The BUCO STRIPED WOOL KNIT SCARF is based on the knitting pattern of military scarves worn by soldiers in WW2, this style of scarf sometimes called the ‘muffler’ was almost entirely knitted by civilians and family members to give comfort and warmth to soldiers during their service. The Red Cross issued booklets showing how to knit the scarves and then they were sent to the soldiers overseas. The style of scarf then became popular with veterans after the Second World War when they returned home and picked up motorcycling as their hobby. A lot of the utilitarian gear that was offered from their time in service was reused by bikers and worn during riding as it was versatile and useful while on their bikes.

The thick two-tone stripe is synonymous with the outlaw Biker scene of the 1950s. Aesthetically inferring prison stripes, club members adopted thick two-tone stripe jerseys and other garments as a counter-culture rejection to the dapper style of pre-war motorcycle meet-ups. Motorcycling emerged as a substitute for wartime experiences for many veterans but the act of men socialising post-war was in itself an anti-establishment concept. This combined with the more casual, rugged aesthetic of men returning from War in Europe redefined the prevailing style of American Motorcycle Club members, but more noticeably in the ‘Outlaw’ clubs on the fringes of biker culture.

Media sensationalising of the 1947 Hollister Riot catalysed an association of post-war American Motorcycle Clubs as being occupied by misfits and rebels and this affiliation was further cemented by depictions in classic American cinema throughout the 50s and 60s where the thick stripe pattern was used as a shorthand to depict a characters anti establishmentarianism.

The BUCO STRIPED WOOL KNIT SCARF uses the same knitting method as vintage scarves and is made of a 7-gauge wool knit.