Women’s Black Leather Jacket — Shirt Collar, Plain Front

Description

A black leather jacket with a pointed shirt collar instead of a biker lapel or a stand band, a straight centre zip, and shaped seams running down the front and back. No outer pockets, no studs, no belt. It finishes at the hip.

Why the collar changes the jacket

A pointed shirt collar is the quietest of the three options. A biker lapel announces itself, a band collar reads sporty, and this one reads like a shirt — which is why the same jacket can go over a dress without looking like it came off a bike. Worn open the points lie flat on the chest; zipped to the top it closes like a jacket collar rather than standing up at the throat.

The leather

Full-grain hide, finished smooth and dyed black. On a plain jacket with nothing else happening, the surface is the whole thing — which is the argument for full grain here rather than a corrected, coated hide. The grain layer takes a crease and keeps it as a soft line instead of a crack.

How it is cut

Shaped through the body by vertical front and back seams rather than a waist seam, so it follows the shape without pulling in hard at any one point. Sized over a t-shirt or a thin knit; the hem sits at the hip bone.

What to wear it with

This is the version to buy if you want a leather jacket that disappears into your wardrobe rather than defining the outfit. It works over a dress, a shirt, or a jumper, with trousers or with denim, and it does not fight tailoring the way a studded biker jacket does.

Looking after it

Condition it twice a year, more if you are in a dry climate. Keep it on a wide hanger. Plain black shows dust on the shoulders, so a wipe with a dry soft cloth now and then does more for how it looks than any product does.

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 bust 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.

Size	Your bust	Jacket chest	Sleeve	Shoulder
XS	32 in (81 cm)	36 in (92 cm)	22 in (56 cm)	16 in (41 cm)
S	34 in (86 cm)	38 in (97 cm)	22.5 in (57 cm)	16.5 in (42 cm)
M	36 in (91 cm)	40 in (102 cm)	22.5 in (57 cm)	17 in (43 cm)
L	38 in (97 cm)	42 in (107 cm)	23 in (58.5 cm)	17.5 in (44.5 cm)
XL	40 in (102 cm)	44 in (112 cm)	23.5 in (60 cm)	17.5 in (44.5 cm)
2XL	42 in (107 cm)	46 in (117 cm)	24 in (61 cm)	18 in (46 cm)
3XL	44 in (112 cm)	48 in (122 cm)	24 in (61 cm)	18 in (46 cm)

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

Questions about buying a plain leather jacket

What is the most timeless leather jacket style?

The plainer the jacket, the longer it stays wearable. Hardware, panelling and an unusual length are what date a leather jacket, not the leather itself — a black jacket with a simple collar, one zip and no studs looks much the same in photographs twenty years apart. Buy a plain one first and a statement one second.

How long does a leather jacket last?

A full-grain jacket that is conditioned occasionally and not left in the sun lasts decades, and the parts that fail first are the zip and the lining, both of which a tailor can replace. The coated split hide sold as “genuine leather” is the one that starts flaking within a few years, because what cracks is the sprayed finish rather than the skin.

How much should you spend on a leather jacket?

Enough to be buying a real hide rather than a finish sprayed onto one. Below a certain point the material has to be corrected, bonded or synthetic, and no construction saves it. Above that, extra money buys you a better-known name, finer hardware and a more precise fit — useful, but not what decides whether the jacket survives.

Can a leather jacket be altered?

The body, the sleeve length and the hem, yes — by a tailor who works in leather, because every stitch leaves a permanent hole and a seam cannot be let out again. The shoulders, effectively no. That asymmetry is the reason to size by the shoulder seam and have the rest taken in afterwards if you need to.

Does a leather jacket need a lining?

For comfort, yes — an unlined jacket drags on sleeves and sticks to bare arms. A lining also carries the strain at the seams and keeps body oils off the back of the hide, which is a large part of why a lined jacket ages more evenly. What it does not do is add warmth unless it is a padded or fur lining.

How do you get creases out of a leather jacket?

Hang it somewhere warm and let gravity do it, over a day or two rather than minutes. Light steam from a distance can help a stubborn fold. What you must not do is press an iron onto it or point a hairdryer at it — direct heat drives the oils out of the hide and the mark that leaves is permanent.