Tips: The Ultimate Leather Jacket Guide

The leather jacket is not really one of the men's basics. However, it can become a very personal piece that will follow you for years, provided of course that you choose it wisely.

One thing is clear: it is an investment. You can't cheat on a leather jacket . This means that if you want to acquire one, you must plan the necessary budget.

It's important to understand this. It is not relevant to spend 200 euros on a "default" jacket that will only last two years before getting damaged.

Ultimately, you could buy this type of piece second-hand: you can find a plethora of them in thrift stores or on second-hand sites. Be careful though with period cuts, much wider, which may prove difficult to wear today.

Rest assured: this article will give you some keys to investing ingeniously. What to look for, what cut to choose, what style to choose and, of course, some advice from corresponding brands. We tell you everything!

THE LEATHER JACKET: A THOUGHTFUL PURCHASE

Checklist of mistakes not to make:

• Buy a leather jacket without having the means : leather is a noble and expensive material. A beautiful jacket is therefore an investment that requires a substantial initial budget.
• Buy a low-end piece : it is better to have a beautiful waxed cotton jacket than a bad synthetic leather, shiny, unpleasant to the touch and which will age poorly. Really, leather is a material that leaves no room for error: bad leather will be seen very quickly.
• Not having effective basics : no point wearing beautiful, well-made fitted leather with low-end jeans with an unsubtle wash. The contrast in quality and cut will show and your efforts will be ruined. Before investing in strong items like this, make sure you already have enough effective and quality basics .

• Operate on impulse : we often tell you this, but a purchase must be reasoned and not triggered by a crush. So of course, you should not act like robots when comparing everything and the desire/pleasure factor must also be part of the purchase... But before turning to a piece, ask yourself if it suits you. Do you see yourself wearing it? If the answer is no, pass!

CONCRETELY, WHAT DO I LOOK AT?

As with many items of clothing, there are a number of things you need to pay attention to before purchasing the piece.

1. CHOOSE A FITTED CUT

A beautiful leather jacket must be fitted . The sleeves have no "balloon" volume, the jacket falls at the waist of the pants, it naturally follows your sides. The only exception: if you are a fan of vintage cuts and old leather jackets or here, it's quite the opposite.

Be careful though: the concept of oversize is already very difficult to master in normal times, it is better to be sure of what you are doing before venturing into it on a leather jacket.

For what ? Oversize is often used on flowing materials (cotton, linen, cold wool, etc.): it is an effect that serves to give style and amplifies the movement of a garment. However, leather is rigid: it will not move much, even when moving.

You will agree that it takes a certain amount of mastery to play with leather and volumes...

Another thing: pay particular attention to the sleeves and back . Avoid like the plague elastic ribbed edges which will give you a completely compressed lower back, and are often synonymous with poor quality leather.

Finally, retouching is expensive on leather and there are few competent retouchers. It is therefore useless to buy an expensive piece with the idea of ​​having it returned if it does not suit you .

In short, go try it or make sure you have taken your measurements to the nearest centimeter.

2. THE MORE SOBER THE PIECE, THE EASIER IT WILL BE TO WEAR

Except in the case of a perfecto, avoid too many seams and closures. Your leather jacket is an expensive item, which you will surely want to make profitable by wearing it often. In this case, opt for a simple and refined model, more versatile .

If you are buying your first item and you are still looking for your style, certain types of jackets should be avoided because they will lock you into a total look. Those with chimney collars, side zips or even patches are among these.

If even ASAP Rocky keeps it simple, don't take risks...

3. PREFER A ZIP TO A BREASTED

Avoid leathers with a button closure . The somewhat "tough" side of a leather jacket (that's fair to say) will no longer have any interest with it.

High-end leather can be identified by a quality zipper: it must be robust, must not close too easily, must not shine and, on the contrary, be a little patinated.

4. EXAMINE THE GRAIN TO ESTABLISH THE MATERIAL

The best known and most versatile materials are sheep and lamb leathers .

Avoid cowhide or buffalo leathers which are often thick, rigid and too shiny. That doesn't mean they are of poor quality but their strength will be more useful for luggage, or a real thick biker jacket. Pigskin leather is coarser.

Horse leather is very beautiful and smoother, it is leather that will have to be broken. That is, wear it until it softens, a bit like raw jeans.

To recognize the animal, you must examine the grain:

• Cow/beef/buffalo leather : completely uniform grain.
• Mutton/lamb : the patterns overlap and are slightly less uniform.
• Horse : the grain is smoother.
• Pork : we especially notice the pores, which are numerous and deep.

