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Leather spinoff: How to identify (and learn from) shopping mistakes?

rae

(website)

Veteran

My K/R post on the Spiegel leather jacket got me to thinking about my relationship with leather jackets overall... to sum it up, it's very hit or miss.

1-3: Failed Experiments
1 had an elastic waist and was resold, 2 was worn once and is now on Ebay. #3 was worn more, but not often. It was more useful at the bank, I think.

4-5: Great Successes
I initially passes up the Bebe in #4 but could not stop thinking about it. It was a workhorse at the bank, and I still love how it looks. #5 just makes me feel awesome every time I put it on... and I sometimes put it on just to pet it and strut.

6-8: Danger Zone
6-8 I got while still banking, and I've worn it three times - and I only really like the last outfit. I still really adore this jacket. The double zip and collar make me happy whenever I look at it, but it's hard to wear.

9-10 haven't seen a leather jacket season yet... how can I tell if more mistakes are around the bend when I have such a bad track record choosing leather jackets? Am I getting them too trendy so that I grow out of them too fast? Has my tolerance for OTT details plummeted along with my tolerance for whimsey? I know my style has evolved by a metric ton since last F/W. Should I be cutting my losses and selling/returning, banned from buying a leather jacket for a few years?

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22 replies

Latest reply was from rae

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

#4/5 are definitely killer! I love #6-8 and #10 as well! I'm surprised you are struggling so much with leather jackets, when I feel it's such an integral part of your UWP persona. You always look great in leather. I think maybe it's because you know your style so well and are sensitive to fabrications, that the jackets have a harder time meeting up to your high standards. You do look great in them, though. I think you've got all the colors covered with the white, olive, brown and black ones above though so maybe stick with those for a while?

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Just my observations but the ones you love look a lot more "modern classic" than the ones that failed, lighter & more simple somehow. The failures are heavier or trendier or sportier to my eye.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Not a leather jacket ban but give yourself time to figure this out. Are there other differences with the jackets in terms of softness or breathable linings?

rae

(website)

Veteran

Natalie, interestingly, the failures all had breathable linings. Go figure. Do the current ones all still look like my style?

Caro, I agree that the failures had more going on, for sure. Good eye!

Julie, yes, I do need to figure this out. It's like I know exactly what I want to wear in the moment, and then it doesn't always pan out long term. For your question... I guess the successes were malleable. I feel like they go over anything, even though the Bebe has a poly lining. The others are in your face... I guess I'm worried that my current ones are inn your face, too. :T

deb

Veteran

I believe your evolving style is the culprit. Caro, hit it on the head. Do you still feel UWP? Maybe evaluating your feelings about may help you sort it out.

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Yes I think the current ones all look very Rae. Except I think #4 Bebe looks a lot more you than #9, which looks a little more sporty than UWP. Is that the Danier? I forgot why you have two white leather jackets, is it because of the poly lining? Do you see yourself wearing one a lot more than the other? The Bebe looks so great on you I think it's hard for the other one to compete! I also like the one in #6-8 a lot, too bad you haven't worn it more! Are you allowed to wear leather jackets to work? The folded collar style in #4 and #10 look so good on you! I just tried on the Spiegel one and unfortunately I think that style is too rugged/tomboy for me (I didn't take pics b/c I'm in my PJs), but it looks just right on you. I agree with Caro that #1 looks too heavy on you. The current jackets look much more streamlined but still have those UWP shapes and interesting details. Deb is right--do you still feel very UWP or do you think you're moving in a different direction?

ramya

Veteran

Is this because your style is evolving Rae? The Danger zone /Failed jacket are lot more UWP than the lady like look you are now liking...

Krista

Veteran

I feel like this is a silly question, so please forgive me, but do you think it's because you have too much choice? Have you been buying them up looking for the perfect one but not really giving any of them a chance to shine? Maybe it's less about a changing fashion persona and more about the logistics of having too many jackets - and I don't mean that unkindly. What about identifying the ones you absolutely love, putting the rest away and seeing how often you wear the ones you do love and why?

Ps. I would put on #5 just to pet it and strut around too. So killer

Traci

Veteran

Do you ever wear the jacket in 6-7-8 open? I think that would be extremely limiting. I LOVE that jacket, though.

I know exactly what you're going through. For some reason I'm never able to know definitively which items are going to be work horses. Sometimes I have an item in my wardrobe for weeks or even a year before it just clicks and suddenly becomes my go with everything workhorse item. My crystal ball skills are not so well honed. I'm getting better at eliminating items from the most likely to succeed pile, but I still struggle with knowing the one when I see it. I've just decided to tell myself that mere mortals don't have this keen awareness.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Well, #4 and #5 are killer jackets! They are classics and are beautiful. The rest, with the exception of #9, seem trendier. And by trendier, I mean kind of a younger, trendier vibe. Not a bad thing, but different than the on trend and very classic, sexy, sophisticated vibe of #4 and #5. Perhaps your style is moving in a different direction since you've gotten this new job?

#9 I think will fit well into your style, #10 I'm not as sure about. It's a beautiful jacket, so you'll have to keep us posted...

MNsara

Veteran

Welcome to my Leather 'Collector' Club Membership does not require you to wear them, simply to buy and stick in closet! Occasional trying on is required (oh, I see you're already doing that), as is occasional guilt and selling off of those demoted by new purchases (oh, I see you're already doing that too . . . ;-)).

I can only project my semi-formed ideas on why we do this. We LOVE leather! I know I love the feel of squishy, chewy leather. I love the smell of good leather. I love the way leather feels, the same way I love a really well knit sweater. Both should hug you just right.

