Styling an Icon: How To Wear 3 of Baracuta’s Most Celebrated Jackets

The Harrington has been a staple of men's outerwear since the 1950s, and the brand to thank for the seminal, lightweight jacket is of course Baracuta. The G9 Harrington Jacket was first brought into production in 1938 by Barracuta’s founders John and Isaac Miller, who noticed a gap in the market for stylish-yet-practical golfing jackets. Having been in the raincoat business producing pieces for Burberry and Aquascutum for years already, the Millers used their knowledge of functional fabrics to create a jacket that protected from rain and wind while facilitating full freedom of movement through its design. Nicknamed ‘The Harrington’ after Rodney Harrington, a character played by Ryan O’Neal who wore a G9 in almost every episode of the sit-com Peyton Place, the jacket is recognisable for its two button collar, umbrella yoke, and slim silhouette.

Each decision made in the design and production of the G9 has a practical application behind it — the umbrella yoke to ensure rain spays away from the wearer, raglan sleeves to make sure the wearer can use their full range of motion, elasticated waist and cuffs to keep out the cold — but these features quickly transcended function alone, becoming sought after because of their innovative style instead.

After being worn by stars like James Dean and Elvis in the 1950s, Baracuta’s G9 was adopted into Ivy Style by young men who wanted to emulate their favourite actors. Its use in both Golf and on Ivy League campuses cemented the jacket as a staple of sartorial fashion in America, but the jacket took on a new meaning across the pond in the 1970s. Thanks to bands like The Clash and The Who, punks and mods in the UK began to adopt the G9 into wardrobes defined more by rebellion than wealth, giving the jacket two incredibly different connotations depending on your perspective.

Whether you’re wearing the jacket to an Ivy League campus or to a DIY punk gig, Baracuta’s can be styled well in a huge variety of wardrobes. Today, let's take a look at 3 of our personal favourite jackets from the collection and build some outfits from these iconic pieces!

G9 in Baracuta Cloth
Where else to start than the classic? Baracuta’s mainline G9 is cut from the brand's proprietary Baracuta cloth, a fabric engineered specially for its water resistant and breathable characteristics. The jacket comes in a huge range of colours, from bright reds and greens to more toned down blues and greys, so the styling combinations are virtually endless, and thanks to its adoption in such a wide variety of subcultures, inspiration isn’t hard to find. From tucked in western shirts and jeans to hoodies and cargos, the Baracuta Cloth G9 is perhaps one of the most versatile jackets you can add to your wardrobe.

With the first consistent sun of the year heating things up in London, we’ve decided to style a more casual, spring outfit using a navy option. A strength of the G9’s design is its ability to feel incredibly comfortable whilst looking sharp, so we’ve tried to match this with similar garments. To compliment the jacket’s cinched waist and buttoned pockets, we’ve paired it with Nanamica’s ‘Side Belt’ pants, which also fit snug around the waist but flare out into a wide leg. This combo helps accentuate the shoulders and chest, leading to a flatteringly athletic look.

We’ve also paired the brand's iconic Fraser lining with a RRL Striped Jacquard Tee to break up the more subtle textures dominating the rest of the outfit. This slight clash provides a centre-point for the eye with some texture and colour, tying in with the Baracuta logo on a matching Navy cap!

G9 in Suede
If you’re looking for a way to boost the dressiness of your G9 without changing its design too much, the suede option might be your answer. Cut from a fantastically soft material, the suede edition jacket embraces its smarter Ivy background completely, and makes for outfits that evoke Daniel Craig's use of the piece during his Bond tenure. Like the Baracuta Cloth version, the suede G9 comes in a range of colours, but these are mostly more subtle, earthy tones, making these more suitable for colder months.

To compliment the smarter look, we’ve paired the jacket with some Ivy League essentials. A thick Merz b. Schwanen turtleneck elevates the recognisable collar and sandwiches the colours of the jacket in a complementary reddish-brown. To contrast with the warmer tones of the top half, a pair of Dartford 1101 FULLCOUNT jeans provide a cooler tone, and allow for an overall triangular shape for the outfit. The G9’s cinched waist flows nicely into the slimmer jeans and creates a sleek and flattering silhouette.

G12 in Baracuta Cloth
Though Baracuta is most well known for their G9 jackets, they also stock a wide range of other styles and shapes. Perhaps the second most recognisable is their longer G12 coat, which provides a classy edge to familiar Baracuta production techniques. Released in 2022, the coat was adapted from the brand's G10 cut, and stands as one of the newest models in the collection, but its timeless feel has made it instantly popular. Cut from the same Baracuta Cloth as mainline G9’s, the jacket also features raglan sleeves and the famous Fraser lining, making sure it doesn’t stray too far from the brand's core identity.

The G12 is an absolutely ideal choice for adding a touch of sophistication into a more casual outfit, as its longer shape flows nicely, and an oversized cut ensures a good fit over anything you’d want to pair it with, including mid-weight jackets! Pairing with more contemporary design choices like the cargos we’ve used here can be a great way of modernising the G12, and by adding a One Ear Bandana, the jacket is pulled together with intentional accessories and a strong colour blocking.