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Hell Bent For Leather
Whether you’re silently wishing you were Marlon Brando in The Wild One, The Ramones in CBGB’s or James Dean… well, whenever he was on a motorcycle, all men know that with a leather jacket comes all kinds of connotations of rebellion and cool. My own personal inspiration for having a leather jacket is a childhood wish of being Kenickie from Grease (which I’m not ashamed of by the way!) but all you’ve got to do is look at anyone from Daniel Day Lewis to Robert Patterson to Zac Efron to see that they remain as relevant to men’s fashion as they did when Johnny Strabler appeared on the big screen.
However, there is still a lot of room for error when it comes to these little beauties and as always it really is all about the fit. Try to keep them on slim side and fitted to your body creating straight lines and a snug feeling to them. Luckily, leather jackets are different breed from their 1950’s counter parts so are made from lamb or goat’s hide rather than horsehide that remained hard to break in and made that squeaky noise whenever you moved. Bad times. A suggestion I might make is to try a size smaller than you normally would and see how that looks and feels on your particular body shape. Make sure it hugs your shoulders rather than slouches off them, it ends at your waist not thighs and be sure to have sleeves that aren’t too long, it’s not something a tailor can sort out.
When it comes to the styles they come in, there are only three styles that really matter. Fatigue (comes with the two pockets at the chest and occasionally epaulettes on the shoulders), Motocross (has minimum detailing on it, nothing except the two waist pockets) and the Bomber (lined at the sleeves and waist with ribbed wool).
Colour is an important choice to make too. Black is most guys go to here but there are other options to be considered. Of course black is great for a more classic look and always carries the impression of instant coolness and, let’s be honest, punk rock ‘give-a-sh*t’. But with the options of chocolate browns, tans and even butterscotch leathers now readily available, why not try them out as well. Brown has always been a more stylish choice compared to the formalistic black, is very versatile when paired with nearly every colour and also helps you stand out from a sea of Joe Strummer wannabes.
Another thing to bear in mind is that you don’t always have to think of your leather jacket as an outerwear piece. Because you’ve chosen one that is more streamlined and slim-cut you can leave it on when you walk into restraints, pubs and clubs – think of it in the same way you would a blazer.
Ways To Wear
And as always, here are some fool-proof ways of wearing a leather jacket:
- Grab your favourite pair of jeans (so long as there on the darker side of denim), a crisp white shirt and slim black tie. Pair with a black bomber and your favourite pair of white trainers and you’ve got a look that straddles formal and casual perfectly.
- With a dark brown fatigue style jacket, go with some slightly baggier jeans, a printed/band T-shirt with a black or white base to it and those knackered vans or converse you have lying around. Get yourself some Wayfarer sunglasses and a grey slouch beanie to round of an effortless lazy weekend outfit.
- Try it with your plaid and stripe shirts too. Take a hint from Robert Patterson and team some grey or black denim with a dark plaid in red or blue with a black leather bomber.
- Or try reversing the ‘formal top/casual bottom’ look. Pair those grey or navy suit trousers that you only ever wear to job interviews with a simple neutral or complimenting T-shirt and some Oxblood Brogues with a coffee coloured motocross leather jacket for a new take on the word ‘smart-casual’.
So there you have it guess, another essential that needs to be forced into your ever bulging pot-bellied wardrobe. I mean seriously, what can’t you wear with a leather jacket? It’s a timeless piece that will always see you through and NEVER goes out of fashion. It’s one of those fantastic items of clothing that you can use to anchor other more ‘fashion-forward’ on trend pieces that will be in for a season and then out the next. Regardless of that though, the leather jackets here to stay, so go grab yourself one. RIGHT NOW.
Until next week guys,
Matt Allinson
Men’s Leather Jackets
Topman
All Saints
ASOS
Men's Fashion Basics - Part 11 - The Blazer
Men's Fashion Basics – Part 9 – Casual Patterned Shirts
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I wear my All Saints Command leather jacket all the time, i absolutely love it! I do find it fits much a bit smaller than their other products though, so be careful. Luckily for me it is perfect!
hey marcus, how does the post command fit in a bit more detail? I couldnt decided between the coerce or the command I was there for ages!!! theres not much difference realy is there? except I think the comment looks slightly more slimmer (which is what I’m looking for).
How to the fall on the waist? are they really high ending so they floatr above the waist?
If anyone else could help out that would be mint!
River Island do a good range of leathers, some of them are very all saints-esque but there’s retail at aroud the £110 mark. Got myself one a few months back now.
All Saints Coerce leather jacket here! I tried to size down when I bought it, but the medium was so tight all over and I couldn’t zip it up properly, so went for the large. My favourite purchase of 2010. I’m considering a Brown one at the moment, just undecided on style, would it be a crime to wear a brown leather jacket with black military boots? I’ve read on this blog in the past that black leather jacket with brown shoes is ok long as you wear a brown belt. I guess it wouldn’t hurt me to pick up some brown shoes/boots.
personally I think all guys should be making the move towards brown shoes. It’s time to move away from looking like we’re in the MI5 or on Spooks. As for Brown and Black? They go great together but yes, always match your belt to your shoes.
My leather bomber is pretty much what you described so that’s good but because it cuts off at the waist shirts are longer than it and stick out at the back, is this OK in your opinion or does it just look messy?
Ahhhh Katatonik, i was stuck between the command and coerce, but went for the command and im happy, but im sure i would have loved the coerce too. What fantastic quality they are, so soft! :D
Ahh i forgot to say that i wear brown boots with my jacket and i think they go great!
Navy blue LEATHER… Love it
I personally cannot stand high street leather jackets (mainly for the reason that everyone seems to believe that bomber jackets with baggy arms are in). If you want a good leather jacket on the high street you have to pay a fortune. Don’t mess around, go to Camden, go vintage. You will find the perfect jacket for you, for half the price.
Yes someone with a clue, you either go to a Designer or Vintage
I tend to throw on a leather jacket with my work wear in the office. Helps to keep warm and differentiates me from the rest of guys who put on blazers.
Dont bother with high street. Get yourself a vintage Members only leather cafe racer. Chocolate brown is a personal favourite. They fit so much better and you wont see that many people with them on.
All Saints Absolute leather bomber myself, so far i love it. A tip for those who are considering the plunge and getting a quality jacket. Do what i did and buy a cheap fake leather practice jacket of the style you want to go with and try it on for a while. if you like it, you can pretty much figure the real deal will be 10x better, and last 10x longer.
Want to get the all saints coerce leather jacket, can anyone advise on the quality and fit? Would it last a couple of years?
Biggest advice for this item is simple, spend some money, Id say atleast £300 but ideally, seeing as this is a piece for life, over £600. Oh and dont go near All saints there is no real design process in that shop, they just produce the same drab, badly/cheaply made clothes season after season. I bought a jacket for very little more than All Saints leather jackets which is allot cooler, as it gets me lots of compliments, and incomparable in terms of quality being made out of the finest leather, though it was 70% of.
I just can’t approve the black leather jacket and white trainers look. Definitely not for me. In fact, I think I’ll just go ahead and say the white trainers are waaaay overused.