To explore this question further, we have a complete guide on what type of leather to choose for a jacket .

WHAT STYLE TO PREFER FOR A LEATHER JACKET?

There are really many different styles. We have already mentioned all the models of leather jackets in this article , and the objective here will be to find the perfect jacket that can adapt to a large majority of outfits .

So we're going to review the four most versatile models in my opinion (even if they're not all as easy to wear).

1. THE PERFECTO

The perfecto (the story of which is told here in video) was created in 1928 by Irving Schott to dress Long Island bikers on their Harley Davidsons. Schott became a benchmark brand and its flagship model is still, 89 years later, the perfecto.

Apart from its practical function in daily life, it quickly integrates a cultural dimension, particularly through cinema.

We no longer present Marlon Brando and his performance Schott in “The wild one”.

If I mention this whole background, it is to show you to what extent this piece is culturally anchored in our minds when we talk about the leather jacket.

And yet, it's not the easiest to wear. The perfecto is very marked because of its crossed closure, its specific collar and its very fitted bend.

That said, the legend of this piece is not impossible to wear, far from it, provided you like the style it gives off and it suits you. It is especially on the volumes that we must be vigilant: a perfecto is easily worn with other fitted pieces, therefore closing certain doors in terms of stylistic creation... although!

If the perfecto - slim jean combo has proven itself, other more daring alternatives exist...

2. THE BIKER JACKET

His particuliarity ? Its light funnel neck. Personally, this is the one I like the most. I find that it really adds something to a look, as long as you embrace it. Its design is also quite strong , but I think it is less difficult to wear than you might initially imagine.

The only downside: it is - like the perfecto - rather fitted, which makes it more difficult to wear with poorly fitted pieces.

All you're missing is the motorbike...

3. THE LEATHER BOMBER

We are entering a more casual/urban register but we are not locking ourselves into it! The bomber is a rather transverse piece, which is rather very easy to wear. In leather, it's the same!

There, you will worry less about the volumes since its initial shape itself has some. With jeans or slightly loose chinos, it works. With slimmer cuts at the bottom, it works too.

For the tops, it's the same. You can wear it with a shirt, a sweater or a simple t-shirt. No worries there!

4. THE FLIGHT JACKET

It's a bit like the bomber's cousin. Both coming from the military world, it is worn with the same ease.

Given its origins, it's a piece with a lot of character.

THE RIGHT BRANDS FOR A LEATHER JACKET?

Before reading this small selection, I remind you that trying to find a jacket at a price less than 300 euros is really not worth the cost: the quality will not follow and you will have spent your money for not much. This is why we prefer to start this selection from the outset with the mid-range.

If the budget is tight, it is better to wait and save a little .

1. MID-RANGE

• Schott : from 350 euros, we have a very good quality/price ratio for leather with a basic design but a very marked American and military identity.
• Chevignon : good, basic, no-frills leather with entry-level prices around 250/300 euros in sales (which are more worth the cost than 400 euros normally).
• All Saints : between 400 and 500 euros, this is a brand from which you will buy your first leather jacket (in any case, it's worth it): take an entry-level one, simple and versatile.

• Ron Abraham : leathers are only available in store. But the quality is really very good for a very reasonable price.

2. HIGH END

• Falcon Garments : we enter the high end with quality skins and above all the possibility of personalizing the piece according to your desires, and even adapting it to your body shape. The price will depend on the level of customization but you should plan on at least 900 euros.
• Aero Leather Clothing : offers high-end leathers at reasonable prices relative to quality (less than 1000 euros) but with paid options such as the choice of vegetable Italian leather, a certain type of lining or others details again.
• Belstaff : quality English brand, with a vintage spirit, which has dressed many Hollywood personalities. From 1000 euros.

• Hoon : between 900 and 1800 euros, a young Parisian brand which places the product at the heart with very accomplished finishes and very high quality materials.
• The Real McCoy's : Japanese brand with a resolutely workwear style which is very inspired by the military wardrobe of the 40s and 50s. Around 2000 euros.

3. NO LIMIT

• Carol Christian Poell : leathers cut with a scalpel, with a pretty crazy approach to textures.
• Rick Owens : the best-known dark brand, he plays a lot with volumes and shapes. Draped leather is his hobby.
• Isaac Sellam Experience : the brand stands out for its beautiful work with exotic leathers.
• Balmain : perfectos cut to perfection.

FOR FURTHER :

• File: Leather jacket, what type of leather to choose? #1
• File: Leather jacket, recognizing quality by smell and touch #2
• File: Leather jacket, the different cuts #3

Not forgetting our own leather jackets...