A leather jacket is indeed one of the most iconic outfits that men can wear. It truly is a way to show your style, attitude, and masculinity just through this leather outfit. And why is that so? It is pretty simple, in the past many dangerous job positions required to wear some kind of protection and that was usually leather because we didn’t have the technology to create outfits that provide more protection. If you want to create the perfect wardrobe you cannot continue without having at least one leather jacket to go in combination with your clothes.
Both men and women have been wearing all kinds of leather from different animals since the dawn of time, but this jacket became very popular somewhere around the 1900s. It was worn by pilots who were active in World War I. Both the German and US air forces wore a brown one with a furry collar. It was later worn by punkers as a way to show freedom and chaos. It was also commonly worn by a lot of movie stars from the 50s, 60s and so on. It certainly is the number one classic when it comes to menswear.
A few years after the war ended, many aviators were allowed to keep their jackets and wear them whenever they want. This is where the style was born. It associated people with courage, power, and masculinity.
So, in the 1920s, the first commercial leather jacket was made to be used by bikers who rode on motorcycles so they can stay protected both from weather and crashes. The popularity did not die out for years and was again used by aviators during World War II because they were able to keep you warm even if you were hundreds of miles up in the air. Even those planes that had an open cockpit wore them to stay warm.
After the war, it became even more popular and would be seen on every single movie star, rock star or whatever kind of star. You would constantly see them in most movies that featured a brave hero. It became the standard menswear for people who were “disobedient”, rebels, s*x symbols and so on.
Today, having such a jacket is essential, although they can be quite expensive, especially if the leather is real and unique. But, the good thing about is that once you buy one, you will not have to think about another one since the leather will last for years and years. If you care for it, it will probably last you more than ten years. It may even outlive you and you will be able to give it to your kids or maybe even grandkids.
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How much is too much for a leather jacket?
Well, it heavily depends on the budget you have prepared to get such a jacket because you will be able to find one at every single price point. You could find a used one for just a couple dozen dollars while you could also find one that cost more than a few thousand dollars. Of course, the price also predicts the quality of the leather you are buying and the brand on it.
Keep in mind, cheaper garments will usually have multiple seams visible from the outside. So, if you feel like you are over-paying then this should be an indicator of whether the quality of the design is worth the price. If you want to see all of the different styles of hiding jackets, check out nycjackets.com.
What kind of leather should I pick?
This also depends on you. There is no “perfect” or “right” leather as different types give you different benefits. If you want something that softer you should get one that is lambskin, but if you want something thicker that will keep you warm even through the cold winter days then you should definitely get biker-type one.
To differentiate one leather from the other, you should look at the clothing label or ask the shopkeeper to tell you whether it is full grain or top grain. The full-grain ones are usually the most expensive, but also offer the best hide you can find. If you notice that they are quite stiff, do not worry, as over time and constant wearing the hide will soften and the jacket will become much more comfortable.
Now that we have gone through the history and the various types of leather jackets we can get into the topic of the most popular leather jackets for men.
We have made a short list to help you decide what you are going to wear for the oncoming freezing cold days.
The Biker Jacket
This is probably the most common type because it was a very popular style during the 70s and 80s. You probably recognize this style from the movie Grease where all the “bad boys” wore this type of jacket and all the women had the hots for those types of rebels.
It was originally worn by people who were constantly riding motorcycles which is why the jacket is not symmetrical. It helped the bikers to lean left or right without the jacket getting too tight.
If you decide that this is the right style for you then you should combine with light blue and skinny jeans and just wear a simple shirt under it without any colorful logos.
Aviator or Field Jacket
This one is definitely a classic and goes well with anything you have in your wardrobe. You could either get a light or dark brown colored one, but both will go well with whatever you combine it with. These are usually much thicker and longer which means it will keep you warmer during the winter.
The Racer jacket
We don’t need to explain the name of this one, because it is quite obvious, right? This type of jacket has become the racer’s favorite ever since the 50s or the 60s. It is simple and light which is perfect who is stuck in a car’s cockpit for hours and hours driving hundreds of laps.
Fake Leather Jacket
If you do not support the use of animal leather in these type of jackets, then you can just get a fake leather one. Just make sure that it’s a higher quality one if you do not want anyone noticing that the hide is not real.
