JIM MORRISON'S LEATHER PANTS: ORIGIN AND MEANING

The clothing worn by Jim Morrison played an extremely important role in shaping the image of The Doors. The leather pants that the group's frontman wore are among the outfits that made him famous.

Morrison started wearing these eye-catching trousers in mid-June 1967, at a time when the group was beginning to gain wider fame.

This exiting period coincided with the recording of their second album, "Strange Days", which was released in September 1967.

More than a year and a half had passed since The Doors were officially founded, and Morrison would continue to wear different kinds of leather trousers until late spring 1969.

Thus, Morrison's most iconic image, defined by his leather pants, endured for just two years of his five-and-a-half-year tenure with the band.

Where did the idea to wear these pants come from?

What motivated this decision, apart from Morrison's personal taste?

Let's try to answer these questions.

The origin of the leather trousers is revealed in an interview with Ray Manzarek, The Doors' keyboardist.

According to Manzarek, Morrison was inspired by Marlon Brando's performance in the 1960 film The Fugitive, directed by Sidney Lumet.

In some scenes of the film, the actor can be seen wearing a snakeskin jacket.

This shows us Jim Morrison's cinematic passion behind the most famous garment in rock history.

This passion for films and cinema was born at university when he studied cinematography, and it has never faded.

The significance of the leather trousers in The Doors' performances was not limited to the transgressive and sensual image they created.

Combined with Morrison's physicality on stage, those trousers added an even greater impact to the theatrical nature of the band's concerts.

The visual impact of the leather trousers helped convey the unique scenography of sound and movement conceived by the band and Morrison.

Morrison's leather trousers were an important part of The Doors' unique show, which reshaped the ways in which contemporary music is expressed by bringing theatre on stage.

This outfit was not just a cult object in the history of rock. They weren't just a symbol of the dark sensuality that the singer exerted on the audience. It was a true artistic instrument, an unforgettable icon of rock music.

P.S.: My book "The Doors Through Strange Days"- The most comprehensive journey ever made through The Doors' second LP, is available on Amazon.com, .uk, .mx, .it, etc.

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”