Leather jackets that look best in black?

[handymike]

The Seven (BR based Sheene) is a great jacket. Here is a shot of mine:

 

[Finn Vigorous]

Handymike beat me to it.

Anyways, the Sheene is a Cafe racer with a spread collar and it's quite heavily tapered indeed. Board racer with a collar is called the Seven, and as you know, the cut is more straight towards the hem.

I went for Aero's cordovan, i.e. burgundy, for my latest jacket, a Sheene, and haven't regret the choice for a sec. Here's a fit pic in not-yet-broken-in/collar-still-stiff condition:

 

[zebedee]

Aero's black goat is a great, slightly matte, hide. It'd work with a short jacket really well.

For a more threatening approach, Aero's Stockman. If you ever wanted to look like an East European butcher of unpleasant American teenagers in a grind house film, the Stockman in black is for you.

 

[CBI]

IMO - Unless a black leather jacket is extremely well broken-in, has lots of patina and lots of undertones showing through, leather jackets don't look so good in black. I wear mostly black and grey clothes (cloth) so black leather goes perfectly but to me, so often black, especially a deep black dyed jacket just defeats the purpose of wearing leather that can have such an awesome grain, creases, etc. that are diminished with black. Black also makes the jackets look heavier IMO and like an item uncomfortable to wear, just too bulky. Not saying there are not cool looking black leather jackets, but IMO not so many. The drawback with the other poplar option, brown, it that it can look like an outdated color these days. Dark Seal works pretty well, a black/brown color although for many dark seal just looks black.

 

[handymike]

That jacket looks great @Finn Vigorous!
Cordovan/Burgundy can often look too purple. I love it when it is more chameleon-esque hovering somewhere between brown and cordovan.

 

[zebedee]

Dark seal (I have a goat HB in it) is a good compromise. It passes for black, but is more evidently brown in sunlight. As it doesn't really fade, it's consistent. It has an excellent weight and is very pliable. Aero's black goat is also good- contrast stitching in olive really offsets either. Aside from black and brown, I have a tumbled cordovan Aero which goes with most things, although bleed can be a problem on paler clothes. Black can be a bit characterless and austere if it's through-dyed. Longer coats look 'ard in black, which may not be what you're going for.

 

[navetsea]

I know black is staple "color" in leather jacket, the first one or if you only have only one it should be black but honestly i rarely wear my black jacket, and i dont have many jackets, all my option is right there on the same rack, but somehow i reach for brown, blue, grey first before black.

 

[Hh121]

Black still looks best / coolest for me

 

[navetsea]

Those plastic hangers look in pain and hanging for dear life

 

[JMax]

Black still looks best / coolest for me View attachment 227145

The grain on the LWs, and the one Aero...beautiful. Nice collection.

 

[antoine p]

Black still looks best / coolest for me View attachment 227145

Hh121 can you list off what these are from left to right?

 

[Hh121]

Hh121 can you list off what these are from left to right?

Sure.
Lee101 rider
Sears flight jacket steerhide
Lost Worlds raider goatskin
Schott 658 steerhide
Lost Worlds Shearling Suburban 3.5 oz horsehide
Vanson IKE competition weight cowhide
Aero 1950 Half belt heavyweight chromexcel steerhide
Lost Worlds Suburban 4oz plus horsehide
Lost Worlds Roadhouse 4oz Horsehide
Lost Worlds Roadhouse 3.5 oz olive horsehide
Schott 641/141? Steerhide

 

[antoine p]

Excellent, thanks.

 

[Finn Vigorous]

That jacket looks great @Finn Vigorous!
Cordovan/Burgundy can often look too purple. I love it when it is more chameleon-esque hovering somewhere between brown and cordovan.

Thanks @handymike. Mine is exactly somewhere between brown and burgundy. Looks mostly like brown with some depth and extra attitude. Sunlight brings out the reddish hue but without a hint of blue, so there is no purple tones in the color. I try to take some pics outside when the jacket is more broken-in to show the color variation.

Burgundy is well established in the shoe world, esp. as Alden's color 8. It's definitely a gentleman's choice, but not your classic and most obvious one.

 

[Will Zach]

Black looks best on short, slim jackets (up to 2-in past belt). In 3/4 black jackets you run the risk of looking like a Russian enforcer, and in full-length leather coats like an SS officer. Not always, of course, depends on the cut. But best on short, slim, sporty jackets imo.

 

[red devil]

A black leather peacoat is a great jacket

 

[Bij]

Type 3

I was wondering if you all had opinions on leather jackets that look better in black vs brown?

My reason for asking is I’m ruminating on getting a black leather jacket from Aero when the corona problems are all over. I’ve a dark seal Vicenza board racer that I love but I’m slightly wishing I’d got it in black as it would suit black and most of their range looks better in brown to me. It would be much easier picking a brown jacket if I owned a black one. In addition to wanting a black jacket I want to support (relatively) local businesses so my next jacket will be an aero.

The various “perfecto” type jackets are an obvious choice but I could never live with the belt. A black board racer or cafe racer is a definite option but I’d prefer something more different to my BR. If there’s something obvious I’m missing I’d love to hear about it.[/QUOTE]

Hi, first time poster. Searched on this topic but didn’t find anything so apologies if it has been discussed before.

I was wondering if you all had opinions on leather jackets that look better in black vs brown?

My reason for asking is I’m ruminating on getting a black leather jacket from Aero when the corona problems are all over. I’ve a dark seal Vicenza board racer that I love but I’m slightly wishing I’d got it in black as it would suit black and most of their range looks better in brown to me. It would be much easier picking a brown jacket if I owned a black one. In addition to wanting a black jacket I want to support (relatively) local businesses so my next jacket will be an aero.

The various “perfecto” type jackets are an obvious choice but I could never live with the belt. A black board racer or cafe racer is a definite option but I’d prefer something more different to my BR. If there’s something obvious I’m missing I’d love to hear about it.

 

[Mawashi]

Personally I would focus more on the colour I would wear than what looks better on a jacket.

As I'm slim the only black jackets that would suit me are cafe racers or styles that are less boxy.

If I wore a longer and boxyer style, brown would suit me better.

 

[handymike]

Looping back to the Lewis Leathers thread, if you are slim, their designs are pretty striking, and look good in black. Lots of zippers and buckles really help set that British rocker vibe. If you’re into that. To me, the Lightning just doesn’t look right in brown:



I know traditionally jackets came in both brown and black, but a brown leather jacket should feel like an old baseball mit, something to lounge around in and grow old with...Like @Dav’s highwayman or a bomber. This Eastman does it very well:

If it’s a more structured jacket, then black, a very dark brown or cordovan.