Here’s another fascinating gem found on Google Books: a 1905 catalog for clothing to be worn when riding on the new mechanical wonder known as the automobile. This period was probably a rough transition in menswear – the stylish clothing that men preferred previously were now impractical for the faster open carriage cars and there was probably quite a bit of trial and error involved in finding what worked and what didn’t.

Inside the catalog: lots of goggles, many leather jackets (including some short cropped models that I wonder might have led to the evolution of the current motorcycle jackets of today), long fur coats, and bizarre racing suits. [Google Books]

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