About Women's Black Jackets

Black is the jacket you stop thinking about. It sits over a dress, a sweater, a striped shirt or workwear without any of them having to agree with it, which is why most women who own one leather jacket own this one. It also hides the first year of scuffs, so it stays looking deliberate while it breaks in.

Is all black leather the same black?

No, and the difference shows in daylight. A flat, even, slightly plastic black is usually pigment sprayed over corrected hide. A black with depth — where the grain shows through and the color varies faintly across a panel — has been dyed into the leather. The second kind ages; the first kind rubs through at the elbows and goes gray.

Which cut works over the most of your wardrobe?

A cropped or waist-length biker. It ends above the widest part of the hip, so it sits cleanly over dresses, high-waisted pants and skirts alike. A longer jacket asks the outfit underneath to be slimmer. If this is your only leather jacket, buy the shorter one and expand later.

Does black leather fade?

Not the way brown shifts, but it does soften. Over several years black moves towards a very dark charcoal at the high-wear points, and the grain becomes more visible as the surface relaxes. Conditioning two or three times a year keeps the hide supple and slows that considerably.

How do you keep it from looking severe?

Break the black up underneath. Cream, gray marl, denim, anything with pattern. An all-black outfit under a black leather jacket reads as uniform rather than considered, which is fine if that is the intention and jarring if it is not.

Black against brown, for women
BlackBrown
Goes withNearly everythingWarm tones only
Shows wearSlowlyQuickly, and visibly
FeelsSharpSofter, more casual
First jacket?Usually yesIf your wardrobe is warm
Specification
Price$ 280 – $ 299
LeatherFull-grain cowhide, dyed through
SizesXS – 3XL
ShippingFree worldwide, duties paid
Fit helpFree before you order

Questions, answered

Will the black rub off on my clothes?

Not from dyed-through leather. Color transfer is a symptom of surface pigment, which is what coated jackets use. If a black jacket marks a white shirt, that is what happened.

Which size should I order?

Send shoulder width, fullest bust and height. Those three place you far better than a dress size, because leather has no give to absorb the difference.

Does it work with black jeans?

Yes, and better than brown does — but add something lighter in between, or the whole look flattens into a single block.

Is it warm?

It blocks wind completely, which covers most of fall and spring over a knit. It is not insulated; for real cold, look at the puffer.

Will I pay duty on delivery?

No. Duties and taxes are settled by us before shipping, anywhere in the world.

How do I clean it?

A barely damp cloth, then air-dry away from heat. Never machine wash and never dry-clean — solvents strip the oils out of the hide permanently.

For the same jacket in a warmer tone, see the women's brown shelf. The women's hub covers every cut if you are still deciding on length.

BrownBiker