BARACUTA G9 incoming

[4444Design]

I just ordered a BARACUTA g9 in the color "Ultramarine" - since i saw some pics of @MrProper 's i was convinced to also need one.

Should be arriving at some point next week.

Anyone else appreciates the "HARRINGTON STYLE"?

 

[MrProper]

Cool. *thumb up*

 

[Bfd70]

I want one but balk at the price. If i see one in my size on the secondary market i’d grab it

 

[Tom71]

I am on the plane back from a trip to London/Brighton and down at the seaside everybody seemed to be wearing G9’s in all sorts of pastel colours (e.g. pale yellow or some berry-orangy mix). All of them original BARACUTA too, as I interviewed/complimented a few of the wearers.

I do have one in “dark navy” since like forever. After dropping some excess weight, it fits ok again, which is great given that I still have to wear it a ton given the price.

 

[4444Design]

I am on the plane back from a trip to London/Brighton and down at the seaside everybody seemed to be wearing G9’s in all sorts of pastel colours (e.g. pale yellow or some berry-orangy mix). All of them original BARACUTA too, as I interviewed/complimented a few of the wearers.

I do have one in “dark navy” since like forever. After dropping some excess weight, it fits ok again, which is great given that I still have to wear it a ton given the price.

Yeah the price is kinda "hefty" ... - but still the style makes it

 

[Tom71]

Yeah the price is kinda "hefty" ... - but still the style makes it

I went to a shop selling knockoff Baracutas for GBP 130. Ironically the owner was wearing an original...

 

[One Drop]

I bought one in the colour they called Ice a few years ago, pretty close if not identical to the '60s colour that Steve MqQueen famously wore. I wanted a good all around light jacket / windbreaker / rain jacket for travel and urban use. I'm glad I invested in the real thing, it looks and feels fantastic to wear, the fabric has a great hand and is very comfortable, and stays crisp looking no matter what you do with it. The collar and cuffs are also very substantial and of course the liner is soft and gorgeous in that famous plaid. It's just such a classic and so easy to wear with almost anything.

I had worn one in sand for years in my much younger days, I think it was a Lacoste version. It wasn't easy back then to find out what original brands were or where different models had their origins.

 

[MrProper]

I'm glad I invested in the real thing, it looks and feels fantastic to wear, the fabric has a great hand and is very comfortable, and stays crisp looking no matter what you do with it. The collar and cuffs are also very substantial and of course the liner is soft and gorgeous in that famous plaid. It's just such a classic and so easy to wear with almost anything.

I agree with that.
Yes, it's a lot of money. But when I think about how much money I spend/have spent on leather jackets, it puts things into perspective.
I've ordered a few of the cheap Harrington ones recently and sent them all back. The Baracuta feels more valuable (maybe it's psychological LOL), it's absolutely uncomplicated, I crumple it up, throw it in the washing machine and it still looks cool. I'm afraid that one or two more will be added to my two. There will certainly be another discount campaign at the end of the year.

 

[Pandemic]

I went to a shop selling knockoff Baracutas for GBP 130. Ironically the owner was wearing an original...

I’m not sure you could call a Harrington jacket made by someone else a ‘knock-off’ - that would sort of be like calling another brand of jeans a Levi’s knock-off.

Did you go to Jump The *** in Brighton? They make a really good Harrington.

If I were going to buy a Baracutta, it would be the G4. Though my favourite version of this style was made by Tom ford (popularized in the Bond film Quantum of Solace). i have the knock off made by Royale Filmware in Australia

 

[Tom71]

I’m not sure you could call a Harrington jacket made by someone else a ‘knock-off’ - that would sort of be like calling another brand of jeans a Levi’s knock-off.

Did you go to Jump The *** in Brighton? They make a really good Harrington.

