English: The red Smokey and the Bandit jacket used in the film Smokey and the Bandit 2, starring Burt Reynolds, was designed and manufactured by Jim Watkins in 1977 for Burt Reynolds in Los Angeles, California. watkinssportswear.com is an LA-based company founded by Jim Watkins and is currently operated by Jim Watkins and his son Jimmy Watkins. The father-and-son team also designed a black Bandit jacket for the first movie, but Hal Needham the director decided that the jacket washed Burt out against the black interior of the Trans Am car, so they opted for the bright-red one.
Jim and Jimmy Watkins have designed for Michael Jackson, Clint Eastwood, some musicians, U.S. presidents, and other stars. Afterward, Bob Mackie (People magazine (1978)) and Jim Watkins also designed the silver Firebird jacket used in the 1978 film Hooper. Jim Watkins designs flooded Hollywood from 1966 to 1992 and suck cult movie like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Warriors, Moscow on the Hudson, to name a few. Currently, Jimmy Watkins has designed a tribute series to celebrate all the iconic designs of the father-and-son team.