What Are the Types of Leather Jacket

You can't go through the winter without even considering buying a respectable leather bomber jacket. But which models will be available and among these, which one do you like the most? As the investment in such a piece is not low we are providing a guide here so that you know what the most common types of leather jacket are and can choose something with your style.

Bovine leather is the most common, but pieces of goat, sheep and even pig leather are not hard to find in specialty stores. Basically what changes from one to the other is the thickness, weight and texture, with the bovine being the most full-bodied.

It is also necessary to list the chamois (photo), which is nothing more than the leather used with its rustic side out and the nubuck, the bovine leather sanded until it gains a certain velvety roughness, both very used in shoes, but which can appear in jackets and coats.

Currently we find many jackets made of synthetic leather (PU) and the so-called ecological leather, the base of a type of rubber, but both have low durability compared to animal leather, the look is sometimes lacking, however some models are very well done being almost impossible to distinguish them.

Black and brown are basic colors for leather jackets, as they are the most common dyes of this raw material, but variations such as oil, marine, brown, pine nuts, wine (photo), graphite, caramel and beaver are increasingly popular. Strong colors are more common in female models, but, little by little, they are migrating to the male wardrobe, such as red, green, turquoise and violet.

Types of leather jacket

The most emblematic leather jacket - and probably the one that first comes to mind when we talk about it - is the one whose model was named perfecto in honor of the cigarette brand preferred by Irving Schott, its creator in 1928 and even today, Schott NYC is synonymous with impeccable leather jackets.

In its trajectory, the perfecto model conquered movie stars like Marlon Brando and James Dean, as well as rockers like Elvis Presley and the Ramones punks. He became a symbol of rebellion by dressing gangs and motorcyclists, personifying the bad boy, both on TV and in the cinema.

Main characteristics: large lapel, transversal zipper closure, pockets also closed by zipper, cut that enhances the silhouette. Some models may have epaulettes on their shoulders (only as ornaments) and fillings in strategic locations to protect them in the event of a motorcycle fall.

Motorcicle jacket and biker jacket are terms used for most jackets worn by motorcyclists, which is why so many people confuse models. The racer jacket can be considered minimalist compared to perfecto , its competitor in the preference of the crowd that lives on two wheels and can be seen in films such as “Fury on Two Wheels” and “The 24 Hours of Le Mans” in more flashy models, focused on competition, and “Easy Rider - No Destination” in a more traditional design. Tom Cruise is an enthusiast of this type of play.

Main features: it does not have a lapel, just a small collar that, when buttoned, protects the neck, its closure is made by a zipper and many of them have two pockets at the height of the chest also closed by zipper and two more at the waist that serve to warm your hands and keep small objects, but they don't close. Some sportier models may have colored bands on their arms or across the shoulder piece to the waist and the cut is well-adjusted to the body.

Bomber leather jackets were created during World War I to keep pilots warm in the cockpits of planes, which were open at the time. Since then, bomber has undergone several modifications, always marked with a code. Then we have the MA-1, the first, the A-2 and the B-15 of the 1940s, the MA-1 launched between 1949 and 1950 and that later migrated to the uniform of the police force in a version made of nylon, between others. A film that eternalized the bomber jacket was "Top Gun - Aces Indomáveis" with, again, Tom Cruise.

Main features: wide collar that may or may not be covered with leather, zipper closure, but that can be made with buttons in some rare specimens, transversal pockets at waist level, elastic cuffs that prevented cold air from entering the sleeves, same material used at the bottom of the piece. As the bomber had the function of protecting against the intense cold, the heavy lining is almost a rule, that is, its trim tends to increase the trunk volume.

It was at the prestigious Harvard University that the college jacket was born as a way to identify the most prestigious athletes, as it was only allowed to be used by players who had won the most important matches of the championship. In the 1930s what used to be a sweater became a jacket with leather sleeves and became popular to the point of becoming part of the traditional attire of American students and a symbol of that country's culture, migrating later to the professional league baseball teams. Today the model has become so popular that it has won the world and versions made entirely of leather.

Main features: cuffs with elastic that do not allow the cold to enter, collar in the same material, often adorned with stripes, button closure and knife-type pockets only at the waist line that can be vertical or transversal. The sleeves in a different color and the embroidered letters referring to teams and universities are its biggest differential.

We talked about this jacket model recently and it also has its leather version, although the original is made of twill. Just like Bomber, also originated in the armed forces, but in aeronautics, the military jacket is identified by the codes of the models, so it is possible to know the changes it has undergone over time, although the leather ones are, as a rule, inspired on the M-38, the first model, from 1938, with a more classic look.

Main features: pockets closed by flaps on both chest and belly, epaulettes on shoulders, button and / or zipper closure, slightly longer length, below the waist line, light lining and trim that can vary, drier in some and a little loose in others.