r/NavyBlazer • u/dashdaddy74 • 9d ago
Discussion How Do We Feel About Leather Jackets?
I don't know, I have two expensive Schott Cafe Racer jackets, black and brown. I always heard that a leather jacket was a staple in menswear, etc. Yet, I'm reaching for my Barbour, or barn coat, or vintage M-65 when the weather cools. I think I may have purchased them when I was trying to find my style, and now that I'm further along in my journey, I have a better idea of what style and aesthetic I'm trying to convey. For context, I'm heavy into OCBD, chinos, the aforementioned Barbour, etc. Not complete preppy, but definitely leaning that way.
Maybe, I'm not styling it properly, I don't know? But, it feels like a leather jacket is more of a heritage piece, and I'm trying to cross it over and it doesn't feel like it has a place? It feels like one of those things that look good in movies and models, but doesn't seem as practical in every day life. It's interesting because when I'm on instagram checking things out for inspiration and ideas, I never see leather jackets there...
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u/mrsugar 9d ago edited 9d ago
I think back to a comment Derek Guy made on a podcast once, “you (listener) are probably either a chino guy or a denim guy and deep down you already know which one”.
I feel the same thing roughly applies to leather jackets. Deep down you kinda know if you want to wear one and can feel good doing it or not (although sometimes it just takes some reps).
A few things are tricky with leather jackets:
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- They’re generally perceived as being a bit rock n’roll or biker in style, and guys aren’t always comfortable in that
- Due to cost the wearer can end up worrying about them and wanting to baby them unnecessarily (such as not wanting to wear in rain or snow)
- They take a long time to break in, and the fit is super important to get the look right
- There’s a perception (incorrectly) that they are purely for young men. This is like saying blazers are just for old men, how silly. Anyone with the right style and confidence can pull the look off.
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The truth, for me, is that a leather jacket with great patina and the right fit hits something that almost no other piece of clothing can. It feels kinda like armor, it’s very confidence inspiring because the break-in is so personal.
In the last 4 or 5 years I’ve been reaching for my leather jackets more and more, and a part of me wishes I put more time into one when I was a bit younger (oh well, no time better than the present).
I feel if someone really likes the idea of one, but hasn’t had it click, there’s a few things to try. First would be, buy used, because a worn-in jacket always looks better and it can help to not have the shiny ‘that’s a brand new leather jacket’ look if you’re worried about feeling weird.
The other rec is to take it on a trip as your only jacket, and force yourself to bond with it. Dress up and down with it, realize just how versatile one can be.
Of course, some cuts work better across occasions than others. That’s really a personal journey, but a cafe racer with no collar may be harder to dress up. Still bad ass, but just a bit trickier. Same with a double rider moto jacket.
For fun, here’s a photo of me this spring in my favorite piece (Thedi leathers Memphis model). Cheers.
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u/dashdaddy74 9d ago
Great reply. Awesome point about the break-in process. I think I haven't given it a chance. Even though it's mine, it feels impersonal, if that makes any sense because I don't have a connection with it yet. I definitely do not want to make the mistake of getting rid of them prematurely. Could turn out to be a massive mistake. Because I hate rebuying things, especially at the price they are fetching now.
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u/No_Today_2739 9d ago
great insight. i enjoyed reading this. i also agree with a few of the other comments that imply a basic rule: know yourself; you either like/wear leather jackets or you don’t. win win.
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u/dashdaddy74 9d ago
I also have two, black and brown, so it wouldn't be the end of the world if I got rid of one. The brown one is still new with tags.
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u/SomethingFishyDishy 9d ago
The young men point is interesting, because in my head it's something that I'll need to be older before I cam wear convincingly, and doing it too young would look costume-y
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u/ChrisLinen2 9d ago
I have always wanted to have a badass leather jacket and look like a complete stud but then I realized even the most badass leather jacket isn’t going to change my face
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u/Garybird1989 9d ago
I think the uglier you are, the more convincing the leather jacket.
