The single most iconic piece of clothing that a man can ever own is undoubtedly the leather jacket. So versatile is this piece of garment that it is adaptable for use by everyone from hardened street gangs to the street hardened police officer. This unique property of leather jackets is because leather truly is a second skin with its breathable, and pliable properties. It can be cut and fashioned in every imaginable style to perfectly hug the contours of your body and give you a truly alpha male persona. This rugged garment which is often the single most expensive clothing purchase that a man will ever make has reached epic proportions because of Hollywood’s portrayal of this type of jacket as part of the rebellious nature of youth. But, long before its adoption by Hollywood, and their projection of the leather jacket as bad boy apparel, the infamous leather jacket was used by European air force pilots because of its protective qualities. Pilots as early as 1915 proudly wore long trench type coats and flying suits that were made of durable leather, and this trend quickly caught on stateside as the Americans  adopted and then adapted the look and created the now iconic bomber jacket suitable for high altitude pilots. German mariners of World War II also wore stylish leather coats to protect them from the elements and all that nature could through at them in the high seas. The leather jacket started off life as military only clothing, but has now been adopted by the mainstream because a good quality leather jacket will truly last a lifetime, and then some.

Today most leather jackets are modeled around either the biker or bomber cuts, and a well cut jacket will compliment your silhouette in a way that no other jacket can even dream to compliment your personality. When choosing a leather jacket look for the cut of the garment to be as tailored as possible to achieve a fitted look that hugs your body and is free of any excess bulk. The closer to your body that your jacket sits, and the thicker the lining on the garment, the warmer you will be, and the hotter you will look while wearing it. If you reside in a country with harsh winters you can purchase winterized jackets with thick linings sewn into the leather itself. Supple leathers are most comfortable, but the rugged leathers look the meanest. When you wear leather, you mean business.

The Styles You Want To Purchase


It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss every style of leather jacket on the market, and frankly we at the Metropolitan only like three styles, and so we shall only focus on those three cuts.

Fatigue
The most true to military heritage of our favourite three styles is the Fatigue. Still in use by military officers around the world, the fatigue will give you that edgy look.

Motocross
Also known as the racer, this type of leather jacket will give you a sleek and athletic profile. Remember to choose a jacket one size smaller than your other clothes so that it can stretch and mold over the contours of your body. When worn with raw denim and dress shoes this jacket nicely straddles the the boundary of formal and casual.

Variations of the motocross have evolved into what is known as the biker jacket. Look for one with a few zippers like the jacket depicted below.

Bomber
Another military derived jacket is the bomber. Most people don’t have the guts or knowhow on how to street a true bomber jacket similar to what was worn by bomber pilots, and that is why we have presented a picture of a truly streetable bomber inspired jacket below.