Jan. 04, 2026 at 10:49 am

7 Essential Leather Jackets to Shop Now

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Way before I realised I wanted to work in fashion, I knew I wanted to own a leather jacket (one that would feel like an extension of my personality). As a teenager, watching Marlon Brando in The Wild One, I understood something instantly, this was what cool would always look like. Schott’s eponymous Perfecto jacket, first introduced in 1928 as the world’s original zip-front motorcycle jacket, became a symbol of edge with a side of chic. Nearly a century later, I could wear that same jacket, without a single modification, and it would still look impossibly modern.

Over the years, designers have continually reimagined the leather jacket for women. In the ’80s and ’90s, Jean Paul Gaultier fused punk grit with corsetry, proving it could be edgy and feminine. Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga in the early 2000s turned it into a sculptural statement, giving the biker silhouette precision and architectural flair. And Alexander McQueen took it further, romanticising leather through exquisite tailoring and historical references, showing it could be artful, not just rebellious. Through every reinvention, one thing remained clear: the leather jacket refuses to be ordinary.

In my first year of college, I discovered the world of Saint Laurent under Hedi Slimane’s direction. His Autumn/Winter 2013 collection became my ultimate reference point for what the perfect women’s leather jacket should look like. Models stormed the runway in cropped biker jackets layered over sheer dresses and mini skirts, paired with combat boots (a mix of grit and glamour). That same year, I found my pop culture hyperfixation in the form Gossip Girl. In Season 2, watching Jenny shed her preppy schoolgirl vibes for the emo, leather-jacket-wearing rebel: angsty, moody, and sporting five layers of kohl gave me a personality pivot I wouldn’t like to fondly remember (sorry, mom). Through fashion and fiction alike, one truth remained, the leather jacket endured (and its wearers weren’t far behind).

Off the runway and out of the movies, Kate Moss made the leather jacket a street uniform for fashion girls, rocking her Saint Laurent and vintage biker pieces. She somehow bridged the gap by taking a look that used to belong in music videos and films and making it wearable, doable, and undeniably cool. Suddenly, everyone in the ’90s was wearing one, Gwyneth and Brad matched in theirs, Drew Barrymore rocked hers on movie premieres, and from that point on, nobody really stopped. Today, the cool girls are still at it. Gigi Hadid and Hailey Bieber throw theirs over rugby tees, mom jeans, or boho skirts, Kendall Jenner pairs hers with culottes, and Amelia Gray rocks hers with low-rise jeans. The point is simple, a leather jacket doesn’t follow trends, it runs the streets.

So, if you’re thinking of investing in a leather jacket, here’s my advice: pick one that feels like you. Don’t just chase what a celebrity wears or what a music icon has made famous, choose a piece that speaks to your style, your story. Make it the jacket that, years from now, becomes part of your own fashion narrative (a classic you might even pass on). To help you get there, here’s a roundup of current leather jackets from luxury brands that are, might I add, effortlessly cool—and guaranteed to never disappoint.