In 1954, Marlon Brando rode onto the silver screen in The Wild One and gave us the blueprint for the rebel.

There are a number of looks out there that are so cemented in the evolution of menswear we can call them archetypes. For whatever reason, be it cultural movements, zeitgeist, fashion, world events or a combination of all, these looks become iconic and set a standard that would inspire and inform generations to come.

In these “Iconic Menswear” articles, we will break down these looks. Looking at the men who either wore, inspired or created them and take a deeper dive into the cultural significance as well as explore the pieces that went into creating the outfit itself.

The Wild One

To start this off we will break down Marlon Brando’s look in The Wild One. Arguably the most defining look that hit menswear since a caveman looked at a bear and thought, “that looks cosy”.

We are not going to dive too deep into the story of The Wild One because quite frankly you should have seen it by now. In a nutshell, it is about a bunch of motorbike riding hoodlums terrorising a small town somewhere in the US. They have a uniform, blue jeans, white T, black leather jacket and engineer boots.

Now, if you are thinking, that’s nothing special, seen that a million times… go to the mirror, take a good look and slap yourself. This IS where this look came from!

Leader of the pack

Heading up this rabble is a smouldering, swaggering, sultry Marlon Brando. Brando’s character, Johnny set the blueprint for the rebel in the emerging country culture. It may seem pas·sé these days, but back in the 1950s post-war conservative America, it shook a lot of shit up.

It all starts with a pair of Levi’s 501’s

At the heart of this look is the blue jean. These days, it might seem kinda weird that something as simple as a pair of jeans could be considered a rebellious act but back then denim was strictly workwear for the working class. Men that worked hard, but knew their place in the grand scheme of things. But post-World War II, things were changing. A feeling summed up when someone asks “Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against? In reply, Brando gruffs “Whadaaya got?” That one short sentence summed up the pent up angst of many young people eager to break free of the social conventions of the 1950s.

This spirit rebellion was frowned upon, to say the least, and the humble blue jean was suddenly not so humble. It became the symbol for this rebellious spirit. Parents refused to buy them and schools banned them. This only fueled the fire. The symbol of rebellion became a rebellion unto itself.

This was the moment that blue jeans transcended social structures and really cemented the 5 pocket blue jean into an icon. It is probably the only garment to have done so in quite such a complete way. This movement from workwear to rebellious statement would pave the way to jeans becoming a fashion item in themselves. For better, and for worse.

Engineer boots

Next up we have the Engineer boot. Engineer boots got their start stoking the fires of coal fed steam engines. The pull-on design did away with lace which probably didn’t mix well with burning coals. The high shaft protected the wearer somewhat, the buckle closure over the instep kept the boot firmly on the foot while the one at the top prevented those burning coals from falling down the opening.

Schott Perfecto

Ok, so that’s the jean. What about the rest. Let’s take the jacket next. Brando is wearing a Schott Perfecto. The Perfecto was first released in 1928 and was (apparently) the first motorcycle jacket that used zippers, a relatively new technology at the time. The asymmetrical closure kept out the cold and the cropped fit meant the jacket didn’t push up when sitting on the motorbike. The belt at the hem also meant the worst of the weather was kept on the outside and the sturdy horsehide leather protected the rider when he had a spill.

Although the Perfecto was key to this look, it didn’t really cause the stir that the jeans did. Maybe because the jacket was less accessible… who knows. But either way, just like the jeans, the very Perfecto that Johnny wore is still sold by Schott. It’s an archetype. A staple. Much emulated, never surpassed.

All together practical

They would have made a good choice form motorcycle boots. In fact, the whole get-up made a pretty practical choice for bikers of the time. Blue jeans were hardwearing and readily available, the Schott Perfecto was made for bikers and the engineers were tough, durable and gave a modicum of protection if you came off the bike.

White T-shirt

But we’re forgetting the white T-shirt… It’s a white T-shirt… Not a lot more to say about that.

Get the look

So, what about rockin this look. The good news is, all the items are still available. You can pretty much copy the look 1 for one. The jeans were Levi’s from the 50s. Levi’s Vintage Clothing does a repro of the 1954 and the 1955 fit. We would go for the 55 as it has a button fly. Much more practical. The Perfecto was a 618 (the stars on the epaulettes were added by the costume department) but you can go for the 613 with stars included. For the boots, Red Wing does an engineer without a steel toecap, as do Whites and Viberg. All good choices. For the T-Shirt. It’s white.

Bringing the look up-to-date

The thing about copying the look 1 for 1 is that it is a bit dated, it might look like you were playing dress-up. Let’s keep the basic elements but bring it up to date. For the jeans, you are still going to want to go for a straight leg to fit over the boots, but a slim straight. You are not going to tuck in the T-Shirt, so you can get away with a mid-rise. This will bring the whole look in a bit making it more contemporary. Oddly enough, if you want to keep in Levi’s the 1947 fit from Levi’s Vintage Clothing is much slimmer than its little brother, the 55. Other good choices are Tellason Blubaugh or if you really are riding a bike, you might want the Iron Heart 634s, the 21oz denim is tough but comfy.

For the T-shirt… again, white. Not too long, not too baggy, not too fitted, no logos.

For the boots, since we have slimmed down the jeans a bit, the larger engineer boots will look a bit bulky. We would suggest the rough out Red Wing Peccos in black, technically Roper boots but they work better in this case. The shaft is a couple of inches shorter and a bit narrower than standard engineer boots. Your jeans will fit over them without bother and they are a bit more refined so you won’t look like you’re wearing clown shoes.

Let’s leave the hat

If you have read this far you probably know the look pretty well and are wondering, what about the hat? Well, the hat is the one part of the outfit that didn’t really stand the test of time. It might be that hats were on their way out at that time, or that they gave way to motorcycle helmets. But either way, the cap fell by the wayside. There are a few brands out there making repros, a quick google will sort you out. But if you are intending to keep the look contemporary, lose the cap.