Men’s Black Biker Jacket — Side Buckles, Ribbed Sleeves

Description

A fully specified double rider: an off-centre zip, wide lapels snapped at each tip, epaulettes on the shoulders, ribbed quilted panels across the shoulders and down both the upper arm and the forearm, four zip pockets, zip cuffs, and short buckled straps at each side of the waist.

Side buckles rather than a belt

Two short straps at the sides instead of one belt around the whole waist. They do the same job — pulling the hem in so the jacket does not lift — but leave the front clean, with no buckle sitting across your stomach. It is the more practical of the two arrangements and the easier one to wear sitting down.

The ribbed panels

Unusually, the ribbing runs on the forearm as well as the shoulder and upper arm. The forearm is where a sleeve creases hardest when you bend your elbow or hold a bar, and rows of raised leather let it fold between the ribs instead of collapsing into one deep crease.

The leather

Full-grain hide, black. A jacket carrying this many fixings — epaulette snaps, buckles, lapel snaps, five zips — puts strain at every one of those points, and grain leather holds a fixing where a coated split tears around it.

How it is cut

Close through the chest and short at the hem. Sized over a t-shirt; the ribbed panels have no give at all. Judge by the shoulder seam and whether you can cross your arms freely.

What to wear it with

Black denim, plain knitwear, heavy boots. Nothing patterned — this jacket already has lapels, an angled zip, four pockets, ribbing and visible hardware competing for attention.

Looking after it

Condition twice a year, working along the ribs rather than across them. Keep product off the buckles and snaps. Hang it with the lapels flat and the straps loose rather than buckled tight against the body panel.

Shipping, duties and returns

Free worldwide shipping, 4–9 working days. Import duties are settled before dispatch where the carrier supports Delivered Duty Paid to the destination country; where it does not, duty is charged locally and we will tell you which applies before you order. Thirty days to return anything unworn with tags attached. Questions to info@cordwainleather.com or +34 614 79 27 86.

Size chart

Measure your chest around the fullest part with the tape level. Jacket chest is the finished garment measurement and runs larger than your body, because the jacket has to close over you. Between two sizes, take the larger.

Still unsure? Email your chest and shoulder measurements to info@cordwainleather.com and we will come back with one size, not a chart to guess from.

Questions about biker jacket details

What is the difference between side buckles and a full waist belt?

Function is nearly identical — both close the gap at the hem. A full belt is more adjustable and more dramatic, with a buckle across the front. Side straps pull the same amount in but leave the front uninterrupted, which looks cleaner and is considerably more comfortable to sit down in.

Why is there ribbing on the forearm?

Because that is where a sleeve creases most — every time you bend your elbow or grip something in front of you. Rows of raised leather give the panel somewhere to fold, so the sleeve keeps its shape instead of setting into one hard crease at the elbow after a season.

Is a heavier leather jacket better?

Not better, different. A heavier hide resists abrasion and holds a structured shape, which is why protective riding gear uses it; it is also hot, slow to break in and tiring across the shoulders. A mid-weight hide like this is the right compromise for a jacket you will actually wear every week.

How do you stop the hardware scratching things?

Take the jacket off before you sit on leather furniture or lean against a polished car. Buckles and zip pulls on a biker jacket will mark softer surfaces, and nothing about the jacket can be changed to prevent it — it is a habit rather than a fix.

How should the zip sit when a biker jacket is closed?

Flat and diagonal, with the two front panels meeting without either side bulging. A zip that curves or ripples means the jacket is too tight across the chest; a visible gap at the top of the zip means the lapels are not sitting right, usually because it is too big in the shoulder.

Should the collar be worn up or down?

Down for almost every occasion — folded back, the lapels are the shape people recognise. Collar up and snapped across is the cold-weather position, and it changes the jacket from relaxed to severe. Both are correct; one of them you will use far more often.