How has your taste in leather jackets changed over the years?

[El Marro]

I mean the number of times I was asked about my bike, even when wearing non biker styles like my bootlegger, was surprisingly frequent. I think the style is just burnt into people’s brains with an M/C.

Maybe it’s different out here in the Bay Area. I wear cross zips all the time and it is very rare that someone asks me about a motorcycle. When it does happen, I always tell them that I would never ride a motorcycle because they are dangerous. That’s usually the end of the conversation right there.

 

[Trouser Bark]

When I ponder the question I don't think much has changed.

When I look in my closet the changes are stark.

In the earlier years it was B-3, CR, and that soft and thin caramel colored jacket that was common years ago. The CR's from that era are loud and not the kind of jacket you could wear into a business setting.

Now it's some blousens, understated but higher quality CR's, a LW leather pea which I suppose is a car coat, etc. The one I wear most is a 50 year old Vanson A tricolor. I've got it on now.

Where it used to be loud, obnoxious, and m/c oriented it's now understated and subtle w/ a stronger focus on quality. I've got nine motorcycles and have ridden all over the world but don't think I've ever worn a leather jacket on any of them. That most of the early jackets in my closet have a m/c theme doesn't make sense but must have been important at the time.

 

[BB1239]

When I ponder the question I don't think much has changed.

When I look in my closet the changes are stark.

In the earlier years it was B-3, CR, and that soft and thin caramel colored jacket that was common years ago. The CR's from that era are loud and not the kind of jacket you could wear into a business setting.

Now it's some blousens, understated but higher quality CR's, a LW leather pea which I suppose is a car coat, etc. The one I wear most is a 50 year old Vanson A tricolor. I've got it on now.

Where it used to be loud, obnoxious, and m/c oriented it's now understated and subtle w/ a stronger focus on quality. I've got nine motorcycles and have ridden all over the world but don't think I've ever worn a leather jacket on any of them. That most of the early jackets in my closet have a m/c theme doesn't make sense but must have been important at the

I'd love to see that Vanson tricolor! I've taken several long riding journeys over the years and the leather has so far only seen local use on the bike. Textile options with well-placed vents and armor are so readily available, I've used those by default. I plan to try my Vanson CSRX Avenger which has the perforated leather under the zip-down flaps on my next moto trip, with rain gear in the side case of course. I may regret that choice on a 90 plus degree humid day, but I've come to love leather for the durability and possible protection. One way to find out lol.

My taste is also understated and simple. It's surprisingly difficult to find jackets that meet that sometimes.

 

[zebedee]

I go for lighter hides now - mid-weight leather I find just as protective, more flexible and easier to wear. Goat, if I could find it in a wider range of colours, would be my preference. Vicenza is also great. Steer hide I find too thick and too squeaky. I've just received an SB Car Coat in Mustang black HH, and it seems to be mid-weight.

In general, I go for simpler styles than I did several years ago: I like half-belts and Maxwell or Work Coat styles: I don't think cross-zips are on the horizon.

 

[Monitor]

My view regarding wearing a motorcycle jacket without a bike nearby has somehow took a 180 turn, completely on its own and now I personally feel very self conscious and off, wearing MC jackets. So odd...

 

[Trouser Bark]

I see a reference to motorcycles and leather jackets in these threads a lot. I am a motorcyclist by most rider's standards and have ridden from the top of the world to the bottom and most of the way around.

I can tell you two universal truths through the eyes of nearly any guy that rides. They are:

- 100% of riders would view anyone else they encountered that wore a cross zip as exercising a fashion choice as that jacket would not be practical on a bike. No leather jacket is practical on a bike. Some may still ride in leather but for their own reasons.

- No rider would care what jacket you wore. If a rider saw you walking along while wearing an armored textile riding jacket they would assume you rode... but that is definitely not true of a leather jacket.

Either way, if you wore a leather jacket and did ride a motorcycle they wouldn't care. If you wore a leather jacket and didn't ride a motorcycle they also wouldn't care.

There is zero reason to feel scrutinized or self conscious about jacket choice vs motorcycle ownership and any correlation expired with Marlon Brando's popularity. The Wild One, West Side Story and all of the crappy thematic stories of the 50's are dead.

Wear anything you like. No one will secretly evaluate whether or not you're qualified to wear a particular jacket style.