What comes to mind when you think of bikers and motorcycle clubs? Stylish patches on their clothing, right? These motifs are essential rather than just adding a trendy touch to the outfit. They represent the motorcycle club association and the pride of motorcyclists. They proudly display it on their clothing to let the world know who they are and their achievements.
But do you know when these patches existed and their rich history? If not, stay till the end of this post as we will take you along to explore their origins and history. You’ll also learn what biker patches mean to motorcycle clubs (MCs) and some styling tips. So let’s get right into it without wasting any extra time!
The fascinating origin, importance, history and facts of the biker patch
How did biker patches come into existence?
Biker patches came into being after the creation of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in the United States. All bikers taking part in the event had to have their club name embroidered on their outerwear. And so the MC patch trend began. Soon after, she became popular in their community, representing pride, honor and joy.
And from here began their fascinating and incredible story. Today, you can quickly get denim jacket patches online to style your outfits from professional patch makers. It’s an epic technique to enhance the look of your clothing and other accessories.
The great importance of biker patches
Patches are vital to MC because they develop bonds and social boundaries. Therefore, individuals who belong to clubs usually wear them. Sometimes, the association of motorcyclists with certain groups leads to the refusal of services in bars and businesses. Moreover, the emblems do not only signify the name of the club, but also the rank of the bearer.
The rich and fascinating history of the biker patch
- 1920 – Early Days
The 1920s was when biker patches entered the picture of the motorcycle community. Riders from different clubs were supposed to gather at the Motorcyclist Association and represent their groups. To identify each individual’s affiliation with their party, they required an identification symbol. Because of this need, everyone began to embroider their club’s name on the back and sleeves of their outerwear.
During the event in Hollister, California, in 1947, many motorcyclists went out of control. They caused a riot, but they were only 1%, while the other 99% were law abiding. Since then, all individuals who support outlaws label themselves the one percent. Even today, ‘1%’ badges are popular in the motorcycle community. But the AMA considers this story as fictitious as it is controversial.
African American participation
Here comes an interesting fact in the history of biker patches and the motorcycle community. The AMA had only pure white members from the 1920s to the 1950s. Any club that allowed any non-white members into their membership was considered ostracized by the AMA. They also considered outlaws as groups that did not follow other rules. But thankfully, policies changed after the 1950s and the AMA gradually began to accept African-American participation. However, there was not much difference in the percentage of non-white members.
6 Interesting Facts About Biker Patches
The motorcycling community has an incredible pride and has different traditions, which you might not know if you don’t enter their world. However, custom biker patches are the true reflection of the culture and principles of their community. So let’s look at six exciting facts about biker patches:
Motorcycle club members wear a single emblem representing the group’s name and other relevant information. But it is not the same case for outlaws because they adorn at least three patches at a time. Each of those badges the new outcast member must earn through their own efforts. They must fulfill the objectives set by the leader of their groups.
Due to the 2015 Waco shooting that killed more than 200 people at the Twin Peaks restaurant, no color policy was introduced. After the promulgation of this law, no member of the motorcyclist community may display their group affiliation through patches or anything else. The law only applies within the confines of the Glitter Glitch, a casino strip that stretches along Freemont Street in downtown Las Vegas. However, individuals can wear stylish and meaningful emblems to express their personality.
- Cyclists are not limited to just riding bikes or racing
A vast majority of people have this misconception about the purpose of motorcycling. Many individuals think that bikers are only for riding motorcycles for hours or racing each other. It’s not true, and you’ll find riders serving in veterans and firefighter groups. The members of these groups deserve immense respect because of their service to humanity.
- Attracts the look of the wearer
Although only authentic MC members or outlaws are allowed to adorn biker patches, you can also wear them. You can decorate MC-inspired emblems in a variety of fashionable ways. However, it would help if you study the rules and regulations related to decorating those motifs. Otherwise, you may enter a dangerous situation that could seriously injure you. In addition, you can get your hands on custom denim jacket patches of any other theme, such as flowers, cartoons, emojis, etc. That way, you won’t attract a string of bad luck and stay safe, but look stylish in your custom jacket.
- If someone asks you to remove the bike patch, do it!
Whether you belong to MC or not, you can wear a motorcycle inspired badge. But if someone asks you to remove that motif from the outfit, do it. In this case, the person coming to you may be more devoted to the emblem than you are. They may have shed sweat or even blood for it, so you have to respect it. You can politely remove it and ask for its reason, but there is no need to raise a conflict. Because if you have a true biker soul, you will enjoy riding bikes and other important and meaningful activities instead of creating a discord.
- Never touch another rider’s patch, trim or color
By now, you would have realized that MC members adorn the emblems they have earned. Those motifs tell a story of their achievement, brotherhood and veteran status or imply incarceration and illegal activities. People in their world consider it extremely disrespectful to touch other bikers’ blemishes, cuts or even paint. So please do not touch them at any cost.
CLOSING
With that, you reach the end of this post. By now, you would have understood the origin, importance, history and exciting facts of biker patches. We hope you enjoyed diving deeper into this post and found it valuable. To decorate your clothespins with MC badges, remember the relevant rules to avoid inviting unfavorable situations.
You can quickly get attractive and high-quality emblems from online patch manufacturers at an affordable price. So, you can check them out to let your motorcycling enthusiasm shine through the badges.
