This time last year I wrote all about a lovely faux leather biker jacket I picked up from H&M for £35! Yes, it was an absolute bargain, and a great way for me to test what I really wanted from a biker jacket.
I had spent a lot of time looking at biker jackets, but had more questions than answers - Did I really need to buy leather? Why did the price-point of £75-£100 have such a confusing mix of premium faux leather and poor quality real leather? How best to spend your hard earned cash when it was really hard to tell the difference between good value for money or a cheap quality rip off for a hefty price tag!
So I reluctantly went against my normal principles of buying cheap on an investment piece, but I made the right decision. The H&M jacket taught me, that faux leather will not keep you warm. I found I had to layer up considerably to stay warm if I wanted to use it as much as possible all-year round. Now proven because since I've invested in my gorgeous Allsaints iconic Balfern design biker jacket it's one of many features I am loving about this new leather jacket.
WHY BUY A LEATHER BIKER JACKET?
A biker jacket is such a great staple to have in your wardrobe, I have found (possibly due to our warmer winter) that I have worn mine so much. It's a great transitional item that adds a lot more edge than simply adding a coatigan or a blazer.
I love to wear mine most with dresses and skirts - either with with boots or with trainers.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY FOR A LEATHER JACKET?
A question that I now feel quite confident in answering. To get a really good leather jacket, in terms of quality of skin, design, fit and style I would say over £300. Anything below that I feel you could be doing yourself a disservice and possibly be better off spending no more than £50. So go high or stay low is my motto for this.
Now that's not to say you have to pay full price. I didn't. Learn to wait until the right time. Once I made my decision that I wanted to upgrade, I waited until Black Friday back in November, and if it had not been at the right price for me, I would have waited again until the January sales. Then if it's not quite where you want it to be, you need to ask yourself are you being realistic?
Good brands to consider are Belstaff, Coach, Allsaints (of course), Reiss and Massimo Dutti and &Other Stories. If you are staying low, again wait for the sales if you can and then get the best you can from Mango, Topshop or Oasis. Yes Oasis, I've seen some great styles from this brand.
MY TIPS ON BUYING A LEATHER JACKET
- Don't force the situation, the jacket will pick you! - I tried on two Balfern Biker Jackets in the exact same size and they both felt very different on. I'm glad I spent extra time going to this detail, I know my jacket picked me, which makes me love it more
- It's really important that you accept your body shape when you buy an item such as this - biker jackets are cut in many ways, some suit those with no waist and others are for those with a waist. Various lengths will look different on you and for some people a cropped jacket may suit them best. If you are unsure then take someone with you for an honest opinion
- Take your time and try on a lot of different styles and brands - To get a good price you need to ready to hit that 'add to basket' button or if you are in store head confidently to the till - you can only do this if you have done your research, try them, try them again and once you know, that's the one you need to get it
- Black is the most obvious choice for longevity - however black may not be for you. Alternative classics are navy, grey, olive or burgundy. If you go down the camel, pink or red then it's unlikely you will love it all the time, I find with these colours you run the risk of falling in and out of love, so spend a little less on these ones
STYLE INSPIRATION
STYLING TIPS TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR BIKER JACKET
- Don't save it for best, get wearing it!
- Try and keep all other garments you are wearing simple - think of it as your statement item that's adding edge
- It's not one really to be worn with the zip closed - it it's a cooler day then you need to layer up (I do this by adding polo necks under my dresses)
- Adding a scarf - for the biker jacket it really needs a fabulous chunky style of scarf - my favourite place to buy one of these are from Zara
- If you have gone for a black biker jacket, I feel the best colour denim to team this up with is a worn-out grey - I have occasionally worn it with my black jeans but this can be a little too heavy on the "rock' look
- If I wear it out of night with a dress, I don't tend to wear it - I drape it over my shoulders
- A biker jacket can overpower a look - it's important that you are wearing the jacket and it's not wearing you, so be honest with yourself when you are looking in the mirror and the overall look you've created
- Avoid wearing your real leather jacket in the rain, this can over time dry out the skin and can make the leather become stiff
- To keep your jacket in good shape - make sure you hang it on a hanger with curved smoothed edge, nothing pointy or sharp as it could make an embossment on your jacket that you then can't get out
- And finally.... just enjoy wearing it!
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