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.

How to shop for a men’s leather jacket:

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 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.

SG Says: Rocking moto-inspired outerwear is all about fit…of the snug variety. While you may be inclined to lean into the boxed shape of most leather jackets, don’t err on the side of oversized or your jacket will look misplaced in the rest of your look.

Not sure where you want land on the save versus splurge spectrum? Saunter on over towards splurge – don’t worry, that doesn’t have to mean thousands any more.

A quality leather jacket is immediately noticed (as is a cheap one…but, let’s avoid that kind of notoriety) and will last you years to come. Distressing will happen to any leather jacket. BUT a quality jacker will look rugged in the best way, while a cheaper version will likely tear.