Remember how electric the first full trailer for Black Panther was?
There was so much to get excited about — the action! the scope! swole Michael B. Jordan! — but what immediately stood out to me was a fleeting shot of Jordan in a badass shearling jean jacket.
If memory serves correct, Twitter went apeshit over it. I know I definitely did. The entire look, as constructed by costume designer Ruth E. Carter, felt so decidedly different. The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t known for being particularly stylish, although it does have its moments now and again. I wanted one immediately and set out to find my perfect version. It wasn’t the first time I’d gotten obsessed over a stylish denim jacket.
In 2016, Stag Provisions joined up with The Hill-Side and chain stitch magicians Lot, Stock, and Barrel to make a series of denim jackets that were essentially wearable art. The jacket itself was a Levi’s Type II, an entirely denim version of a World War II-era style bomber jacket. The dual front chest pockets and belted hem were bolstered by contrast stitching, giving the whole thing a nice pop. And, on the back, was an incredible dual-palm tree in sunset orange and yellow. It felt like a painted leather jacket you’d see in the 50s, only so so much cooler.
It was also insanely expensive. Only a limited number were made, and they were only sold at Stag’s Los Angeles store. I never had a chance.
I thought a lot about these two jackets in the intervening years. I was always on the hunt for a good shearling, but nothing I ever came across felt anywhere close to the one in Black Panther. Strolling vintage shops and even mindless scrolling through Grailed never yielded anything. I’d given up. And then, suddenly, a perfect one appeared.
It was an Acne Studios distressed jean jacket. The golden buttons popped, the ripped details were picture perfect. I kept pestering the seller for measurement details and never heard back. To make matters worse, he suddenly yanked the listing from Grailed. The perfect jacket seemed to be slipping through my fingers. I finally got a hold of him and ending up buying the jacket offline. It fit like a glove.
When I went to Texas with my girlfriend, we ended up hitting the Stag location in Austin. I found a chain stitch patch — not from Lot, Stock, and Barrel — but local shop Fort Lonesome. It was an eagle with a sun. Given my own personal history with eagles, it felt fated. I purchased it, unsure which jacket it would end up on, but knowing I wanted to save it for something extraordinary.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized the patch belonged on the shearling. The jacket would take the place of two distinctive jackets I’d always wished for, coming together as some sartorial hybrid — with real emotional weight behind it. The jacket, if nothing else, would feel decidedly unique. A true one of one. A fitting conclusion for a journey that spanned years and almost got away from me a few different stages.
For GQ this week, I wrote about the premiere of Clarice. The Silence of the Lambs follow-up series is relegated to a CBS crime procedural that doesn’t understand what made the Jodie Foster character so compelling. Oh, and due to a bizarre rights issue, the show can’t directly mention Hannibal Lector. It’s never fun to write a pan, but this series is just so off the mark it’s depressing. Save your time for something better — like rewatching NBC’s excellent Hannibal series.
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