His tragic representation of raw, youthful talent greatly overshadows his brief onscreen career.
Even if you’ve never seen Giant or Rebel Without a Cause, you’ve almost certainly seen Dean in the red nylon jacket worn in the latter film. That image, the character it portrays and the cinematic plot device the jacket represents have become foundational to the actor’s legacy.
In Rebel Without a Cause, Dean’s Jim replaces his Oxford shirt and tweed blazer with the red sports jacket and a white tee when he gives up trying to fit in at his new high school.
In 1955, when the film was produced, casual American sportswear was just beginning to take shape. It utilized new synthetic materials like nylon and presented a more relaxed, functional alternative to blazers, suits and traditional workwear.
Dean’s “Rebel” jacket was produced by Bud Berma, but a contemporary American clothing manufacturer that played a much larger role in establishing the design language of mid-century American sportswear was McGregor.
Buck Mason teamed up with McGregor to produce a capsule collection of archival pieces with a modern twist. The centerpiece is the Drizzler Jacket, which fits the same mold as the one immortalized by Dean.
