The C.P. Company Goggle Jacket: From the Mille Miglia to Now
Quick answer: the C.P. Company goggle jacket was created in 1988 for the Mille Miglia, the Italian endurance car race. The hood zips up over the face and has two built in lenses, and a third lens on the sleeve lets you read your watch. Almost forty years later it is still the brand's signature piece, made in new fabrics every season.
Few garments have a story as specific as the goggle jacket. It was designed for racing drivers, adopted by football terraces, questioned by the British tabloids and collected by archive hunters. And it is still made today.
Born at the Mille Miglia
In 1988 C.P. Company struck a deal with the Mille Miglia, the famous open road endurance race through Italy. Massimo Osti designed a jacket for the drivers and organisers: a hood that zips up completely, with two goggle lenses built in so you can see the road while your face stays covered against wind and rain.
Osti borrowed from military clothing, as he often did. The hood took its cue from Japanese anti gas uniforms, and the body from the Swiss army M70 field jacket. The lenses were made with sports eyewear specialist Baruffaldi, using a rubber frame that sits tight in the hood.
The watch viewer lens
The detail that makes the jacket clever is the small lens on the left sleeve. It is placed over the wrist, so a driver can check the time on his watch without pulling back the cuff or taking his hands off the wheel. That watch viewer lens is now found on its own on C.P. Company overshirts, sweatshirts and jackets, where it is simply called the lens.
From racing to the terraces
The goggle jacket did not stay at the race track. In the late 80s and 90s it became part of casual culture on British and European football terraces, together with Stone Island. The zipped up hood was practical against cold and rain, and it caused some controversy because it covers the face. The jacket was never illegal, but it gave C.P. Company a reputation that the brand still carries.
Goggle jacket vs lens jacket
| Goggle | Lens | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Two lenses in a hood that zips over the face | One lens, usually on the sleeve, sometimes on a pocket or cap |
| Found on | Hooded jackets, parkas, some hoodies and down jackets | Overshirts, sweatshirts, jackets, accessories |
| Wear | Statement piece | Subtle, everyday branding |
You can see both at Gorilla Island, for example the C.P. Company AW08 Goggle Hooded Cotton Jacket and the Chrome-R Lens Overshirt.
Versions over the years
C.P. Company has made the goggle jacket in dozens of fabrics: Nycra, Flatt Nylon, Chrome-R, Gore-Tex shells, waxed linen, down filled versions and more. For the 20th anniversary in 2009 the brand released a special edition, and there have been several anniversary and collaboration editions since. The basic design, hood with two lenses and a lens on the sleeve, has stayed the same.
What to check when buying a goggle jacket
- Lenses: clear, sitting straight and firmly in their frames. Cheap lenses that scratch easily, wobble or look like toy plastic are a red flag.
- Printing or engraving on the lens frame: clean and even. This differs per era, so compare with verified pieces from the same season.
- Stitching around the lenses: neat and even, no puckering.
- Labels and codes: an inside label with product code and fabric details, and on recent pieces a QR or authentication tag.
Our C.P. Company authentication guide covers everything in more detail.
Taking care of the lenses
Lenses can scratch or come loose in a washing machine. Close all zips, turn the jacket inside out and wash cold on a gentle cycle, or spot clean the area around the lenses. Clean the lenses themselves with a soft glasses cloth. More in our washing guide.
FAQ
When was the C.P. Company goggle jacket made?
The first goggle jacket was released in 1988 for the Mille Miglia race.
Why does the goggle jacket have a lens on the sleeve?
So the wearer can read his watch through the sleeve. It was designed for racing drivers who could not take their hands off the wheel.
Can lenses be replaced?
Loose or damaged lenses can often be repaired. Contact C.P. Company or a specialised tailor, and keep original parts if a lens comes out.
Shop all C.P. Company at Gorilla Island.
Checked by hand at Gorilla Island
We are a Stone Island and C.P. Company specialist from Amsterdam. Every piece we sell is checked by hand: ART number, labels, badge, fabric and construction. This guide is based on that daily work.
