For Autumn/Winter 17, Menswear military heritage: the “Jolly Roger” naval and submariner inspired collection is both tribute and testament to the incredible clothing worn by the British Royal Navy throughout WWII.
It had to endure the harshest of conditions while at sea, protecting sailors, boatswains and submariners alike, and it was upon the ocean that the genesis of the four-pocket waxed cotton motorcycle jacket was born.
The collection then interprets the harsh realities of life at sea through colour, fabric diversity and an array of special vintage wax treatments for a worn-in look.
Classic maritime silhouettes such as the pea coat and duffle coat have been faithfully reproduced in luxury Melton wool, while waterproof hand-waxed cotton and leather reinforce the stylish functionality of naval outerwear.
The parka plays an integral role this season, emphasised by a technical foul-weather version based on a Belstaff archive piece that was created for the military in 1960.
Colour palette focuses on industrial tones of red, brown, blue and military green, particularly throughout Belstaff’s core pieces. Charcoal grey, black and true navy form a base from which emerge brighter hues such as spruce teal, sanderling, cardinal red and burnished gold.
In leather and waxed cotton, colours have been given an aged effect for a unique patina.
Tattoos have always been a naval tradition, not just in the British Royal Navy but also in the US Navy. Belstaff have incorporated this heritage of symbolism in two distinct styles. The first is a more edgy reproduction of classic naval tattoos such as the swallow (which signifies a sailor accomplishing 5000 nautical miles out at sea) and the anchor. Placed randomly across a variety of garments, they have been designed in the rich and vibrant style of “Sailor Jerry”, a prolific tattoo artist who etched his trade in the red light district of Honolulu during WWII. These motifs have also been extrapolated to form a more feminine lace-like graphic resembling body art. Lastly, the iconic Jolly Roger flag, which was raised by victorious submarines on their return to harbour has also been applied to elements of the collection. Tattoo emblems and the Jolly Roger appear across men’s and women’s on leather, wax, knitwear, sweats, tees and shirting.
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