Belstaff might be best known as a British outerwear brand for men, but it’s been designing and making womenswear since its early days, with women’s clothing in its archive dating back to the 1930s.
Starting out in 1924 in a small factory in Stoke-on-Trent – where the brand’s earliest motorcycle clothing was made – Belstaff excelled in outerwear excellence and motoring innovation, creating stylish and long-lasting clothing for life’s adventures.
Now celebrating a monumental 100 years, this legacy continues to drive the brand forward today, with a full wardrobe offering for the modern woman. We delve into the story behind the brand and take a look at the new Autumn Winter 2024 womenswear collection.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BELSTAFF.
Belstaff was launched by Harry Grosberg and his father-in-law Eli Belovitch in the North of England. As trailblazers in new fabric technologies, particularly for waterproofing, the duo started supplying waterproof materials to the British Army during the First World War, before expanding into waxed cotton and leatherwear for motorcyclists. The company name came from combining part of Eli’s surname, ‘Bel’ with the Staffordshire location the brand was born in.
With a reputation for men’s waterproof and motorcycle attire since the 1920s, the brand was the first to realise there was a market for female explorers too – and began to sell to female adventurers when no one else was. Although it was uncommon for racing drivers, pilots and motorcyclists to be women, there were a handful making waves; Belstaff was the first to dress them accordingly.
WHERE ARE BELSTAFF NOW?
2024 sees a renewed focus on this legacy, while looking to the future. Rosamund Stevens, Belstaff’s Senior Womenswear Designer explains, “it’s important to acknowledge that womenswear has its own archive and is a huge part of Belstaff’s rich history. We have drawn inspiration from this archive to create new designs for the ready-to-wear collections today, with many pieces reimagined to form new sculptural silhouettes for Autumn Winter 2024.”
The new collection marries classic utility wear with the modern edge of head-turning street style for staple pieces that make a statement. Classic, good-quality leathers and denim make way for neutral colours and strong silhouettes establish Belstaff’s items as wardrobe essentials for the modern tastemaker.
Moto history races through Belstaff’s collections, which feature hero jackets like the leather Panther. In fact, as Rosamund notes “a 1950s motorcycle sports jacket provided inspiration for the Copper Jacket, reimagined in Italian lambskin selected for its substantial, structured quality. Lined in silky cupro, the silhouette is framed by a notched, boldly scaled collar while finishing touches include zippered pockets and chrome hardware.”
Highlights of the Autumn Winter 2024 collection also include the Ferrous Jacket, a leather number adorned with leather tassels running along the back and arm seams – a popular design amongst motorists as the strips of leather encourage rain to run off the coat so that it dries quicker in wet weather – with statement buckles and enlarged zips for an unapologetic industrial flare.
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