Listen, I get it. Any single clothing purchase a guy can make these days comes with a plethora of options, of colours and variations and price points and quality. You can get so caught up in trying to balance chasing trends with making a purchase that’ll last a lifetime that soon your seventeen browser tabs deep and don’t know which way is up anymore. Jacket season has this effect on us most severely, I think. We’re all convinced the right jacket at the right time will fix all of our problems and transform us into the men we’re destined to be. And you know, who’s to say it won’t?! Perhaps the pursuit itself is nirvana, not the jacket.
Still, at the end of the day there’s still a jacket to buy. Most menswear heads will tell you every guy needs a good leather jacket in his wardrobe, a sentiment I’m inclined to agree with. The problem arises in picking out the kind of leather jacket, be it a fur-lined bomber or a biker joint, a swervy leather blazer or an A-1. I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to overcomplicate things. There’s only one leather jacket any guy needs and it’s the one that made you want a leather jacket to begin with: the motorcycle jacket.
The Origins of the Motorcycle Jacket
The motorcycle jacket first hit the scene in the 1920s, designed by brothers Jack and Irving Schott. Their namesake brand, Schott, is still one of the premiere manufacturers of leather jackets in the country today but they’ve never done it better than the aptly-named Schott Perfecto. They designed the jacket in 1913 but it didn’t hit stores til 1928 in tandem with Harley Davidson.
The moto jacket was a revelation thanks to being the first of its kind to feature zippers rather than buttons, a vital safety and durability measure for those using it for protection while riding their hogs. But it took on a life of its own as a fashion statement. The Perfecto is the jacket Marlon Brando wore in The Wild Ones, that the Ramones wore in every photo you’ve ever seen of the Ramones. It’s as iconic as a leather jacket gets, though it’s far from the only game in town. These days there are countless options for great leather motorcycle jackets outside of the Perfecto. As it’s become a more fashionable wardrobe addition there have been tweaks to the construction and build of it. You can find it in intentionally oversized and boxy fits or slimmed-down builds with thinner, more fashion-friendly leather. If you’re actually going to be going out for a ride we’d recommend a heartier cut but if you’re just looking to get off a killer fit you can probably go with something on the thinner side.
Why You Should Buy A Leather Motorcycle Jacket
Why You Should Buy A Leather Motorcycle Jacket
HUGO MEN’S LEATHER JACKET. PHOTO COURTESY OF HUGO.
Why You Should Buy A Leather Motorcycle Jacket
568 MEN’S LEATHER JACKET. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCHOTT.
Let’s get right to the point: they’re cool. They will make you look cool. They will take the most basic of outfits and make them look cool. I’m not saying there aren’t great leather jacket silhouettes outside of the motorcycle jacket, I’m just saying that sometimes they cycle in and out of style or come off stiffer and more buttoned-up than their alternatives. Don’t buy something trendy, don’t buy something left-of-center. Buy the only leather jacket you really need. Buy the leather jacket you picture in your mind when someone says “leather jacket” out loud.
A good leather jacket — I’m talking a good one, a real one, a quality piece — is an investment. They aren’t cheap. You’re supposed to be able to drop the cash on them and not have to worry about buying another one for at least a decade. When you’re buying a piece like that for your wardrobe, whether it’s a leather jacket or selvedge denim or quality cowboy boots, you’re buying with the intention of getting the most wear for your dollar. A leather motorcycle jacket is going to maximize that. If you wear it often and wear it well, after a year it’ll have paid for itself. The next decade might as well be free.
How to Take Care of a Leather Jacket
Leather jackets are durable as hell and don’t tend to require a ton of maintenance. It’s part of the point of owning one. Still, sometimes shit happens and when it does you can’t exactly toss it in the washing machine. If you’re looking to take care of a stain or just do some overall maintenance, start by wiping it down with warm water and cloth. For spot-cleaning, use soapy water and blot at the stains rather than rubbing at them. Hang it up and let it air-dry. Don’t iron it, don’t use a dryer or a washing machine, and don’t take it to the dry-cleaners.
