How to Pick the Right Leather Jacket for 2023
J.L. Rocha Collections
How to Pick the Right Leather Jacket for a Man in 2023
Men’s Style Guide
My father says “the best of anything, is what’s best to you”, and I’ve learned it takes a bit of experience to get there. When it comes to choosing the right leather jacket - that might also be the case, but how can you know which leather jacket is the right one for you before making this lifetime investment?
While we can’t answer the question for you, we can lend you a bit of our experience. This blog post is a guide to choosing the right leather jacket for you: based on multiple years and hundreds of wears of our J.L. Rocha Jackets - covering two key areas of knowledge. Let’s begin.
“The Best Leather Jacket for Men,
is the one that holds his legacy.”
Choosing the right jacket for your climate:
A leather jacket should be practical, it will be with you through many seasons and memories. There are five major climate zones: Tropical, Dry, Temperate, Continental, and Polar. Leather jackets are only necessary in: Dry, Temperate, and Continental Climate Zones.
Understanding Climate Zones for Leather Jackets:
Dry Climate Zones: a climate zone with low precipitation. Great for lambskin and suede: usually with temperatures near: 55-120°F depending on the season.
Temperate Climate Zones: a climate zone with moderate precipitation, mild winters and humid summers. Temperatures range between 26-100°F depending on the season, great for layers or thicker skins.
Continental Climate Zones: usually experience mild summers with colder winters and temperatures between 19-85°F. Thicker leather jackets are better in these zones.
If you need a bit more guidance on what leather jacket to choose based on your climate zone, we’ve made a handy guide for you that you can see below:
Choosing the right leather jacket for your style:
A leather jacket should be personal, if properly cared for it will last multiple lifetimes. When choosing the right leather jacket for your style, there are three key areas of focus when investing in this legacy piece: Quality, Style, and Body Type.
The three keys of choosing a leather jacket for a man:
Quality: if improperly made, your jacket won’t last as long as possible, nor will it age with grace. A leather jacket should be made by a reputable company with history in the craft, should be vegetable tanned, and free of any harsh chemicals or treatments.
Style: as your jacket is a timeless legacy piece, it will also be unilaterally useful within your wardrobe. We recommend selecting a leather jacket that equally prioritizes your style and climate zones. Consider if you have a wardrobe of layering pieces, essentials, or pieces with more character/flash.
Body Type: the final and most important component to selecting the right leather jacket for you. This will help you style the piece for many years to come, while making it the right look for your legacy.
Need help considering your body type? We partnered with our friend Antonio Centeno of Real Men Real Style to create a video guiding you through this choice: check it out below!
Closing Notes:
When all is said and done, every day is a new beginning, but you remain the constant in your life. Your unique taste, style, and legacy will be carried in your unique leather jacket. We hope that this post has been helpful in guiding you toward a unique collectors item, and we wish you a lifetime of building an amazing legacy.
Thank You/Gracias