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u/lmboyer04 9d ago
There’s many flavors of leather jacket is the thing. There are thin and slick ones, vanilla ones, bomber jacket, biker jacket, etc. you may not be able to pull off one but could do another
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u/vincenz93 9d ago
I split the difference by going for suede jackets. It’s still as cool, yet also goes well with chinos and OCBD.
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u/Disgruntled-Cacti 9d ago
A brown A2 bomber probably fits more neatly into the ivy style than a cafe racer. Ben silver also sells a lined suede Harrington jacket that would probably be something easier to incorporate
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u/brk413 9d ago
I think a cafe racer isn’t necessarily right for the kind of style you’re going for (although I also think it can be very workable depending on specifics). Something with a collar like an A2 or an Aero Highwayman might be a better fit for your personal style. I frequently wear my Highwayman (brown) with chinos or jeans, a pair of nicer boots, and an OCBD or quarter zip sweater.
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u/Pepe_MM 9d ago
Love them but where I live there is like a month when they are wearable. The rest of the year is either way too hot or way too cold.
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u/MoonBasic 9d ago
Totally agree. So many times I step outside and I'm like "I got this fit on but shit I should've worn something else" lol
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u/MoonBasic 9d ago
I think there's a huge variety and there's a reputation/stigma around them because the market has been so saturated with fake leather and fast fashion. A lot of times they give off "edgy" or "rock and roll" but the more simple ones with less embellishments can look really classy.
IMO the windbreaker and bomber silhouettes are the best if you're trying to stay for the more preppy/traditional look.
The ones that aren't covered in tabs, zippers, pockets can look super sleek. Find one that's simple enough and you can wear it with anything you would wear with a "harrington" style
I always look at this one from RL. It doesn't give "biker" or "edgy" to me at all.
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u/Dorkypotato 8d ago
Straight, preppy female here. I love a great leather jacket- but for men my age (50-65), I think it’s really important not to have a leather jacket that makes you look like an orthodontist having a mid life crisis. Unless you’re living in a Brooklyn squat or have had a critically acclaimed album released in the past 5 years, I think it’s better to avoid the hard core motorcycle detailing that the hair transplant crowd seems to love. It will only make you look older and more lonely than you are.
That said, an understated moto without studs, flashy zippers etc. looks great on a guy my age.
For me as a female, I love a great, simple moto jacket too, but the same rules apply.
Ps there’s always been a crossover between preppy and punk, which I love.
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u/I_massage_spoons moderator of r/ties 9d ago
I struggled to make the more typical ones work. Especially any in black.
I did, however, pick up one of these that I'm going to try when the weather gets cooler. I think the older, more classic, military styling will fit better than anything that evokes a more motorcycle based heritage.
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u/gaelmegil 9d ago
There is no chance I could pull off a cafe racer (I’ve tried!), but I absolutely love my leather Polo harrington jacket. It really fits with my mostly preppy style.
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u/MoonBasic 9d ago
I just commented and posted that one as an example! It's a great look that you could wear with everything you would with a cotton jacket for sure.
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u/peachtuba 9d ago
Plenty of ways to wear them NB style. Just stay away from wearing them with blue denim, white t-shirt, engineer boots (there’s nothing wrong with that either, but lots of men feel that that’s “not them”)
Ethan Wong, Simon Crompton, Ethan Newton - lots of inspiration floating on the net.
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u/Garybird1989 9d ago
If you wear a similar size to me (or a couple friends I’ve told I’ll find em leathers) and wanna sell a schott, I’d be interested
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u/Hachiman73 9d ago
I like Belstaff leather jackets. Somehow they go well with my penchant for Barbour wax jackets.
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u/chalk_tuah 9d ago
You have to be a Certain Kinda Guy to pull it off and most of us are not that guy
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u/davehoff94 9d ago
For certain clothes you kind of just know if you are that guy or not. For example, I know I am not a chino guy or a loafer guy
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u/jjSuper1 9d ago
I have a deerskin leather jacket I have worn for... 15+ years? It has traveled around the world with me. Its been in floods, typhoons, dust storms, I've made a pillow out of it more times than I want to admit.