If I were going to buy a Baracutta, it would be the G4. Though my favourite version of this style was made by Tom ford (popularized in the Bond film Quantum of Solace). i have the knock off made by Royale Filmware in Australia

No, you are right. "Knock-off" is too judgmental for what I was saying. There always have been Harrington-jackets around...

Incidentally, I was talking about Jump the ***. The Harringtons looked decent enough, but the shell was Polyester and they had a somewhat weird insulation between shell and lining, making the jacket somewhat "puffy", if that makes any sense.

I complimented the owner on his Baracuta and he cheekily claimed that "this model is sold out" at the moment...

Great shop, though, with good music playing and two autographs of the one and only Paul Weller on the walls too. Mod heaven... .

 

[Pandemic]

No, you are right. "Knock-off" is too judgmental for what I was saying. There always have been Harrington-jackets around...

It’s an interesting history, and how that brand co-opted it to ‘own’ it. Maybe the better analogy is Schott and the cross-zip?

I have heard that their quality has improved a lot over the past ten years, though I haven’t handled the newer ones yet.

If I were going to spend the big bucks, I’d probably go with a Private White’s version in Ventile cloth.

Incidentally, I was talking about Jump the ***. The Harringtons looked decent enough, but the shell was Polyester and they had a somewhat weird insulation between shell and lining, making the jacket somewhat "puffy", if that makes any sense.

That’s disappointing. I owned one of their first runs, which was good and had all the ‘authentic’ details but was too light and thin cotton. Then I got one about 15 years ago which as perfect, probably my favourite ever.

I also like Merc for the more rugged fabric and slim fit, though the details aren’t right for the purists (no Regan sleeves or rain yoke).

I also like the Ben Sherman model for red - since it doesn’t have a red tartan lining to clash with the outer shell colour.

I complimented the owner on his Baracuta and he cheekily claimed that "this model is sold out" at the moment...

Great shop, though, with good music playing and two autographs of the one and only Paul Weller on the walls too. Mod heaven... .

That’s cool! I’ve ordered a few things from them over the years and always impressed with the price and quality.

 

[4444Design]

arrived 4 working days from ordering - i love that jacket ...

 

[Edward]

I like the generic Harrington style. I've owned a few over the years (probably got a few to clear out and replace now as well, given middle age has seen my shoulders spread out, surprisingly). Never owned a Baracuta. They're nice, really nice, but significantly more than I'd be prepared to pay for a very basic windbreaker jacket. The ones I've had have gone from very cheap (where quality is hit and miss) to mid-market - Jump the ***, Merc London, a few others. I've owned them on PoW check, black, navy, fire engine red, and sky blue. I'd replace any / all of those as necessary. One of the worst looking Harringtons I've ever handled was from, of all brand, Grenfell - and was £250 at a time when that was more expensive than even a Baracuta, probably twenty odd years ago. Beautifully made, but the shape and how they'd rendered the design was..... full on 1980s Mail Order Catalogue Blouson. Just awful.

Baracuta made the first i the style on the market back in 1937, the G9; the generic Harrington term arose much later on, the 60s as memory serves, and is claimed (not least by the man himself) to have been coined by John Simons of the original The Ivy Shop in London, after the Rodney Harrington character in soap opera Peyton Place who was commonly associated with the style. (c/f the 'Rciky' jacket in the US.) Originally a golf jacket, but they've been worn and popular in every decade since. Elvis, Steve Macqueen, Amy Winehouse all wore them. They were popular with rockabillies, punks and skinheads, hipsters and more. One of those perennials that always seems to be in with somebody, and doesn't seem ever to date in and of itself to any one time period.

For a lot of folks in Britain and Ireland, they were a working class basic at a time, and the idea of spending the big money doesn't compute (bit like jeans in that respect, I suppose). I wouldn't turn down a Baracuta if ebay threw one my way cheap, but it's not something I'd seek out. When I pick up my next, it'll likely be via Hoxton Originals; also got an eye on one from Ben Nevis Clothing in Camden - they've been making them since 1962, and are the brand of choice that, when the style had a big revival in the early eighties (among both skinheads and mainstream fashion), the band Madness acquired (allegedly shoplifted) theirs.

