I like the Baracutas and have four of them, in British khaki, tan, navy and cream. These were all acquired almost 12 years ago, when a shop in England had a sale online with rock bottom prices on G-9s (or Harringtons). I remember, these were priced between 25 and 50 GBP, which, at the time, was a pretty good bargain. One of the jackets also had an embroidered insignia (just three or four letters, like a monogram) on the left chest panel -- I removed it carefully, then steamed the tiny holes closed, so it looked fine. This batch was a good purchase, I was lucky to find the right sale. The one add-on was the cost of shipping from the UK, but it was not too bad.
Two were size 40, the other two size 42. They all fit me reasonably well. I could wear the larger ones comfortably if I had a thin sweater over a shirt. I used them more intensively for a while, but have not worn them all that much in recent years. The seasonal window for the G-9 in Wisconsin is not very large, some weeks in late spring, and some in early fall.
I also have two terrific woolen G-9s from Ben Silver, acquired at sale prices, but still costly at around $250-$300. They are truly beautiful and worth every penny. One, a lovely navy blue, was made in England by that outstanding company Grenfell, and the other, a beautiful deep maroon was a Ben Silver house brand made in Canada. They are
perfect for Wisconsin spring and fall weather, and like the Baracutas, they have gorgeous tartan linings. I wear these more often. Ben Silver has not carried the Grenfell jacket in recent years, so I particularly treasure the navy model, and wear it with extra care.
Several shown here:
I have some other windbreakers picked up from thrift shops over the years that are serviceable. I did have a beige Land's End version which I liked, but I think it went to charity a long time ago.
Indeed the Baracuta has been made iconic by Steve McQueen, Frank Sinatra, and the like. In fact, I can't say I have seen an actor look better in most items of clothing than McQueen. He had very good proportions and a compactness and elegance of movement unmatched at the time he was in top form in cinema. He wore casual and formal clothes well (see
The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, The Getaway, and many other films). And of course, McQueen was the height of cool! There is a collection of images of him on the GQ website currently (referenced by Christian Chensvold at the Ivy League blog), and they brought back memories of olden times:
