Members Only (fashion brand)

Members Only is a brand of clothing that became popular in the 1980s with its line of jackets.[1] The brand was created in 1975[2] and introduced to American markets in 1980 by Europe Craft Imports.[1] Members Only racer jackets were distinguished by their narrow epaulettes and collar strap and their knitted trim; they were manufactured in a wide variety of colors. Their advertising tagline was "when you put it on, something happens".

Members Only
IndustryRetail
Founded1975
Headquarters
New York City
,
U.S.
ProductsClothing
ParentMO 1975
Websitewww.membersonly.com

In the 2010s, Members Only continued to launch seasonal collections carried at online retailers as well as brick and mortar stores such as Urban Outfitters.[3][4]

Member wearing a jacket.

Revival

The brand was licensed in 2016 by Sammy Catton, President of iApparel Brands, LLC. The brand is currently owned by Ron Malhotra. In recent years, Members Only has added many styles of jackets including a women's line, Footwear, Sportswear and Hosiery. In 2016 Members Only collaborated with Nickelodeon creating a lot of buzz and exposure in the Millennial demographic.

Communication scholar Todd Kelshaw[5] has interpreted the brand's popularity surge as part of a broader American ideological shift in the early 1980s from participatory communities to materially-based communities represented in the purchase of consumer products. Members Only was known in the 1980s for their shift from celebrity endorsements as a form of advertisement, to public service announcements regarding issues like anti-drugs and pro-voting. Members of La Cosa Nostra were known for wearing this type of jacket in the 1980s and 1990s.[6]

The brand is often used as a source of comedy and an example of outdated fashion. In the film Shallow Hal, Mauricio (Jason Alexander) is insulted by Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), who points out his Members Only jacket and says, "I guess you must be the last member."

Sheryl Crow mentions the brand in her song Members Only from 1998.

References
  1. Vargas, Daniel J (18 June 2004). "'80s jackets go from dud to stud in a snap". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  2. Sheff, Harry (9 February 2012). "Members Only acquired by JR Apparel World". MRketplace. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  3. "Members Only Clothing Official Website". www.membersonlyoriginal.com. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  4. "Members Only Hooded Windbreaker Jacket - Urban Outfitters". Urban Outfitters. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  5. Kelshaw, Todd (2015) "Wearing Members Only jackets: Baby boomers and the shift from sharing in to buying into community," in Baby Boomers and Popular Culture: An Inquiry into America's Most Powerful
  6. Rossen, Jake. "How Members Only Dressed up the 80's". Mental Floss. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
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