The more affordable variants will often have set-in sleeves. Purists hate that, though they have their fans. Jump The *** in Brighton over the years have done both set-in and raglan sleeves on and off; it seems some mod types prefer the set-ins as they apparently allowed for slimmer silhouette. The other thing you often see is the yoke on the back is stitched down rather than vented. I'm somewhat agnostic about this. I prefer the concept of it being stitched down, but I'm open to trying one that is vented - the Hoxton Original option is the only one at (what for my pocket is) a sensible price that is vented.

It's a great style of a jacket I find for just kicking around; I like them with a collar and tie and a pair of fifties pegs, though they also work well dressed way down with denim and such. I always liked my bright red one with jeans. It's not a Macgregor antifreeze, but the similar colour combination still works well.

 

[Pandemic]

I like the generic Harrington style. I've owned a few over the years (probably got a few to clear out and replace now as well, given middle age has seen my shoulders spread out, surprisingly). Never owned a Baracuta. They're nice, really nice, but significantly more than I'd be prepared to pay for a very basic windbreaker jacket. The ones I've had have gone from very cheap (where quality is hit and miss) to mid-market - Jump the ***, Merc London, a few others. I've owned them on PoW check, black, navy, fire engine red, and sky blue. I'd replace any / all of those as necessary. One of the worst looking Harringtons I've ever handled was from, of all brand, Grenfell - and was £250 at a time when that was more expensive than even a Baracuta, probably twenty odd years ago. Beautifully made, but the shape and how they'd rendered the design was..... full on 1980s Mail Order Catalogue Blouson. Just awful.

Baracuta made the first i the style on the market back in 1937, the G9; the generic Harrington term arose much later on, the 60s as memory serves, and is claimed (not least by the man himself) to have been coined by John Simons of the original The Ivy Shop in London, after the Rodney Harrington character in soap opera Peyton Place who was commonly associated with the style. (c/f the 'Rciky' jacket in the US.) Originally a golf jacket, but they've been worn and popular in every decade since. Elvis, Steve Macqueen, Amy Winehouse all wore them. They were popular with rockabillies, punks and skinheads, hipsters and more. One of those perennials that always seems to be in with somebody, and doesn't seem ever to date in and of itself to any one time period.

For a lot of folks in Britain and Ireland, they were a working class basic at a time, and the idea of spending the big money doesn't compute (bit like jeans in that respect, I suppose). I wouldn't turn down a Baracuta if ebay threw one my way cheap, but it's not something I'd seek out. When I pick up my next, it'll likely be via Hoxton Originals; also got an eye on one from Ben Nevis Clothing in Camden - they've been making them since 1962, and are the brand of choice that, when the style had a big revival in the early eighties (among both skinheads and mainstream fashion), the band Madness acquired (allegedly shoplifted) theirs.

The more affordable variants will often have set-in sleeves. Purists hate that, though they have their fans. Jump The *** in Brighton over the years have done both set-in and raglan sleeves on and off; it seems some mod types prefer the set-ins as they apparently allowed for slimmer silhouette. The other thing you often see is the yoke on the back is stitched down rather than vented. I'm somewhat agnostic about this. I prefer the concept of it being stitched down, but I'm open to trying one that is vented - the Hoxton Original option is the only one at (what for my pocket is) a sensible price that is vented.

It's a great style of a jacket I find for just kicking around; I like them with a collar and tie and a pair of fifties pegs, though they also work well dressed way down with denim and such. I always liked my bright red one with jeans. It's not a Macgregor antifreeze, but the similar colour combination still works well.

Grenfell also claim to have made the first Harrington in 1931, though I doubt we will ever really establish who copied whom at this point.

