The Search for the Perfect Leather Jacket

Ever since I was a child the leather jacket has represented a lifestyle, an eternal world of cool and endless sunsets on highways.

My style has always trended toward punk and goth - I liked black lace, rivets, spikes, colored hair. My wardrobe is about 90% black and II always wanted some of those Tripp NYC style pants and my favorite store was Hot Topic. I wore leather bracelets and a red choker, until my mom forbade them. I was never actually allowed to wear the clothing that I craved and I once got grounded for bringing home one of those chains that clips onto your jeans.

I always desired a long leather trench-coat, and I still think they look awesome, but that definitely became faux pas after Columbine and it's become code-red for ultra nerd, so I've tried to steer away.

Hot Topic isn't really cool anymore and everywhere and their dog has either blue or pink hair, so I've tried to maintain the edge without looking like a goth tragedy. As I've gotten older my style has trended more toward nu-goth and "minimalism" ala Rick Owens and Helmut Lang (Which I definitely can't afford and probably wouldn't buy even if I could, because designer is usually way overpriced.) I like clean black clothes with interesting cuts and fabrics, minimal jewelry, and my over-dyed bleach blonde hair.

I even ran my own fashion blog for a while, but I honestly got bored with trying to buy fast-fashion pieces and the emphasis on consumerism really got to me.

I love the aesthetics of fashion but I hate its focus on consumption and buying as much shit as possible. My ideal is to find a few really good pieces that fit me and wear them out. That isn't good for running a fashion blog, but it helps me sleep at night.

Since I write at home, my daily wardrobe is usually sweatpants and a hoodie, but I'm still interested in fashion, and I've recently been setting my sights on getting a leather jacket. I've never had a good one that I adored, and I've come to believe that it's one of the most difficult pieces to get right in terms of fit and quality. You want a good leather jacket to last years, a lifetime if possible, and that's going to cost a lot of $.

I bought a $200 Michael Kors jacket from Nordstrom Rack once a few years ago, but lost it a month later in a bar drinking whiskeys & cokes. Then a few years back I bought a vintage leather jacket off of Etsy, but it didn't seem to be good quality as it ripped underneath the armpits.

Now I'm in the market for another leather jacket, and I want one to last me a good few years. But as I've done my research, it seems that everyone seems you need to get at least into the $500 range to find a good one that lasts. It has to either be lamb or cow leather, not pig. I am fairly certain I'd like a black jacket, as although I like gray and burgundy, black is the most versatile. I also like the oversized or "boyfriend" look, but as a 5'2 woman it's difficult to find jackets that don't swallow me up.

I've been told that Michael Kors is not the best quality of leather jackets, and that I should avoid Nordstrom Rack if I really want something high quality. I'm not tender or careful with my things, and if I love something I wear it until it disintegrates, so I'd like something that would last a long time.

I really love the look of AllSaints jackets and their cut is very modern, but I've told they are way overpriced due to their quality.

I've been told that Schotts is the best quality at below $1000 range, and I have to admit that they're very slick.

Mackage also has that oversized kind of cut that I want.

And etsy has a lot of leather jackets, but it's difficult to gauge quality and fit. Oftentimes the jacket will just be listed as a "Medium" with no measurements, and the actual leather used is unknown.

Should one even put so much effort into finding a piece of clothing?

I know that a leather jacket won't give me endless sunsets and eternal cool, but damn, I still want one.

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