Acceptable leather jackets for professional settings?

[Zartish]

Hello fine fedora lounge folk,

I'm interested in jumping into having a bespoke jacket made soon, and before I settle on a style I am trying to figure out the "rules" for a jacket that would be acceptable in a professional setting, where it would not be out of place in a room full of people in suits.

I have seen this on many TV shows (less often in the real world, but still on occasion), and the TV show Gotham comes to mind, and any other number of cop type shows.

The "leather blazer" style seems especially common in a professional setting, so would something of a similar length(as long as a typical sportcoat), with a blazer style collar typically be acceptable?

I look forward to getting some input on this topic, thank you,

 

[Guppy]

Generally "professional setting" rules out jackets that have a weathered, distressed look to them. You want to be dressing "up", in something that looks new and sharp. I think this rules out a lot of leather jacket options straight away. But probably the ones you could get away with more would be longer coats, like car coats, trench coats, in a lighter weight leather, with fairly conservative, subtle styling. The leather will call enough attention to itself without needing anything more.

 

[ton312]

I'd think any of Aero's longer styles or the like would be good. Work coat, long half belt, teamster. But I also could see a 30's HB or Maxwell fitting the bill too. Depends how far you want to push it.

 

[ton312]

Or just goes balls to the wall and rock a j-106, midnight blue FQHH and FTW.

 

[jacketjunkie]

In a suit-wearing environment you probably cannot wear a bikers style jacket, but you could go for a overcoat, something car coat-ish with a bit broader collar. I wear a JL Black Bison Car Coat to my charcoal suit. While it doesn't look as classy as a woolcoat, it's a nice legere look. It depends on Occasion and other detail, such as shoes I guess. If I go with leather over my suit, I pick the dress boots over the Dinkelacker London style.

 

[Sloan1874]

I wear my Long Half Belt to work all the time, nobody blinks. In better weather I switch to my Dust Bowl in seal shinki, again, without comment.

 

[cuchulain]

Going to and from work really wear whatever you want, but to supplement a sport coat to wear all day I don't think a leather jacket would work well.

 

[Superfluous]

Going to and from work really wear whatever you want, but to supplement a sport coat to wear all day I don't think a leather jacket would work well.

I agree. In my line of work, a leather jacket/blazer is not a suitable substitute for a sport coat. Frankly, a leather "sport coat / blazer" potentially projects a stereo-typical mafia/thug look that is antithetical to a formal business environment. At the very least, a leather "sport coat / blazer" projects a less professional look as compared to a traditional sport coat.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that a leather jacket cannot be worn to work. Rather, as the OP asked, I am addressing whether a leather jacket is an appropriate substitute for a sport coat. In a casual work environment -- even a business casual work place -- a leather jacket is perfectly acceptable.

 

[Monitor]

Or just goes balls to the wall and rock a j-106, midnight blue FQHH and FTW.

With studs, badges and 1%er patches, of course.

 

[Fanch]

Interesting thread. I think it depends on the specific professional setting and what the written or unwritten ground rules might be. In my setting I often wear my Mulligan and/or Maxwell with slacks, dress shirt, and tie. I also wear a navy blazer or sports coat too. If I were to wear a Hickey-Freeman suit, someone would ask me if I'm going to a funeral later in the day.

 

[Superfluous]

With studs, badges and 1%er patches, of course.

Or: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/thre...t-all-warning-not-for-the-fainthearted.85462/

 

[tropicalbob]

I agree with Superfuous: leather sport coats are awful under any circumstances. You should know the general vibe of your workplace well enough, though, to suss out the propriety of a leather jacket. If it isn't a rigorously formal atmosphere, several Aero styles look great with a tie and sweater including the LHB. I teach at a college and wear that combination all the time. I'd think an A2 would be fine as well.

 

[GregO]

Leather blazer? Never acceptable. Ever.

Outerwear for use to and from the office? Many options, as others have started to note. But still have to be careful.

 

[Seb Lucas]

A lot of this is cultural (workplaces and countries vary) and depends also in how you look in the jacket. If the jacket fits poorly and the rest of your clothes look off, forget it. This is a hard thing to codify.

 

[AeroFan_07]

This is certainly both an intersting and relevant thread. I work in a professional office enviroment, however rarely does anyone wear ties, and every Friday we enjoy a jeans day. It runs the gamet as to the styles, several people (myself included) tend to wear boots or boot like shoes instead of traditional dress shoes, and since we are attached to a manufacturing enviroment, all of us have metatarsil shoes/boots at our desks when we go onto the factory floor. That alone suggests a more casual dress code. I have worn both the 30's HB and the Cafe racer Aero to work with no issues, we have several folks who ride motorcycles and wear in thier Icon, Joe Rocket and other M/C jackets also with no issues.

That said if you really work in a suit & tie office, I'd stick to wool, longer coats or the more traditional cloth trench styles. Just my $.02 - and welcome to the Lounge!

 

[rocketeer]

Thats a hard one. I think you need to put a jacket on, stand in front of a mirror and ask yourself what you would think if you saw someone dressed similar. Do you look like a truck driver, a thug(Thinking Rocky in his leather hat combo)? Personally I think Aero's Long Half Belt rather than a Teamster, maybe a belted Barnstormer rather than an A2 or short jacket.
I once went into a busy posh shop in France wearing my Barnstormer, took of my gloves, scarf and Stetson fedora hat and got served immediately like I was some sort of well known personality(I try not to use the word celebrity), when all I was, was a tourist.

 

[Sloan1874]

Leather sports jackets are not the way to go, unless you're a character in The Sopranos.

 

[navetsea]

like others have said depend on what business and in what department you're in, if you are in creative side (designer, architect, artist, broadcasting, writer, musician) then it is fine to wear it in my opinion.

 

[navetsea]

Leather sports jackets are not the way to go, unless you're a character in The Sopranos.

or Steven Seagal

 

[Fanch]

Years ago I owned a suede sports coat that my wife kept trying to place with our old clothes designated for Goodwill, and one day I just left it in the pile and it was gone. Interestingly enough she likes my Mulligan. Go figure?