NEWS UPDATE: 06.29.10
Omnibus
The long-anticipated Omnibus clothing and record boutique in Portland will be carrying Straight To Hell leather jackets. Located in the basement of East End, our old friend's bar and venue, this destination spot is now a one-stop-shop for all your rock 'n' roll needs. Live music, jukebox and DJ's, full bar, grub, threads, vintage gear, guitar strings, vinyl, and more.
Get old school and think King's Road, London, 1960's and 70's.
Granny Takes A Trip, where the Rolling Stones were known to shop, and Malcom McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's
Sex boutique, were the Sex Pistols frequented and British punk was born.
Portland holds it down.
NEWS UPDATE: 06.09.10
From Jerry to Billy to Johnny to Sid
We recently and coincidently came into a firsthand account of a cool little early untold punk rock story that is indirectly related to our black & white Commando leather jacket. It's a bit long so bare with us, but there are pictures and videos, so read and click on.
Ever seen the classic pictures of Heartbreakers drummer Jerry Nolan, bassist Billy Rath, singer-guitarist Johnny Thunders, each sometimes sporting a cool black & white American style leather jacket? And bassist Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols can also be seen wearing a similar jacket? It was our theory this leather jacket, showing up in old school punk photography on four different rockers in multiple countries over consecutive years, was actually the same jacket. Why not?
The story we heard comes direct from an original New York scenester. This guy, the teller of this tale, and Jerry Nolan, were buddies during the first wave of punk rock in N.Y.C. back in the mid '70s. They were bumming around St. Mark's and ended up in a corner thrift store (that is of course no longer there), where Nolan scored a vintage black leather jacket on the cheap. He painted the accents white and was always seen rocking his "new" jacket around town.
Sometime later, Johnny Thunders got a hold of the jacket from Nolan, and it became his leather jacket. Perfect off-topic quote from biographer Nina Antonia: "Johnny and his wise-guys were not a punk band in the 1976 application of the term, they were N.Y. street punks playing rock 'n' roll, but the kids still pogoed."
On the cover of the Heartbreakers "L.A.M.F." album, Billy Rath can be seen sporting the jacket.
In 1977 the ill-fated Heartbreakers arrived in London just as the British punk scene was building momentum, were they played many classic gigs and hung around with the likes of the Sex Pistols. It's assumed this is were Pistols bassist Sid Vicious acquired the N.Y.C. hand-me-down. The rest is history, except...
Now Straight To Hell makes this leather jacket, and baby, it still fuckin' rocks.
NEWS UPDATE: 05.20.10
Belmont Army
Rewind: Teenage years, Belmont Ave. and Clark St., Chicago. Hanging out, punk rock, teen angst. There was always Belmont Army to stop into. They carried everything, from new and vintage clothes to shoes to skateboards to cool military surplus gear.
Fast forward: Belmont Army, still there, and they now carry Straight To Hell. If in Chicago, stop by their Belmont location and check out our threads.
Locals rule.
NEWS UPDATE: 05.10.10
The Commando
The Commando is here. This is our original take on the American style leather motorcycle jacket. It's unisex with a tight, form-fitting look and very soft, made from the highest quality leather around. Rock it in classic black or in our unique black and white color combination. Both feature red lining of course. This is for riding or this is for rock 'n' roll.
Both colors and all sizes available now at Full Breach 77.
If Joey Ramone rode Marlon Brando's Wild One motorcycle, he'd ride it wearing The Commando. First rule is...
And yes, we are still working on making all our jackets in faux "leather" as well.
NEWS UPDATE: 04.27.10
The Offender, (still) coming soon. The Commando, just around the corner. Not 53rd and 3rd.
Quick update about The Offender, our timeless cafe racer style leather motorcycle jacket. Here's a small preview of the black version, also to be available in asphalt gray. The Offender should be here in May, if the God of Leather is on our side! Yes there is a God of Leather, don't mess with him.
Later this week: The Commando, our unique American style leather motorcycle jacket. Available soon in black and black & white. Hopefully you can place the name of The Commando. If not we're disappointed.
NEWS UPDATE: 04.16.10
The Defector. In color. Bad Man polos. Coming soon.
It's been a long time in the making, and now all five colors of The Defector leather jacket are here. Black, white, black & white, maroon red, and blue. The dye came out great and these babies rock. Soft leather, slim-fit, red lining, sweet zips. Don't be afraid of color!
