C.P. Company: a buying guide
Massimo Osti founded C.P. Company and launched Stone Island from it. The guide covers the goggle jacket and the sleeve lens.
In this guide
C.P. Company and Stone Island share a founder. Massimo Osti founded C.P. Company in 1971 and launched Stone Island from it in 1982.
From Chester Perry to C.P. Company
The company started in 1971 under the name Chester Perry. In 1978 it became C.P. Company, after a legal challenge from Chester Barrie and Fred Perry over the use of their names.
The initials C.P. are what remains of the original name.
The goggle jacket
The item the brand is known for is the Mille Miglia jacket, designed in 1988 for entrants in the thousand-mile Italian road race. It has two clear lenses set into the hood, so a driver could see without lifting a visor, and a third lens on the wrist, so a watch could be read without pulling back a cuff.
Osti took the idea from a Japanese civil defence aviation jacket that had viewing lenses in its collar and moved the lenses up into the hood.
Sizing
The letter on the label does not give the measurement. The most reliable comparison is a jacket that is already owned, measured flat from armpit seam to armpit seam. The method is in the pit to pit guide on how to measure clothing.
What to check before buying
- The lenses. They should be clear rather than clouded and firmly seated in their surround. A crazed lens can be difficult to replace.
- The coating. On coated shells, look for flaking or a sticky feel on the inside face. Either can indicate that the coating is breaking down.
- Hardware. Branded zips and pullers should run smoothly.
- Colour evenness. Garment dyeing produces slight variation by design. Sharp patches of difference indicate fading.
- The crinkle. On crinkled nylon the texture is part of the fabric. Areas that have gone smooth may have been pressed with heat.
Each item is inspected, authenticated, cleaned and measured before it is added to the store. Each step is described in How leverene works. Prices are set per item, up to 80% below the original retail price.
Related reading
The sibling brand is covered in the Stone Island guide.
Related collections
The current range is in C.P. Company, with C.P. Company jackets as a subcollection. Every item also sits in high-end designer clothing and streetwear. The range can also be browsed by men or women, or through jackets and vests.
Items can be returned within 30 days.
