Probably the best part of Drive was the embroidered scorpion jacket Baby Goose wore everywhere he went. They never made any attempt to explain it or give it any kind of context*, because why would they? It’s a satin quilted scorpion jacket. Someone wanting to wear that all the time is self-explanatory. In fact, I think the first thing I said after I got out of Drive was “I want that scorpion jacket.” And since I’m predictable and unoriginal, now they’re on sale.
I wish I was rich so I could buy them out of these and I’d have the only one. What? Just because I like Baby Goose doesn’t mean I have to share his views on sharing.
The off-white varsity-style jacket, embroidered with the yellow insect [Editor’s Note: scorpions are arachnids, asshole] on its back, is being sold by vintage specialists, Steady Clothing, for $159.99.
With a sale date expected on 15th November, the site is now taking pre-orders.
The replica stays true to the original, as worn by Gosling’s unnamed and largely silent character known only as Driver.
The film’s costume designer, Erin Benach, told GQ magazine recently that the inspiration for the jacket style came in part from Gosling:
‘Ryan was really inspired by these Korean souvenir jackets from the Fifties. We got to this idea of a white quilted satin jacket with a scorpion on the back. The scorpion came a little later – that was inspired by this Kenneth Anger video Scorpio.’
‘We built the jacket from scratch. We used a tailor in Los Angeles… We had maybe ten different styles tested: we had a baseball cut for the shoulders, then we had a regular sleeve cut. We tried so many styles to nail the one that fitted and looked the best,’ Benach told the magazine.
The colour, an off-white creamy silver, was especially chosen to work with lighting and photography – Benach explained that white would have been too harsh for the scenes.
And it was almost scrapped altogether. ‘At one point we just thought, “Let’s go back and make it olive green or red” – but in the end we all fought for saving the white jacket because we loved so much.’ |DailyMail|
“Here I am, girl. Rock you like a hurricane. But only if you want me to, girl. …Here, you can wear this if it gets chilly.”
*A few people have now pointed out that late in the movie, Baby Goose’s character makes reference to the story of the scorpion and the frog (as a metaphor for his character, no doubt), which probably explains the jacket. You’re probably right but… “He wears a scorpion because he’s the scorpion, get it?? Hurrrr…” It seems kind of lame to me. I like my version better, where he wears a righteous jacket because it’s a righteous jacket.