All colors and sizes available now at Full Breach 77.
Check back soon for The Commando and The Offender leather jackets. Yeah, yeah, it's getting hot out, we know.
Heads up: Bad Man polos coming soon. Are polos only for preppies? Tennis and golf and cricket? Good boys with civilized manners? We say no! This is for the bad man. This is for you.
NEWS UPDATE: 03.01.10
"See that picture on my back?" "Yeah." "That's all you're gonna see, man."
The cafe racer is both a motorcycle and a motorcycle jacket.
The cafe racer motorcycle is a custom bike, built for speed and style. Leather-clad English riders in the early '60s would meet at cafes along windy roads, like the famous Ace Cafe on North Circular Road in London, hanging out comparing bikes and listening to the new rock 'n' roll sounds coming from the jukebox. It was the only place to hear rock 'n' roll at the time.
From this rebellious blend of motorcycles and rock 'n' roll came the legends of record-racing. Drop a coin into the jukebox slot and race to a given point and back before the record finishes. Riding fast and looking good. Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues", at 2 minutes and 57 seconds, must have finished in the blink of an eye.
Watch this great clip from the 1963 British movie, The Leather Boys. Notice the extras in the background who were real patrons at the Ace Cafe.
The cafe racer leather motorcycle jacket, zipper up the front with a half collar, in black or asphalt gray. Clean and stylish. The Offender, coming soon. This is for riding or this is for rock 'n' roll.
NEWS UPDATE: 02.17.10
Angry, Young and Poor
Can it please be known that Straight To Hell loves Angry, Young and Poor? Straight out of Lancaster, PA, this killer punk store has consistently offered all your rock 'n' roll needs and now you can find our apparel at AYP. Get some.
And of course, you can easily shop online with our local Chicago friends over at Full Breach 77. These righteously bad ass, amazingly awesome, super kool kats are always the first ones to receive Straight To Hell apparel and will take care of you!
Over the next couple months, watch Straight To Hell for men's and women's skinny jeans in multiple colors and washes, fitted polos, men's and women's western shirts with unique embroidery, and unisex jean jackets. Don't forget to keep on checking back!
NEWS UPDATE: 02.08.10
Trash and Vaudeville
Our long-time friends Trash and Vaudeville in New York City are now carrying all Straight To Hell leather jackets and will soon have our other upcoming apparel. If you're down on St. Mark's Place in the East Village, stop on over at Trash and check out our leather jackets. Tell them you can't wait to see all future Straight To Hell items in their store, too!
This month, watch for The Commando, our version of the classic American style leather motorcycle jacket in all black and in unique black & white, and The Offender, our original racer style black leather motorcycle jacket.
NEWS UPDATE: 02.01.10
"Hey Johnny, what are ya rebelling against?" "Whaddya got?"
Got three minutes? Check out this classic scene from The Wild One with Marlon Brando and his Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The movie was actually banned in the U.K. until 1967, presumably to deter the British youth from emulating the characters. One-liners don't get any better than this.
If you wear, or want to wear, a black motorcycle leather jacket and you haven't seen The Wild One, then get out from under the rock you've been living under and watch it now! The movie is one of the reasons for the black leather jacket's early success as a true rebel symbol. Some things never change.
Cool trivia fact: The Triumph motorcycle Brando rides in the movie was his personal bike.
Watch for our spin on the traditional American style leather motorcycle jacket similar to these, also made famous by the Ramones. The Commando in two different colors, coming soon. This is for riding or this is for rock 'n' roll.
NEWS UPDATE: 01.20.10
The Defector
We are very happy to launch the line with The Defector, our original take on the British style leather motorcycle jacket. It's unisex with a tight, form-fitting look and very soft, made from the highest quality leather around. We currently have black jackets, and soon we will have other colors available, like a black and white combination, white, maroon red, and dark blue.
Eventually, we are hoping to have this jacket in animal friendly faux leather as well.
This is for riding or this is for rock 'n' roll.
NEWS UPDATE: 01.13.10
Welcome to Straight To Hell, the rock 'n' roll apparel line based in Chicago.
Inspired by counter-culture music and attitude, you can count on fitted, high quality apparel, ready for getting dirty in the streets or for knocking one back at the bar.
Watch for new and classic apparel rolling out all the time. Straight To Hell is hell bent on being hell bent. Let's make year number one a success!
P.S. Now go read the About section, ha.