style file – leather jackets, part 1

leather jackets are in the air. at least the air around me. one dear friend who shares my love for fashion asked me to do a post on leather jackets [imagine my delight: a project! about clothes! yay :)] and another is considering buying an insanely sick [that is a compliment] leather jacket to celebrate something nice having happened in her life. I love love love leather jackets. You put one on and feel strong, cool, untouchable. sooooo… which one should you get?

the classic. black, waist length, with zippers of course. saint laurent has reset the standard with this one. but it is on the outer edge of the bell curve, price wise. these two are really beautiful and only a couple of standard deviations from the mean:

[r13, get it @ net a porter]

[barbara bui, get it @ intermix]

in my endless meanderings around the web i managed to find a brand that makes jackets from recycled leather. i don’t know how you feel about that, but if you are okay with it [maybe you are not, but your eco minded daughter is], the price point is certainly great [$321]:

[pelechecoco, get it @ luisa via roma]

the softer everyday option. much as you may love your motorcycle-riding fantasy life, sometimes you need a leather jacket that is softer/thinner, with a little bit less edge, to be used in your subway-riding/cab hailing/parking spot seeking real life. maybe you want to wear the jacket under your winter coat, or on a first date [that will lead to a second date], or maybe  the whole biker thing is just not you and you know it. in this instance, do not pass go but go directly to the vince website. right now you could get one of these:

[vince, get it @ vince]

i love the asymmetrical closure on the one pictured above. and the color combination – navy and cream – on this one below is super super chic.

[vince, get it @ vince]

this proenza version really speaks to me. i love the neckline and the slouchier fit, which lets you wear a sweater underneath without feeling all sausagy:

[proenza, get it @ net a porter]

the jacket jacket. for those of us who love the luxurious feel of leather but are not really “leather jacket kind of girls”. thank goodness for marni. consuelo  understands that women want intelligent clothes. this one is really gorgeous [ignore the ridiculous styling in the picture]. and if you want it in burgundy/brown, moda operandi has it on sale.

[marni, get it @ luisa via roma]

 and finally. if you are in the mood to really think outside the box, there is a super white  minimalist version by j.w. anderson, currently very much on sale. it’s the kind of item that could be seriously frightening or utterly fabulous, depending on the woman. as is the case with all real fashion.

xxx t.