Leather jacket styles for hourglass

I've been eyeing quite a few moto style jackets (all online so far), but I think I need to be straight on the rules...or at least have a loose interpretation of them. I wear blazer jackets all fall & winter, in general I've discovered that a low 1 button blazer flatters quite nicely. I'm an hourglass, and have pretty wide shoulders to balance it all out. IMO, wide shoulders + larger chest are a nightmare in the jacket department. Tight shoulders, tight upper back, and jackets that simply won't close are my usual issues. Jackets that DO close often do the pancake thing.

With so many cute styles online, and only model sized women to view a lot of these on, I am trying to imagine how some of these asymmetric cuts are going to hang - particularly over the chest. I love the ones that zip all the way up, or even button up, but I'd hate to buy a jacket that does what my dress shirts do at the chest - or give me that leathered up pancake look.

So, my questions - is it a big no-no to buy a jacket that you KNOW won't close over the girls? Are there any tried and true shapes or designers that would work well for me?

I really like this one, but I worry that it's going to splay wide open and not sit neatly like on the model: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/ha.....ategory-pe I love this cut because it mimics my favorite Ann Taylor jacket exactly. It's collarless, and is the narrow triangle that it leaves up top seems to minimize the bust. The difference is my AT has a single hook close at the point where the jacket meets, which keeps it from doing the flap when I walk and move.

One last leather jacket question - I thrifted a great dove gray leather Member's only jacket a few years ago I love it... but it doesn't close, and the sleeves are about 1 inch short on me (I love long sleeves, but I overlooked it for $20). I told myself that they may be normal length if I lost some weight (LOL!!). Anyway, do I keep it, or let it go back into the wild? I wear it sometimes, though I'm more self conscious about short sleeves than the failure to close. I'm in NC and can get away with that most of the winter. I prob should add a pic of that one later.

11 years ago

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

I am a sleeve scurncher , so you could easily hide the shorter sleeves on the grey jacket that you seem to like.

I wonder what others will say regarding the buying jackets that don't close as I know Clinton and Stacey on What Not to Wear have been saying it is a hard and fast rule that it must close...

I do not wear jackets closed much so when buying my moto jackets, they can close and do the pancake thing you mention...I will never wear it closed, just not my thing... When contemplating going up to the next side, it was way to big when worn open... So I stuck to my gut and bought the smaller version. I had them all last season and never regretted my decision.

Von

Thanks TraceyLiz, in all the 3 years I've had the jacket, I've been more focused on the shortness rather than the fact that it had buttons on the sleeve and I could scrunch! I love new discoveries!

I'm like you though, my jackets so rarely close that I've almost given up on trying with most of them. When you buy them big enough to close, usually you look like Sponge Bob.

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christina

Active Member

I have been thinking about a moto for a while now. I am an hourglass with shoulders as well. Many of the motos I try on have so many embellishments around the shoulders and bust - it seems to make me feel larger than I am. I think I have to find one that is not asymmetrical and more streamlined.

I think closure has to do with function. I need my jacket to be worn outside and for warmth, so I want it to close. If you are using it inside the office, perhaps it doesn't need to close.

I really like the Halogen jacket, but don't need it.

karlabathrick

Member

i like your post keep posting

10 years ago

unfrumped

I've come around to it doesn't have to close I I know I'll virtually always wear open-- that's true for all mild weather jackets-- but it has to LOOL like it could close, ya know?

Beth Ann

I hear you, Von! I have a ponte moto that I love, and it will close. I do have several jackets that are too snug to look good closed, although technically they can. IMHO it just needs to appear like it could -- it shouldn't look too small, if that makes sense.

I love the link in your post. It's similar to the Theory Lanai you've seen all across the forum recently. From all reports, a bosom is helpful to maintaining the line of the jacket. Who knew!

Scrunching is your friend, as is a lightweight under layer. I sometimes button one button when there are two or three, or zip just at the bottom. I'm also a fan of unlined jackets with some stretch!

i read your post is very interesting and help full for me i to love the zipper jacket's i have a best and good quality lot of leather jacket check it they are stitching your body size leather jacket so check it i hope you really like it dude..

Sveta

Let me tell you that when I come to Danier leather store SAs there wear jackets open which are very obviously cannot close on them - never!
I think this grey jacket looks good and if you don't need to close it for warmth you don't have to be able too. It does not look like obviously too small jacket at all. As for the sleeves - I hear you, short sleeves drive me nuts too and scrunching is just the thing to combat this. In your grey jacket I wood also try to turn up the cuffs...
I don't have brand suggestions as I am hourglass with wide shoulders but small bust and very narrow rib cage but I wish you luck in your hunt. I think this Halogen jacket is worth a try.

Janet

I love my leather jackets and they all close, but some close more snugly than others, especially at the chest. But I rarely ever wear them closed -- even last night, when it was windy and cold, I was wearing my Muubaa jacket with a sweater and a scarf, and I never bothered zipping it up when I walked outside (albeit only for a few minutes each time). Also, I have a couple of motos that I do zip up, but I don't zip them all the way up over the chest because I don't like the way it looks or feels.

So I really think it depends on how you will wear the jacket. If your style dictates wearing it closed, I'd take that into consideration, but I know many of us never bother with it closed and can get away with a little bit smaller fit -- especially women like me who are relatively narrow across the back, but with a shoulder line and significant chest.

leopardluxe

I have an extensive collection of leather moto jackets and some were bought with the intention of having them be able to close fully, while others I knew I would never zip all the way up. For my size (I'm a little petite person) I have a very broad back and full chest. So the result is if it fits completely correctly across my chest fully zipped, it is usually way too big on me everywhere else or if it fits everywhere else it is "pancaking" my chest if I zip it all the way up.

So my general rule of thumb if I'm buying a leather moto that I am very unlikely to wear closed (which I usually only do in extremely cold weather, which we don't get often here in LA) is to buy ones that I can half zip. So I check to make sure it fits well enough to zip comfortably up to my under-bust, as opposed to over the full bust. From a style standpoint, this is how most folks wear a leather moto when they do zip it anyway. I personally think they're not as flattering if you zip them all the way up to the neck (depending on style).

So I say ignore whatever the "style rules" say and go with what's going to work best for your body and make you feel like it's most figure flattering, which, based on your body description, sounds like it would be a half zip or no zip approach to sizing.

And for your jacket with the slightly too short sleeves, if you're not the type to push up your sleeves (I am so this doesn't bother me --and I actually prefer my leather jackets either have slightly too long sleeves OR obviously intentionally cropped sleeves) I'd recommend taking it to a seamstress and have the sleeves shortened to 3/4 length (again, depending on the style of the jacket). This way the length looks very intentional rather than accidental.

Hope this info/opinion helps and good luck buying a leather moto ...and be careful, they're addictive.

This post was from 6 months ago...and guess who didn't wear that jacket ALL WINTER!! I'm pulling it and my other light leather jacket up to the forefront so I can wear them both before it's too warm here. Spring here flies by in a few weeks before it's too hot for jackets.

I never thought to try a seamstress to shorten the sleeves, but it might be a good idea (since they're short anyway!).

skeida

Has anyone had any luck with leather jackets stretching out

9 years ago

Not really -- I ended up buying the black version of the leather jacket in my first post -- it's butter soft, and so far doesn't seem stretched out at all, even though I wear it a lot. I did end up giving away the gray one because I still didn't wear it, and I felt like it made me look like a linebacker. I wish I had bought jacket #1 in the brown also!

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