What is it about leather jackets that are so cool? Leather jackets hit the market in 1928 and sold through a Harley Davidson distributor in Long Island, New York. And ever since, they’ve been an innate part of the American sartorial legacy.
Think about Marlon Brando leaning on his bike in On the Waterfront, or Olivia Newton-John serving a full Bad Sandy fantasy at the end of Grease. When costume designer Jenny Beaven won an Oscar for her work in Mad Max: Fury Road, she wore a bedazzled leather jacket which is one of the coolest things that has ever happened at the Oscars.
Wearing one with a t-shirt and blue jeans is about as American as it gets, but that’s not the only way to style them. In recent years, designers have been sending them down the runway with super-femme dresses and skirts in a way that subverts the typical assumptions about stereotypically girly clothes. They go just as well with a midi-skirt or sundress as jeans. If you’re leaning into the badass vibe, pair them with cropped trousers and cool kicks.
The silhouette has evolved away from the standard black leather, too. If that seems too harsh for your taste, can we interest you in a soft beige suede version? Or this incredibly indulgent lilac one that’s perfect for spring? Shop the rest of our edit below. Vroom vroom.
All of our recommendations are curated by Susan & the In The Groove editorial team. In some, but not all cases, we receive a small commission for leading you to what, how and where to buy all this wonderful stuff.
