The Best Leather Jackets for Men in 2023

We believe that every man should have a leather jacket in their wardrobe, which is why we’ve come up with this guide. These stunningly stylish garments age like a fine wine and deserve to live in your main rotation, not in your sartorial periphery. To celebrate one of our favorite garments, we have curated a list of our favorite leather jackets currently on the market. All of these jackets are stylish and rugged statement pieces that turn heads and command respect, which is why we’re ecstatic to present our best men’s leather jacket guide.

How to pick a great leather jacket

Style: While modern leather jackets date back to the early 1900s, mainly being used for flight jackets (or bombers), they’ve cemented themselves as the go-to jacket for durable style over the years. Bombers are traditionally lined with shearling (or just something warm nowadays) to keep pilots warm and are shorter than most jackets. Motorcycle jackets weren’t far behind the bomber craze, with both being iconic American staples popularized by celebrities like Marlon Brando (who was famously a fan of the Perfecto jacket). Both of these jacket styles are timelessly cool, but protection is still the priority with any good bomber or motorcycle jacket so keep that in mind. The racer jacket is a bit like the little brother to the motorcycle jacket, but it’s slimmer, simpler, and more aerodynamic. Other styles run the gamut from blazers to coats, to ranch and work jackets.

Material: Quality cowhide is the most popular material across all leather jackets thanks to its tried and true durability. Other animal hides from lambs, goats, and deer are also good choices if you want something lightweight or a bit softer, but if you want that classic leather jacket strength and style, go for cowhide.

Should you go with faux? (no)

A solid leather jacket that’s going to last a while is worth the investment, but sometimes the price may have you peeking at faux options. While it may seem fine in the short term (especially for your wallet), it’s best to set aside that money you’d be spending on a faux jacket for a real one. Especially since they don’t last nearly as long and will require replacements often, while traditional leather jackets will keep trucking even with minimal upkeep. Additionally, they make for great heirlooms that can hold stories for generations to come, something a faux jacket physically just can’t do.

Styling your leather jacket

It’s hard to think of a garment that evokes rugged masculinity the way leather jackets do. They’re a timeless staple known for their variety of famous silhouettes, and while they originally started out as bulkier forms of outerwear, leather jackets have evolved to take on many different forms as time has progressed. Due to their weight and distinct look, many men steer clear of leather jackets as they often require a good amount of confidence to wear. With all the styles that leather jackets come in, it can be hard to pinpoint some tried and true style tips, a classic pair of jeans and some boots are a safe bet.

Buck Mason Black Leather Bruiser Moto Jacket

The Best Motorcycle Style Jacket: It’d be an act of style sacrilege not to include Buck Mason’s iconic Bruiser Jacket in this list. With a rugged and outwardly masculine design, the Bruiser lives up to its rough-and-tumble name, evoking the vibes of someone who eats nails for breakfast. Featuring a soft, lambskin leather construction, the Bruiser is a classically stylish motorcycle jacket, with an asymmetrical zip-up front, zip pockets, zig-zag stitch detailing, and a slim fit. All of these design choices work in perfect aesthetic harmony to create a leather jacket that’s truly worth wearing.

Golden Bear The Ashbury

The Best Baseball Jacket: Virtually any “best jacket” list can benefit from the inclusion of a Golden Bear. The San Francisco style standout has been making iconic jackets with unfathomable longevity for a century now, and this black naked cowhide leather baseball jacket is one of the brand’s many examples of sartorial excellence. The Ashbury has a design that’s similar to a bomber jacket in that it has a knit collar, cuffs, and waistband. Moreover, it sports an understated and casual silhouette that gives way to a contemporary and relaxed fit. It features double besom lower slash pockets, Pepper Chambray body lining, black satin sleeve lining, and a government black YKK zipper. For a modern-day interpretation of a leather baseball jacket, you won’t find a better example than the Ashbury.

Belstaff V Racer 2.0 Leather Jacket

The Best Racer Jacket: Belstaff has earned the reputation for making some of the best motorcycle jackets in the garment’s storied history. And the V Racer 2.0 Leather Jacket is the perfect example. Not only does it look great and work with multiple outfits, but it has some utility as well with enclosed pockets and water-repellent leather.

Todd Snyder Italian Suede Snap Dylan Jacket

The Best Suede Jacket: For a pop of color and change in texture, look to Todd Snyder’s resplendent Dylan jacket. These jackets have a ravenous following for good reason: they’re head-turningly cool. It leverages retro inspiration while being a wholly contemporary jacket with a slim fit, which is a specialty of Todd Snyder’s. The Dylan is made of 100% Italian calf suede and features front snap buttons, two button-through patch pockets, and two lower slant pockets for extra storage. Its trim silhouette and light construction give it versatility, while the smart-casual aesthetic and quality construction make it a timeless staple.

