Celebrate Fila's Sailing Heritage With The Arthur Jacket

The Fila Arthur jacket harks back to the Italian sportswear brand's sailing heritage in the 1990s with Giovanni Soldini and his iconic boat named 'Fila'.

Following on from the success of Fila's style driven sportswear from legendary Italian designers like Pierluigi Rolanda with his celebrated White Line, the 1980s also saw the Biella born brand break into the elite world of sailing. The 1980s saw various iconic sailing brands come onto the Casual radar like for example Paul & Shark & Henri Lloyd alongside nautical inspired designer labels like Stone Island from the Godfather of sportswear, Massimo Osti. The whole late 80s Casual style had clear nautical inspirations with its boat shoes, mariner stripes & performance jackets that looked like you'd just set sail to the Amalfi coast. For Fila their break into the sailing world really came into fruition when they sponsored the Traite de Rome with with captain Antonio Chioatto as he sailed around the world. This then lead to a sponsorship deal with the Azurra, the Italian boat in the American Cup in 1987. Above: The Fila Vintage Arthur Lightweight Jacket in navy/white now available from 80s Casual Classics. Moving into the 1990s the Italian sportswear brand would really earn its (nautical) stripes on the elite sailing world with their ongoing sponsorship deal with Giovanni Soldini and his iconic boat named Fila. Soldini would set the record for crossing the Atlantic on his own in the race around the world for solitary sailors. It wasn't just the boat, with its bold Fila logos throughout, it was also the sailing apparel worn by Soldini that also became iconic. With style driven performance sailing gear in typical Fila fashion it was a match made in heaven as the extreme waves & wind of the Atlantic carried a combination of 90s nautical style & sportswear heritage from point A to point B. Above: The Fila Vintage Arthur Lightweight Jacket in navy/white now available from 80s Casual Classics. Drawing inspiration from Fila's sailing heritage from the 1980s & the 1990s, the Arthur jacket is a lightweight jacket full of casual yachting nostalgia. Featuring a lightweight nylon ripstop fabric which is water resistant, the Arthur jacket is a must have bit of kit for them sudden downpours whether you're in Sunderland or Sardinia. Other highlights include nautical inspired stripes to the right sleeve with an adjustable hood & an embroidered Fila 'F' logo to the left chest. Shop the latest arrivals from Fila now at 80s Casual Classics via the links. Feature image credit via Fila