N o other name in motorcycle clothing is more widely recognised than Belstaff. Yet for all this familiarity, the firm’s origins are somewhat less well known. After supplying tents and groundsheets to the military during the First World War, in 1924 Eli Belovitch and his son-in-law Harry Grosberg founded Belstaff in Stoke on Trent, manufacturing practical waterproof clothing for motorcyclists. The Jewish immigrants were textile pioneers, who travelled the globe in search of new developments in fabric to keep the firm at the cutting edge. As a result, the fledgling brand became the first company to use waxed cotton to create waterproof, breathable clothing.
For the first four years, the focus was on waterproofing, producing capes, leggings, rucksacks, haversacks, and army shirts. In 1928, they expanded their square footage and…
