Wearing Leather Jackets in the Middle East

[agentred]

Hi All,

Random question but I know a lot of people here travel/live globally. I was wondering if anyone would consider wearing their leather jacket in a place like Dubai, Bahrain, Doha etc.?

Obviously not in summer, and obviously not the blanket lined shearling trim. But during the winter months when the temps drop to 15-20C, do people wear leather outdoors? And for indoors, are the malls, cinemas and bars cold enough to wear a simple cafe racer with a thin lining?

Not sure how much difference a lamb leather vs shinki HH etc. makes. And if a lined jacket is totally out of the question, would an unlined suede be possible? Not sure what peoples experiences are or if everyone just wears a cotton overshirt at most. Thanks for any input!

 

[Aloysius]

That would be a terrible idea. Enjoy it vicariously in Indiana Jones films, but know Harrison Ford had ice packs inside of his clothes.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Hi All,

Random question but I know a lot of people here travel/live globally. I was wondering if anyone would consider wearing their leather jacket in a place like Dubai, Bahrain, Doha etc.?

Obviously not in summer, and obviously not the blanket lined shearling trim. But during the winter months when the temps drop to 15-20C, do people wear leather outdoors? And for indoors, are the malls, cinemas and bars cold enough to wear a simple cafe racer with a thin lining?

Not sure how much difference a lamb leather vs shinki HH etc. makes. And if a lined jacket is totally out of the question, would an unlined suede be possible? Not sure what peoples experiences are or if everyone just wears a cotton overshirt at most. Thanks for any input!

I spent winter 2010-2011 in Egypt - mostly Sinai but some in Cairo and Luxor. I wore a light jean jacket and ball cap the whole time. In the evenings and on cooler days, I included a keffiyeh.

I don't remember seeing a single person in leather, ever. If I were to try that route, I would go with light suede or rough out. The desert will dry the hell out of anything else.

(Forgive the speech bubble - it was an inside joke with the photographer. I can't get rid of it, but love the photo).

 

[Aloysius]

I spent winter 2010-2011 in Egypt - mostly Sinai but some in Cairo and Luxor. I wore a light jean jacket and ball cap the whole time. In the evenings and on cooler days, I included a keffiyeh.

I don't remember seeing a single person in leather, ever. If I were to try that route, I would go with light suede or rough out. The desert will dry the hell out of anything else.

(Forgive the speech bubble - it was an inside joke with the photographer. I can't get rid of it, but love the photo).

View attachment 698451

And Egypt is still somewhat dry at least; OP is going to be in extremely humid places in the Gulf.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

And Egypt is still somewhat dry at least; OP is going to be in extremely humid places in the Gulf.

Interesting, I didn't realize the humidity was so high in the Gulf countries. I've only ever flown through Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain - I've never left the airport.

I should be clear regarding Egypt - I was there Nov-May. In the summer, forget about it. You want to take skin off, not put it on.

 

[Andwen]

Totally agree with above. I travel a lot, always thinking I wanna look like Indiana Jones, but in those countries you mention you simply can’t.

However, you do sometimes spot a local punk rocker with a biker jacket even in Cairo. Respect.

 

[Aloysius]

Interesting, I didn't realize the humidity was so high in the Gulf countries. I've only ever flown through Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain - I've never left the airport.

I should be clear regarding Egypt - I was there Nov-May. In the summer, forget about it. You want to take skin off, not put it on.

If I visited Egypt, I would want to check out this local bespoke tailor who makes traditional Egyptian clothing (as opposed to Gulf or Western clothing). Really beautiful craftsmanship.

 

[MrProper]

Why not in winter? The air in the shade is sometimes cool enough for a light leather jacket. And you need a jacket indoors anyway, because it cools down to the frost line ;-)

 

[Tom71]

I always grab a leather jacket when I travel.

Especially hot/humid places are big on air-con, so a layer is always a good idea if you don´t want to catch a cold rapidly (airports, malls, restaurants).
In most places, it chills enough in the evenings to get away with or even need a jacket outside as well. Humidity is a dealbreaker, though...

 

[agentred]

Thanks all for the great feedback, stories and picture!

Part of me knows it's going to be overkill, but it would also be depressing to move there and never wear any of my leather jackets! Jean jackets and French workers jackets are nice of course, but not the same.

I do remember being in Dubai at night and finding it a bit chilly, and the malls of course can be atrocious.

I'll post in here again in November to let you all know how it goes, I'll definitely bring a few baggy/light jackets and see how they fare.

 

[Monitor]

I've been to Doha and while I understand that you probably can get used to it, I found the climate unbearable. It was early in the summer and I wore a light lambskin shirt during the flight but within ten minutes after we've landed, I may have actually had a heat stroke from how torturous the heat and humidity were.