Schott NYC Perfecto Motorcycle Jacket

The Classic: This is it, folks. The alpha. The omega. The progenitor of motorcycle jackets. The Perfecto. It’s hard to overstate the importance this jacket had on the trajectory of jackets as a whole since its ancestor was literally the first motorcycle jacket in history. While Schott has been a fashion giant for over a century, the New York brand is no doubt immortalized in the annals of sartorial history for making the Perfecto jacket. The jacket was further popularized when Marlon Brando showed it off in the hit film The Wild One back in 1954. Style-wise, this jacket laid the foundation for all motorcycle jackets to come, featuring an asymmetrical front zipper, brass hardware, snap lapels, collar and shoulder epaulets, and the iconic half-line belt with buckle closure. This jacket is a masterpiece and continues to be one of the most fashionable leather jackets in the industry.

Mr P. Shearling-Trimmed Suede Trucker Jacket

The Best Trucker Jacket: Leave it to MR P. to make a trucker jacket so stylish that it borders on art. While it is technically a trucker jacket, this particular offering transcends classification. You can wear it to the bar with some jeans or to a formal event with some stylish slacks.

Taylor Stitch The Moto Jacket

The Safe Bet: For a brand that doesn’t specialize in leather, Taylor Stitch makes some of the best-looking leather jackets on the market. And for The Moto Jacket, Taylor Stitch teamed up with Golden Bear to give us a durable and stylish motorcycle jacket that will last for years to come. Made with premium full-grain leather and lined with Thinsulate insulation.

Filson Roughout Leather Short Cruiser Jacket

The Best Work Jacket: The Roughout Leather Short Cruiser Jacket is a leather version of Filson’s classic work jacket. It’s tough on the outside and soft on the inside, with a cotton corduroy collar and cuffs. And it’ll be just as comfortable doing some hard work with you as it will on the open road.

The Real McCoy’s B-6 Flight Jacket

The Best Bomber Jacket: When the name of your company denotes being the genuine article, you best have the goods. Thankfully, The Real McCoy’s takes things one step further by leveraging maniacal attention to detail and an uncompromising approach to only using the finest materials on the planet. The vintage-inspired Japanese brand has garnered worldwide acclaim for its faithful recreations of classic military garb, and its B-6 Flight Jacket may be its most shining example yet. It’s an achingly cool jacket with a classic aviator silhouette, lacquer-finished sheep shearling, horsehide shoulder pads, a buckled throat latch, and even an era-accurate Talon zipper. Short of creating a time machine and enlisting in the allied effort to get a B-6 flight jacket, The Real McCoy’s is the closest, most stylish alternative you can get.

Brunello Cucinelli Perforated Nappa Leather Bomber Jacket

The Best Italian-Made Jacket: While Cucinelli is known especially for his cashmere work, it’s easy to make the argument that the designer could also be a leather specialist, because this pilot-style leather bomber jacket is a work of art. The lightweight Brunello Cucinelli Perforated Nappa Leather Bomber Jacket with Raglan Sleeves is the perfect marriage between style and classic influence.

Overland Memphis Lambskin Leather Bomber Moto Jacket

Overland has been making high-quality garments that are inspired by the American West since 1973. While its palpably stylish Bomber Moto Jacket may not have been what Western settlers wore back in the day, its ruggedness, premium lambskin leather construction, and purpose-built versatility are indicative of craftsmanship that you would see back then. It features a unique silhouette, blending bomber jacket and motorcycle jacket designs to create a hybridized piece that’s the best of both worlds. The jacket sports a removable knit collar and bib for insulation and a classic high collar for added style points.

Allsaints Cora Leather Jacket

AllSaints makes unforgivingly stylish garments, and its motorcycle-style Cora Leather Jacket is proof of its design excellence. The jacket features a sheepskin leather construction, a Mandarin-like collar, and a paneled, contemporary design that evokes a modern feel. Style-wise, it features a slim-fit design, which gives it a sleeker silhouette. Its contemporary look and slim build make it more versatile than your traditional leather jacket in that it doesn’t require the wearer to have the outward masculinity of someone who smokes a pack a day and fights truckers for fun that certain other leather jackets require of their wearers. If you’re looking for an everyday leather jacket, this is an excellent pick.

The Best Motorcycle Boots for Riding

If you plan on sporting your new leather jacket on the open road, then you’ll need some equally durable boots as well. That’s why you should check our best motorcycle boots guide.