Jump To Section:
Stealing the Peaky Blinders Style
If you are already a fan of Peaky Blinders or are wondering what all the fuss is about, we enlighten you with our celebration of the Peaky Blinders 1920s gangster style. The first series started in 2013 on BBC1 and now the saga of Tommy and the Shelby family will finish with a feature film so we can still enjoy the traditional tailoring, and most importantly the iconic caps they all wear, for a wee bit longer.
The original Peaky Blinders
In case you are not already an avid fan of this hugely popular TV drama, the Peaky Blinders were a criminal youth gang based in Birmingham in the late 19th and early 20th century. It is said that their name came from the razor blades they stitched into the inside of their flat caps so they always had a weapon to hand. (Our caps are lined in high quality satin with not a blade in sight we can assure you.) The razor blade theory is up for debate however, as the first factory producing replaceable razors in the UK wasn't opened until a later date. Some believe that instead the name actually refers to the gang's iconic style. At the time "peaky" referred to any flat cap with a peak, and "blinder" was often used in the area to describe someone's dapper appearance. The gang was highly organised and gained power despite having less than 100 members by controlling gambling, robbery and smuggling, in addition to influencing local politics.
Modern Day Peaky Blinders
Since its debut in September 2013, the BBC drama continues to rise in popularity, not only in the UK but thanks to Netflix the show is now available in over 180 countries and has truly become a global hit. The show's fictional gangster family is loosely based on the original blinders, set in November 1918 after the end of the First World War, slightly later than the original gang were active. Cunning gang leader and main character, Tommy Shelby, a decorated WW1 veteran, disillusioned by traumatic experiences and suffering from PTSD steals a consignment of guns from the local arms factory as the show starts. He begins to plot how he can use these to his advantage, his first plan is to fix horse races, initially this doesn't go down well with his brother Arthur but soon becomes one of the family's key activities.
Become a Scottish Blinder
We may not have an official Peaky Blinders collection but many of our Scottish Tweeds are the perfect choice for anyone looking to emulate Tommy's look. Marc wears our three piece tartan suit in the earthy tones of the Black Watch Weathered tartan, teamed up with our Tweed Eight Quarter Cap in Kirkton Grey Herringbone Tweed 579.
Our moodboard below shows a contemporary outfit style you could wear with your tweed eight quarter newsboy cap. Style with our smart tweed jacket and shoes, and a pair of dark jeans and checked shirt.
Or wear your tweed eight quarter newsboy cap with a matching tweed vest, white shirt and a pair of jeans for a smart casual look.
Our mid-thigh length tweed jacket option, with matching flat cap, is a style inspired by Peaky Blinders. You can even add a tweed vest, find yourself some leather boots and you'd be well on your way to looking like the gang!
Shop The Peaky Blinders Look
How do you style our tweed eight quarter newsboy cap? Are you inspired by the Peaky Blinders' look? Send us your photos and we can feature them in our marketing!
Image Sources:
Murphy at the premiere of the second season of Peaky Blinders in 2014 by Tim Cornbill - Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
The original Peaky Blinders by West Midlands Police - https://www.flickr.com/photos/westmidlandspolice/8388310297/, CC BY-SA 2.0
