A leather jacket is a versatile garment that you can wear year-round. While other jackets and coats can only be comfortably worn during the winter, this isn’t a problem with leather jackets. Whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter, the lightweight properties of leather offer just enough protection from the elements to keep you comfortable. But if you’re going to invest in a new leather jacket, you should consider choosing a timeless, classic style.
The Benefits of Choosing a Timeless, Classic Leather Jacket Style
With a timeless, classic leather jacket, you’ll have the freedom to wear more garments and accessories in your outfit. The term “timeless” or “classic” refers to a time-tested style that’s still popular. Not many jackets — leather or otherwise — offer a timeless, classic style. On the contrary, many experience periods during which they are popular, followed by periods during which they become unpopular. And if you’re stuck with a jacket that’s no longer popular, conventional wisdom should tell you to avoid wearing it.
You can avoid the headaches of having an outdated leather jacket by choosing a timeless, classic style. Leather jackets featuring this type of style have already withstood the hands of time. They’ve been around for years if not decades, giving you peace of mind knowing that they’ll remain popular longer after you purchase one. Furthermore, classic, timeless leather jackets are easy to coordinate with other clothes and accessories. You may spend a half-hour trying to find the right clothes to wear with an outdated leather jacket. If it features a classic, timeless style, though, you’ll have little or no problem pairing it with right clothes. These are just a few reasons to invest in a timeless, classic leather jacket.
The Original Leather Bomber Jacket
To better understand what constitutes a timeless, classic style for leather jackets, you should take a look at the early bomber jackets. Origins of the modern leather jacket can be traced back to the turn of the 20th century, during which military and aviation pilots wore them to protect against the cold temperatures of high-altitude flights. Today, there are climate-control systems in airplane cabins to keep pilots and their crew warm. Back in the early 1900s, however, these systems hadn’t been invented, so pilots had to wear protective clothing to prevent hypothermia. This ultimately led to the invention of the leather bomber jacket.
When it was originally released, the leather bomber jacket featured a traditional brown color with two pockets on the side and a fur-lined collar. There were several variations of this design, some of which had fur lined throughout the entire interior. With that said, most traditional bomber jackets shared a few similarities: They were brown, had two pockets, and had a fur-lined collar. Even today, you can still find leather jackets featuring the same traditional bomber jacket-style worn by military and aviation pilots in the early 1900s.
Stick With a Traditional Color
If you want a leather jacket in a timeless, classic style, it’s recommended that you stick with a traditional color. Leather is almost always brown in its natural state. It’s not until a manufacturer dyes the textile that it turns to a different color. Therefore, you really can’t go wrong with brown as a classic color for a leather jacket. It’s attractive, easy to match with other garments, and it looks great no matter how it’s worn.
Brown isn’t the only traditional color in which leather jackets are made, however. Another excellent choice is black. Granted, black leather jackets are usually dyed — just like any other non-brown color — but they’ve been around for decades and have since become a staple fashion garment worn by millions of men and women throughout the world. Just remember to stick with a traditional color, with brown or black being the most common.
Genuine Leather, Not Faux Leather
It’s also a good idea to choose a jacket made of genuine leather if you’re hoping to achieve a timeless, classic style. When the leather jacket was first invented more than a century ago, it was made exclusively of 100% genuine leather. Fast forward to today, and you can now find leather jackets made of faux leather. Upon seeing a faux leather jacket, you may assume that it’s just a different type of leather. After all, it has the word “leather” in its name, preceded by the word “faux.” The problem is that faux leather jackets aren’t made of leather at all. Instead, they are made of polyurethane plastic that’s designed to mimic the appearance and characteristics of real leather.
If you compare a faux leather jacket next to a genuine leather jacket, though, you’ll realize a few stark differences between the two. Faux leather feels somewhat rough, whereas genuine leather feels soft and supple. Genuine leather also has a pleasant aroma, whereas faux leather has an artificial, chemical-like odor. In terms of quality, genuine leather jackets trump those made of faux leather. You’ll have to pay more for a genuine leather jacket, but its superior quality makes it well worth the investment.
Get the Right Size
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when choosing a timeless, classic leather jacket is the size. If your leather jacket is too big or too small for your body, it won’t offer a timeless, classic look. Unfortunately, many people struggle to find a leather jacket in the right size. They visit a half-dozen or more stores, only to buy a jacket that doesn’t fit right. You can avoid this problem, however, by ordering a leather jacket here at LeatherCult. We offer custom sizing on all leather jackets at no additional charge. Just choose the leather jacket that you’d like to purchase, send us your body measurements, and we’ll create a custom-sized jacket that’s designed specifically for your body.
Don’t spend your hard-earned money on a leather jacket featuring an outdated style. Follow the tips outlined in this blog post to get your hands on the perfect timeless, classic leather jacket.