I have a wilson sheerling bomber I have worn for probably 25+ years? I have slept in, on, around, under it, taken it to some unkind places, and reparied it, like the jacked above, far more times than it deserves.
I love my leather jackets. Will they perform the same as my arctic parka in sub zero winter storms? No.
Will they see continued worldly ware and repair because I like them? 102% yes.
I don't wear them because of the fashion, I wear them because I know them, what they are capable of, and have gotten me through tough times.
I'm sure a well worn 30 year old waxed field jacket might be the same, but I was gifted leather. I only wear by barbour coat around the house when its wet outside, and sometimes to the shops, but its never the coat I grab for a trip.
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u/UnholyScholar 9d ago
I have a jacket in navy similar to yours. It looks great with chinos and an OCBD. The look reminds me a bit of Steve McQueen and is a good way to avoid looking overdressed around colleagues who can sometimes look sloppy.
One thing I don't like about instagram and other kinds of social media for inspiration is that everyone tends to follow the same trends. Consider also taking inspiration from older movies or television.
One other thing: you may find that your style choices shift a different way after a year or two, so what feels "right" now may not in the future.
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u/dashdaddy74 9d ago
This is a wonderful point. At work I’m the best dressed, so sometimes it may come off as too measured or like I’m trying too hard. Lately, I’ve been experimenting outerwear that offers a contrast, and it’s been working out very well Last year I experimented with a vintage m-65, military tropical jacket, denim jacket, Barbour, etc. A leather jacket could fit the same way…
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u/Stunning-Article3370 8d ago
I just recently bought an LL Bean A2 leather jacket so I’m still trying to feel comfortable about styling it. What I like to do is treat the leather jacket style-wise like my harrington jackets which I am more comfortable wearing/styling. If I struggle to style my leather jacket, will come up with an outfit in mind that includes a harrington jacket and then swap the harrington with the leather jacket and it usually looks decent.
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u/dashdaddy74 8d ago
Wow, great idea man. I have other things similar to a leather jacket, so your theory on styling makes things easier to think about.
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u/Not-you_but-Me 8d ago
Leather jackets are like denim in that wearing them well requires you to not think of them as fungible. Consider how an ulster coat and a mackinaw cruiser communicate something entirely different while nominally both being wool coats.
Think about the kind of jacket that would have been worn by mid-century Americans on the east coast, especially among academics, artists, and white collar workers. I feel like styles as holdovers from the war or cropped sporting jackets are best here, rather than something like a typical perfecto. Better to avoid anything that screams British or contemporary as well like a cafe racer.
I for one just bought a 1980s g1 from bean on eBay.
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u/Ok-Internet2753 9d ago
If your looking at instagram for permission to wear a leather jacket you then you should sell your leather jacket
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u/dashdaddy74 9d ago
Nah, you misunderstood. When I'm looking at preppy posts on instagram, I never see leather jackets of any type...
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u/Hog_enthusiast 9d ago
Personally I don’t think leather jackets look cool on me. I think it’s sort of like a big overcoat, looks cool in movies but not in real life. I could maybe pull off some neutered version of a leather jacket that is styled down but at that point why even try?
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u/RegattaTimer 9d ago
I think you are looking at this all wrong. The real question is, does motorcycling have any place in the preppy lifestyle? If so, then the jacket isn’t an incompatible affectation. I do think there are ways to make it work - I’m told that BMW G/S style bikes an are great for traveling nearly everywhere. Moto guzzi and Triumph bikes are both gorgeous things with long storied histories. Like a British sports car, they require some thoughtful maintenance.
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u/Physical-Compote4594 9d ago
You definitely need the right attitude to wear leather jacket well. You don’t need to be a punk or a badass, but you do need to own it.
You want to have some that are not so fragile that you feel like you’re going to wreck them.
I dunno if chinos go so well with leather, but my uniform is Japanese denim and Rick Owens jeans, and leather jackets match those pretty perfectly.
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