Regarding failures, some of this must be your evolving style. #1-3 are highly styled and you've moved on. You also can't depend on lots and lots of jacket wearing weather to put them through their paces (i.e. #6-8).

In your success #4, I see that super flattering fit, the bright light color, and a style that is more classic/enduring. #5 reminds me of your new Burberry, and those earthy tones work beautifully on you, and really wears like an overcoat so it doesn't need extra styling.

I wonder how much of the success of #9-10 will be in being able to be worn open, unzipped. Just thrown on as a topper, not always as part of a styled outfit.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Hmmm. It's tough to say. On the whole, I'm inclined to agree with both Texstyle and Traci. One, you're spoiled for choice -- there is only so often a girl can wear a leather jacket after all, and while I would be the first one to encourage anyone's Danier addiction, there comes a point where ...what was Angie's term? Wardrobe satiety? So it might make sense to confine yourself to 3 or four. I guess in a sense you have already done so, by selling or trying to sell several of these.

On the other hand, I couldn't agree more with Traci -- and this is probably part of what has been driving your search. You have a feeling a black leather jacket would be useful and would fill a hole, so you go out looking for it -- but then -- how to know if it will be "the one?" I honestly have a heck of a time predicting my workhorses in advance. I wish I could, and like Traci, I'm getting a bit better at figuring out what won't be a workhorse -- but I feel befuddled when I catch myself reaching for certain items -- and not others, equally loved -- again and again. So sometimes I guess we simply have to go with the love, and see what happens as the season develops -- sort of what you are doing with the white Danier.

Diana

Veteran

Hmm, so I wonder if part of it has to do with whether or not each of these jackets needs to be specifically styled with an entire outfit. I feel like the two winners - Bebe and brown trench - can just be tossed on over anything and look effortless. For me, a leather jacket must fit this criteria. Partly because for me leather jackets are outerwear, so they need to go with a lot of outfits, and I want to be able to just throw it on without thinking about it too much, KWIM? (Yes, even my turquoise one is pretty much grab and go, just to make the point that "versatile" is individual dependent). I know this is not the case for you but I wonder if you need to start thinking of them as "goes with everything" pieces when you assess.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Whenever I find myself in this situation I hard-reset to classics. If anything is too gimmicky or too hard or goes unworn, I get rid of it, and I only look to purchase the simplest and most classic items.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Ah, Sara, I think you hit on something! I do really. love. leather. So I think I spy these elaborately crafted leathers and think it's so beautiful and different it must be mine. It is telling, too, that the workhorses were items I might have passed up - not ones I absolutely swooned over. I am buying art without thought for the size of my walls. Which was fine for a time but...

Deb and Karie, I think you are also right, 100%. Having a collection of statement UWP jackets was fine when I was hardcore UWP. But where I used to definitely feel inclined to dress to keep people at a distance, I have to feel approachable and friendly at work. Can't dress like I'm about to battle-axe someone in the head; it changes my attitude. I definitely feel more like a secret agent than a warrior these days. :T Must ruminate further.

Diana, Suz, and Traci, you also made me think of something... I used to spend tons more time outdoors at the swap meet (every single Sat and Sun) - so I wore jackets as shirts. I wanted a lot of them for variety, and they didn't need to go with every single outfit. Now I want to wear them as accent pieces... huge lifestyle/needs change. Wow, can't believe I missed that!

Dana, yes, that's probably called for here, too. Hard reset.

unfrumped

Veteran

rae, you've gotten some very good feedback and I do think it's a combo of style change and situation--you've really identified that in your post above.
You now are more likely to wear the leather jacket as a completer piece and so you need more versatility in the style and color. It doesn't have to be dull and snores-ville, but would probably be slightly more classic, good worn open or closed (but actually, especially open--hence, approachable, throw-on-able).

Those are actually features I'm focused on in my desultory search to add --get this--a second leather jacket--at some point, when I find the perfect one. For me, leather's quality is that it transcends the fabric and style issues that come with regular blazers--coordinating fabrications and colors and lengths and boxiness is much more tricky with a regular jacket, but leather is just kind of above all that. So it has the capacity to work better as go-with everything jacket (well, there are pants vs skirt issues), if one's color palette is not too complicated, than even the oft-touted "perfect black blazer" (bah on that)..

catgirl

Veteran

Rae, I haven't had time to read all the replies.... My experience is similar or worse. Leather jackets are my absolute Achilles heel - I hoard them despite the fact that I can rarely wear them in terms of job and weather and often find them difficult to style. It's different with my other weakness, boots, which I do use year round.

I wish I had an answer for you. I think the key is to figure out how the jacket will fit into what you want, rather than tailoring what you want in order to make a coveted jacket work. If I followed that logic I would probably not even own a leather jacket and wouldn't feel so guilty. And yet another is on the way to me (the Spiegel)!

catgirl

Veteran

Oh and where is your Danier in this collection?

AviaMariah

Veteran

I wouldn't call having 2, maybe 3 leather jackets that you love failure at all. You just really know what you like and what looks good on you. For what it's worth, I think 6-8 looks awesome on you.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Una, I am oddly comforted knowing that you have a similar issue. I just have some mental block with leather jackets. And I should definitely instste a rule not to buy at the start of a job change... Because I really suspect that the Danier is too heavy to wear as a blazer now that I have worked a few more months. I also suspect my style has changed too much... How utterly aggravating.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

That Danier will be brilliant as an early spring (for you) outdoor jacket, though, Rae. That's what it's really designed for, and it will look amazing in that situation. So don't unload it yet!

rae

(website)

Veteran

That is true, Suz. I ought to think of that one as a coat for spring, really.