 

[Tom71]

I like the generic Harrington style. I've owned a few over the years (probably got a few to clear out and replace now as well, given middle age has seen my shoulders spread out, surprisingly). Never owned a Baracuta. They're nice, really nice, but significantly more than I'd be prepared to pay for a very basic windbreaker jacket. The ones I've had have gone from very cheap (where quality is hit and miss) to mid-market - Jump the ***, Merc London, a few others. I've owned them on PoW check, black, navy, fire engine red, and sky blue. I'd replace any / all of those as necessary. One of the worst looking Harringtons I've ever handled was from, of all brand, Grenfell - and was £250 at a time when that was more expensive than even a Baracuta, probably twenty odd years ago. Beautifully made, but the shape and how they'd rendered the design was..... full on 1980s Mail Order Catalogue Blouson. Just awful.

Baracuta made the first i the style on the market back in 1937, the G9; the generic Harrington term arose much later on, the 60s as memory serves, and is claimed (not least by the man himself) to have been coined by John Simons of the original The Ivy Shop in London, after the Rodney Harrington character in soap opera Peyton Place who was commonly associated with the style. (c/f the 'Rciky' jacket in the US.) Originally a golf jacket, but they've been worn and popular in every decade since. Elvis, Steve Macqueen, Amy Winehouse all wore them. They were popular with rockabillies, punks and skinheads, hipsters and more. One of those perennials that always seems to be in with somebody, and doesn't seem ever to date in and of itself to any one time period.

For a lot of folks in Britain and Ireland, they were a working class basic at a time, and the idea of spending the big money doesn't compute (bit like jeans in that respect, I suppose). I wouldn't turn down a Baracuta if ebay threw one my way cheap, but it's not something I'd seek out. When I pick up my next, it'll likely be via Hoxton Originals; also got an eye on one from Ben Nevis Clothing in Camden - they've been making them since 1962, and are the brand of choice that, when the style had a big revival in the early eighties (among both skinheads and mainstream fashion), the band Madness acquired (allegedly shoplifted) theirs.

The more affordable variants will often have set-in sleeves. Purists hate that, though they have their fans. Jump The *** in Brighton over the years have done both set-in and raglan sleeves on and off; it seems some mod types prefer the set-ins as they apparently allowed for slimmer silhouette. The other thing you often see is the yoke on the back is stitched down rather than vented. I'm somewhat agnostic about this. I prefer the concept of it being stitched down, but I'm open to trying one that is vented - the Hoxton Original option is the only one at (what for my pocket is) a sensible price that is vented.

It's a great style of a jacket I find for just kicking around; I like them with a collar and tie and a pair of fifties pegs, though they also work well dressed way down with denim and such. I always liked my bright red one with jeans. It's not a Macgregor antifreeze, but the similar colour combination still works well.

Informative as always, Edward. Thanks for taking the time!

Weird, that I’ve now come across Jump the *** twice since my return from Brighton. I’ve had zero concept of the shop before venturing in, trying to convince my colleague he needed a pair of G.H. Bass “Weejuns”.

 

[Edward]

Grenfell also claim to have made the first Harrington in 1931, though I doubt we will ever really establish who copied whom at this point.

It's certainly plausible... It's very much like the Perfecto-style mc jacket or the belted, wax cotton motorcycle jacket in that regard. I suppose Baracuta get the recognition because they got Elvis and Steve Macqueen - and Sinatra - into theirs.

 

[Edward]

For purposes of cross referencing, another useful thread on Harringtons here:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/good-harrington-or-barracuda-jacket.108066/page-2

 

[Good Lukes]

I want one but balk at the price. If i see one in my size on the secondary market i’d grab it

I just put one up for sale ...
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/fs-harrington-g9-brown-steve-mcqueen-jacket-size-44.120564/

 

[minsoochoi]

One of my favorite jackets is a Baracuta G9 in olive suede. Was able to snag one for 50% off and it continues to be such a beautiful piece!