Style by Claire Lopez

If you buy one jacket this season, make it the biker jacket

I have a leather jacket, a lovely leather jacket that I bought in Paris about seven years ago but it is wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Why? Because it is collarless and therefore is now so far from right that I might as well be wearing a shell suit jacket (remember those? My mum and I had colour co-ordinating ones. The shame). This season it is all about the leather biker jacket so channel your inner rock chic and get investing.

I say investing, because, I think that this is most definitely an item that requires a few more pounds spending on it, otherwise it will just look cheap and well, tarty. If you aren’t convinced it is a look you can pull off, without looking like mutton, then here is how.

All Saints is the spiritual home for biker jackets at the top end of the high street and they have several lovely styles including the Papin Leather Biker Jacket £358. Worn with a pair of skinny black jeans is classic but for a softer look pair it with some more relaxed fitting jeans and skater shoes – like the Jigsaw one below.

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Another option is their Worth Leather Biker also £358. A biker jacket MUST fit well over the shoulders so you don’t just look butch and ideally you want a style that has some shaping through the waist, either to show off your curves or to give you the illusion of having them. If you go boxy and short beware as it might make you look more T-Bird than Sandy.

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Baukjen also has a great Everyday Biker Jacket £399 which is a classic. If you are larger up top then make sure the lapels aren’t too large as to make you look more top heavy than you are.

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Hush’s  Onyx Leather Biker Jacket £280 is lower on the price scale and very nice. There you go Reiss, that is how to style a leather jacket with a skirt. Don’t tart it up, dress it down.

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At a more affordable price point, Massimo Dutti has this Leather Jacket with Padded Shoulders £199. Again worn with a simple white t, but you could easily swap for a stripe top to do Parisian chic.

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Zara has this black Leather Biker Jacket £99  as well as a whole host of pleather options. Beware the faux leather.

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Black can be very harsh unless you have the right colouring so you can always go for another dark colour. This dark green jacket from Uterque £240 is a great colour and much softer. It will still look great with denim. Although this styling is a bit bland and M&S-like (think it is the shoes,  fashionable maybe but a bit yuk), the key to creating a stylish outfit with a biker is to keep the outfit simple and the skin on show to a minimum. So don’t don your push up bra, mini skirt and heels with your biker (or ever).

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Navy is also a good option and Jigsaw has this Quilted Washed Biker Jacket £298. Love the styling here with the denim, t-shirt and trainers.

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The other alternative is to go for suede which will also be much less harsh than leather like this  Agnes Suede Biker Jacket from Whistles £295 . This does also come in black and navy leather £330. Generally speaking I would stick to darker neutrals and unless you are going to Pink Ladies themed party, do not do pink. Very very tricky to pull off.

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Mint Velvet has this Granite Suede Biker Jacket £279. Great colour and despite not loving the styling here, you definitely can and should wear your biker over softer dresses in the summer. Not keen with those high heels, but some flat sandals or chunkier heels would definitely work.

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Reiss has this in the sale Rosalynn Storm Suede Biker Jacket £225. Ignore the styling with the skirt (too trussed up and not laid back cool in the slightest) and don’t wear done up – that is not the point of the jacket, it should be worn open. If you have a soft colouring, then this is a great colour option.

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Fundamentally, it is all about the styling with a biker jacket – as with most things. Keep it simple, keep it clean, dress it down and you will look like you belong on the Left Bank.

 

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4 Comments

  • Lorraine

    Oh noI love my collarless one! But I think a nice navy might be fun

    • Claire Lopez

      Your dark green one sounds perfect. Not ditching the collarless one just yet though – it may well be back in again!

  • Jane Reynolds

    Just bought the Hush jacket after wanting a leather jacket for years. Great styling tips, thanks Clare.

    • Claire Lopez

      Hi Jane, that is a great one and perfect for this time of year. Enjoy!

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