Heavy coats and goggles made up early motorist fashion
 

Heavy coats and goggles made up early motorist fashion
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c. 1900



Image: Library of Congress

When automobiles exploded in popularity shortly after the turn of the 20th century, they created a new market for specially-made motoring clothes.

As early cars had ** roofs or doors and were driven mostly on dirt roads, motorists needed clothes that could protect them from wind, cold and dust.

Because people who could afford early cars likely had plenty of money to spend, clever marketers realized that motoring clothes could be sold as fancy (and pricey) status symbols.

c. 1900



Image: Jonathan Kirn/Corbis via Getty Images

The centerpiece of the fashionable motorist’s attire was a full-length, loose-cut coat, which could range from a lightweight leather duster to a shaggy fur costume, depending on the climate. Read more...

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