Worth the Investment: A Leather Jacket

Do you own a leather jacket? I’m talking about a good, hand-down-to-your-kid-one-day, treat-it-like-a-member-of-the-family, good leather jacket.

If not, I think you should consider it. That’s what I’m doing right now. After a particularly busy month (well, year, but this past month specifically), I decided on rewarding myself with a little something new. And as luck would have it, this sudden self-regard coincided with a decision that it might finally, finally be time to buy a leather jacket.

This purchase is one of a seminal few in a young person’s life that could – and should – last you forever. How many clothes do you buy that you can say that about? A watch? Maybe a particularly sturdy trench coat? That’s why you should weigh the decision of a new leather jacket carefully, then go all in.

A few tips when you start shopping:

Go classic.
The fewer bells and whistles, the better. This jacket should age gracefully with you, so trendy is the enemy in this case.

Spend what you can.
Or even a little more. This is not the time for bargain hunting. You know I have anything against places like Forever 21 or Target for basics, but this is not a purchase to get on the cheap. And I want you to read this twice: pleather is out of the question.

Make sure it fits.
And when I say fits, I mean, fits like how I keep telling you clothes should fit – close to the body, tailored properly. And contrary to what I see every day on the street, a leather jacket should be short. Find one that hits at the waist, not one that hovers somewhere above your knees – I don’t want to see those awful leather jackets that look they were cut from a dress shirt pattern on any of my readers.

The three above serve as good inspiration to get you started in your search. Or even easier, a good place to end it:

(left to right)

Polo Ralph Lauren Bomber, $1,195

Schott “Perfecto” Motorcylce Jacket, $630

J.Crew, Stockton racer jacket, $825