“Do you think men live forever”
“Dude what kind of a question is that, early morning? Are you smoked up?”
“I know it’s a weird question, but tell me, do you think men live forever?”
“Well, with life no. But, their legacy, deeds or name do…I guess so?”
I just had this lazy-ass conversation with a friend out of my boredom, but trust me, when he did say that men can live forever with their name, it struck me immediately. Yes, we have read quotes of the known people from the history and appreciated them, yes, we remember them with their work done, and yes we take quite a few of them as an inspiration in our own life.
But, besides all these inventions and crazy-dude stuff, how else can men be remembered or are remembered, especially in fashion?
I tell you what, few of them are remembered by the fashion accessories that are named after them.
Never heard of it? Take a look…
The Ike jacket
Why?
In the fall of 1943, then-General Dwight Eisenhower, who also went on to become the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961, requested a shorter, waist-length version of the standard-issue M-43 field jacket. Ike’s more stylish iteration—roomy enough to fit a sweater, flannel shirt, and wool-cotton T-shirt under it in extreme cold—was based on a British battle jacket, but with more distinctive style, including a nipped-in waist.
The cardigan
Why?
Yes, he was known for his arrogance and attitude, but the garment named after James Brudenell, who led the infamous charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War in the 1850s is the humble cardigan, which was designed to keep British soldiers toasty-warm during brutal Russian winters. It is modeled after the knitted wool waistcoat that British officers supposedly wore during the war. The legend of the event and the fame that Brudenell achieved after the war led to the rise of the garment’s popularity.
The Mao jacket
Why?
A standout design with its high collar and perfectly square pockets, the austere and downright drab design of the Mao jacket was a reaction to the elaborate Manchu garb that preceded Chairman Mao’s administration in 1945. While the jacket became less common in the nineties (as Western-style suits gained favor with Chinese businessmen), political leaders still sport the occasional Mao suit during important political functions.
The Nehru jacket
Why?
Now isn’t that a moment of proud that an attire donned by Prime Minister Nehru, who took office in 1947, is vastly popular even in west and names like the Beatles, the Monkees and apparently James Bond, too, in his movies have been seen sporting Nehru jackets?
The Stetson hat
Why?
After being disgorged with tuberculosis, the son of hat maker Stephen Stetson, John B. Stetson too to roaming around the wild American West, where he befriended cowboys and cattle drivers, all of whom who favored coonskin caps. The wide-brimmed, felt alternative he dreamed up in 1865—marketed as “the Boss of the Plains”—became an instant sensation, offering shelter from the sun and doubling as a bucket with which to water a horse.
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