From "Herb Goldsmith, the Man Behind the Members Only Jacket, Dies at 92/An aggressive marketer, he used celebrities to promote his brand. Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson and two presidents wore his jackets" (NYT).
On a trip to Germany in 1978, he saw a jacket with epaulets and a Nehru collar. Using a shiny chintz fabric from Japan, he designed his own version of it, with a slim fit, knitted ribbing at the waist and cuffs, and a strap at the collar. He offered it in a rainbow of colors, though he was colorblind, with a discreet “Members Only” tag stitched below the breast pocket....
“Our philosophy was to associate the brand name with a company that cared about critical issues,” Mr. Goldsmith wrote. “The results proved that we were right.”