Belstaff
A brand favored by everyone from A-list actors to the Pope, Belstaff has been the jacket maker original for motorcycle gear since the 1920s. While offering different styles of leather jackets, the British brand is perhaps best known for its long, belted styles.
Look for options that have been hand-waxed for an authentic worn-in feel that will ensure your jacket only gets better with age. It’s also a water-repellent treatment, meaning you shouldn’t be afraid to wear it in light rain.
Cromford
Named after the village of Cromford in Derbyshire, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, this brand has been a specialist in leather, suede and shearling for over 45 years. Based on Marylebone’s Chiltern Street, it offers bespoke, made-to-measureand an alterations service alongside its own collection, all handmade in London.
Clients include celebrities and wardrobe designers for films, presumably seduced by the brand’s superlative crop of leathers, which are hand-picked from small tanneries around Europe.
Schott NYC
For over a century, the Schott family has created authentic products in the USA. Irving Schott designed and produced the first leather motorcycle jacket for a Long Island Harley Davidson distributor. To this new generation of bikers, the Perfecto was a symbol of the excitement, adventure and danger.
This is the jacket Marlon Brando was wearing, perched on his motorcycle in The Wild One – and it’s said that James Dean was hardly seen without his. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Perfecto was the uniform for rock stars like The Ramones, Blondie, Joan Jett and The Sex Pistols. It’s one of those rare designs that will always be cool, but the brand has also expanded its expertise to make high-quality racer and flight jackets, too.
AllSaints
Founded in 1994, AllSaints is well-known for its leather jackets, and offers one of the comprehensive selections on the high street. Ideal for those looking for a grungelook, the signature style here is a washed and slightly distressed finish in cropped modern styles such as bikers and bombers.
As is to be expected of a brand that designs with a hefty dose of rock ‘n’ roll attitude, expect soft, supple leathers, all cut slim in a palette of dark greys and blacks that complements the rest of the mainline collection.
H&M
Swedish mega-retailer H&M offers real and faux leather jackets at extremely keen prices. Buying high street means you can be more experimental, fashion-led and own more than one design without having to sell your car.
But it’s not just about basic styles, alongside imitation leather bikers for the cost of a night out, it also offers premium quality real leather jackets that still belie their price tag. The range changes fairly frequently but the brand tends to stick with tried and tested styles.
Norton
The Norton Motorcycle Company – formerly Norton Motors – is a British motorcycle marque, originally from Birmingham. It was founded in 1898 as a manufacturer of “fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade,” but the fashion side of the business is now Spanish-owned and produces a full range of motorcycle-inspired leather jackets that tap into the brand’s heritage.
Expect a mix of classic and contemporary styles, with its cafe racer styles – complete with contrast arm stripe – being the stand-out pieces.
Reiss
In keeping with its signature tailored aesthetic, premium label Reiss offers a range of close-fitting leather jackets like the bomber and racer that are cut as well as its suits.
Sitting at the high end of the high street, the increased price tags tend to be matched by a better quality of leather and stronger finishes on the zips and buttons than you find elsewhere.
Lewis Leathers
As the trading name of Britain’s oldest motorcycle clothing company, D. Lewis, you can practically smell the fumes with the leather jackets from this authentic biker label, established in 1892.
The firm supplied early aviators, motorists and motorcyclists with protective clothing against the cold and damp British climate. Then, in the mid-1950s, it produced the Bronx leather jacket, one of the first products aimed directly at the post-war teenage fashion market, which was widely adopted by the ton-up boys and rockers of the 1960s. We strongly advise you do the same.
HS Jackets
All the brands are very popular but if you want something in good price and middle range then HS is not a huge name like others but they have a good reputation because they deal in original leather in best prices.
The Dos And Don’ts Of Leather Jackets
Don’t: Use Your Local Dry Cleaner
“The results of professional cleaning are not always satisfactory and often changes the appearance and finish of the skin for the worse,” says Clarke, who suggests visiting a specialist or doing the dirty work yourself.
“Use a damp cloth or sponge with soapy water – no bleach – to wipe clean any marks, but try first in an area which will not be visible, e.g. inside hems or the underarm area. Then dry with a clean soft cloth.”
Do: Buy A Jacket That Suits
It’s imperative to find a jacket that feels comfortable and suits your image. Trend-led styles come and go, so opt for one of the classic shapes above and you’ll be able to wear it with more, for longer.
Don’t: Wear It In The Rain
“This will result in the skin becoming dry and stiff,” says Clarke. If you do, and your jacket hasn’t first been waterproofed, allow it to dry naturally away from hear, then follow up with a conditioner or leather renewal lotion to stop it from cracking.
Do: Go Neutral
As with most pieces hanging in your wardrobe, if you want to get the most wear out of a leather jacket, it pays to opt for black or, at a push, brown over anything too brightly coloured.
Don’t: Assume You Have To Buy New
If your wallet doesn’t stretch a new style, think about vintage. Here it pays to shop offline as the smell, condition and general fit are best examined in person.
Do: Store It Correctly
“Hang your jacket on a rounded or padded hanger. Leather draped over sharp shapes will stretch and mould to said shape,” says Clarke.
Don’t: Think You’re “The One”
The Matrix was a very stylish movie but try to cop Neo’s coat (anything that ends lower than the top of your thighs, really) and you’ll look like a 1990s doorman at a bad nightclub.