Leather Jacket Analysis Paralysis

Clarky

Clarky

Member
Joined
May 18, 2023
I notice them on men, I notice them on women, it's a great compliment opener. I love leather jackets and I want one.

Earlier in the year I tried on some of the £60 ones at Zara:

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How's the fit? Should I even expect good fit from mass-produced items on my twink frame?

They only had black ones, but I personally prefer brown. I think I'd suit it better with my long blonde hair and new brown boots (not pictured). I actually feel some Incongruence Anxiety for black, but not for brown.

I started watching a YT channel called Real Men, Real Style (RMRS, https://www.youtube.com/@RealMenRealStyle). The videos on leather jackets taught me two small things:

  1. Leather jackets are great for guys because leather is the most masculine material as judged by women.
  2. Brown leather carries increased risk of showing stains/scratches.

But more importantly, RMRS gave me this massive mental block:

Cheap is bad! You want to invest a lot of thought, time and money into a leather jacket for reasons of fit, style, and durability.

I found a manufacturer here in the UK: https://www.aeroleatherclothing.com. I'm overwhelmed by all the different styles. I'm in London this weekend so I might be able to check out their branch and try on whatever they have.

On the one hand, I could find a store with cheapo brown jackets, try them on, and buy one. Risks include the item degrading so quickly that it looks shit and I have to keep buying a new one every N months, and that I won't be able to find a decent fit and won't look or feel good in it.

On the other, if I'm going to spend on the order of £1k on a jacket, I want to be damn sure I won't regret it later. I'll have to make sure of good fit, style, and durability. I don't want to be paying rent for some dumb brand or designer label beyond whatever tangible benefits it brings (this is how clothing works, right?)

I'm also continuing to lift regularly in the hopes of going from twink to twunk. I don't know what my genetic ceiling is, but it feels like I have to take this into account; I don't want the jacket to end up too tight just because I self-improved too much. (This is one of my anti-tattoo weasels too; surely I should wait until I'm already hench, to avoid distortion?)

Can someone give me a slap in the right direction here? Feel free to clear up any heckin' misinformation I may have have picked up about jacketmaxxing for masculine sexiness. RMRS is a respectable, monetised channel after all and might be optimising for something slightly different.
 
I haven't seen a brown leather jacket look good on anyone compared to a black leather jacket.

Ignore any advice style channels give about price/durability. We're not optimizing for buying clothing, we're optimizing for getting laid. Follow the Pareto principle and spend one tenth the price for 90+% of the laycount.

The double rider jacket (style I'm wearing in this photo) cost me $49 from Forever 21 of all places. Also, I bought it in 2018 and it still holds up today, though I rarely dress like this anymore.

Of the images you posted, the double rider doesn't seem to fit you well there. The last one I like on you but it seems too big. The first one is best, though it's the least "edgy".
 
Clarky said:
Cheap is bad! You want to invest a lot of thought, time and money into a leather jacket for reasons of fit, style, and durability
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If it looks cheap, it’s bad.

I’ve been rocking the biker black from Calvin Klein. I paid 250euro for it which is a fair price.

I like the biker style the most because it’s pops out the edge that goes along with a leather jacket instead of the other styles. They’re more modelesque
 
Second style is very in right now, I see it a lot in London, and is what my stylist got me. Nice to learn from pancake that it’s called a double rider jacket.

Mine is from Barneys Originals and instead of being pure black it’s slightly dim, like a very dark grey or faded black — I’ve gotten compliments on it for the colour, because it’s more interesting than black and it does well against a true black t shirt because of the contrast. It’s about £200.

You also won’t be zipping it up very much anyway so you should take the pic where it’s unzipped.

I can’t comment on much else though, just my personal experiences as a Londoner.
 
If money is no issue, buy AllSaints. It'll be 400gbp though (and more outside of the UK.) I have a simple AllSaints that I love.

Seconded on what kratjeuh said... it doesn't have to BE expensive, but it should look like it is.

re: edginess, even a simple leather bomber jacket is much more edgy than most other jackets... I wouldn't worry about squeezing out all the edge you can, I'd care more about getting one that looks quality and feels right. If it's leather it'll be edgy by that factor alone.
 
You can also try used sites, here in Germany there is something called “vinted”. I got brand new Chelsea boots from Hudson London and AllSaints (almost brand new) for €40 each and they cost normaly around €200 new.

You'll probably have something like this in England too, just look for certain brands on these pages.
 
I just picked up a black cafe racer from polo for about $700 USD. Pricey, yes, but the cut is essentially perfect on me. For ref I am 6"1 180lb.

https://www.ralphlauren.com/men-clothing-jackets-coats-vests/lambskin-caf%C3%A9-racer-jacket/356489.html

I also just like spending $ on leather in general (shoes, etc). I do agree though that vegan leather, especially black, can look good, with the caveat that it doesn't look cheap. Like the best vegan jackets will be like low/mid-range prices for real leather, but will actually look good. Only people who are actually leather enthusiasts will be able to tell the difference between a good vegan jacket and real leather.

I was basically going for this look

https://rjackets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Better-Call-Saul1.webp

Also consider suede, even vegan suede. If your natural look is "hard / intimidating", it can help soften you and add sophistication.

https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/men/clothing/coats-jackets/suede-jackets
 
noclip said:
I just picked up a black cafe racer from polo for about $700 USD. Pricey, yes, but the cut is essentially perfect on me. For ref I am 6"1 180lb.

https://www.ralphlauren.com/men-clothing-jackets-coats-vests/lambskin-caf%C3%A9-racer-jacket/356489.html
Click to expand...

Good choice. I can imagine this looks good on you. Pop some photos with it and put them on your dating profile - will prob get you a boost.

noclip said:
I do agree though that vegan leather, especially black, can look good, with the caveat that it doesn't look cheap. Like the best vegan jackets will be like low/mid-range prices for real leather, but will actually look good. Only people who are actually leather enthusiasts will be able to tell the difference between a good vegan jacket and real leather.
Click to expand...

You're not wrong but reading "vegan leather" so many times made my eyes bleed.
 
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