Outerwear
How to Buy Leather Outerwear
A leather jacket is bought once and worn for twenty years — if the hide and the shoulder line are right.
Choose the hide
Lambskin is buttery and light but scratches easily. Calfskin is the durable middle ground with excellent structure. Goat and buffalo are hardwearing with pronounced grain. Shearling delivers real warmth at real weight — check the pelt is single-piece rather than panelled.
Look at the lining and seams
Cupro or silk-blend linings glide over knitwear and last; polyester sticks and tears at the armhole. Seams should be topstitched or bound, never raw, and panels should be cut from matched hides so the grain runs consistently.
Fit the shoulder
The shoulder seam is the one thing that cannot be altered affordably. It must sit exactly at the edge of your shoulder. Buy close-fitting — leather relaxes and moulds within a season.
Maintain it
Condition once or twice a year with a leather balm, hang on a broad wooden hanger, and use a specialist leather cleaner rather than a standard dry cleaner.
Before You Buy
- Identify the hide and its wear characteristics
- Check lining fabric and seam finishing
- Fit the shoulder seam precisely
- Condition annually
Private Appointments
Personal sourcing, authentication and styling — by appointment only.
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