The famous jacket appears in color in one panel here, just to draw attention to it. That jacket became an iconic symbol of the rebellious teenager, though my dad (who was a kid in the 1950s) doesn’t recall anyone having or wanting to have one. Coonskin caps were very popular, however, thanks to Disney’s Davy Crockett miniseries, which aired in black and white on ABC in 1954-55. The five one-hour episodes were later combined into two feature films: Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955) and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956), both released theatrically in color. The miniseries and films are known for the catchy theme song, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.”
Studio records show that Dean’s red windbraker was purchased off the rack, but not the name of the store, nor even how many were bought for the film. I have no idea if any clothing stores tried to market similar jackets aimed at James Dean fans, but it seems likely. I found a website that listed the average prices of various clothing items available at a particular New Jersey shop in 1955, and $4.88 as the price for a man’s leather jacket. Seems a bit low to me for a leather jacket, but probably just about right for a cotton windbreaker.