A leather jacket works best when it is the only interesting thing you are wearing. A plain shirt, simple trousers and boots that are not competing with it. The jacket carries the outfit and everything else exists to stay out of its way.
Most styling mistakes come from treating the jacket as one item among several rather than as the centre of the outfit. This guide covers what to wear underneath, how the colour of the jacket changes what works with it, which trousers and boots to pair it with, and the combinations that date an outfit immediately.
Start With the Colour of the Jacket
Brown
The most forgiving colour and the least worn. It sits well with cream, white, olive, rust and navy, and with any denim from raw indigo to mid wash. Brown reads warmer and less severe than black, which is why it works in daylight and in offices where black leather looks like a statement.
Black
Sharper and narrower in what it takes. White, grey, black and dark denim. Avoid brown shoes with a black jacket unless the brown is very dark. Black on black is a strong look that needs texture variation to avoid looking flat.
Tan and cognac
The warm weather end of the range. Best with white, denim, olive and khaki. Tan against black trousers reads disjointed to most eyes, because the tonal jump at the waist breaks the outfit in half.
What to Wear Underneath
A plain t-shirt in white, grey, black or cream is the default for good reason. Nothing competes with the jacket.
A shirt works if the collar behaves. Oxford and chambray collars sit properly under a jacket collar, while stiff formal collars fight it. Roll the sleeves so the cuff sits under the jacket cuff rather than bunching inside it.
A fine merino crew or a henley adds warmth without bulk. Avoid thick knits under a fitted jacket, which is the most common reason a jacket that fitted last month suddenly will not close.
Nothing with a print, a slogan or a large logo. Two focal points is one too many.
Trousers and Boots
Dark straight leg or slim straight denim is the safest thing you will ever put under a leather jacket, and raw indigo is the best of those because the tone deepens as the jacket does. Black jeans work with brown and black jackets. Light wash denim works with brown and tan and looks weak against black.
Chinos in stone, olive or navy give you a version that is not denim without going formal.
For footwear, a leather boot in a tone near the jacket, or a plain black or brown Chelsea boot. Cowboy boots work if the rest of the outfit stays quiet. Trainers are fine with a trucker cut and wrong with anything longer.
Three Outfits That Always Work
A white t-shirt, dark indigo denim, a brown leather jacket and brown boots a shade darker than the jacket. This works almost anywhere short of formal, and the Brown Leather Cowboy Jacket is the version we sell most of.
A cream henley, olive chinos, a tan suede jacket and plain leather boots. Softer, better in warm weather, and the Men's Tan Suede Western Trucker Jacket does this well with its shorter hem.
A grey merino crew, black jeans, a black leather jacket and black Chelsea boots. Evening, monochrome, no thinking required. The Black Leather Cowboy Jacket is the western cut of that.
The Mistakes That Date an Outfit
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Matching leather to leather. A brown jacket with brown boots and a brown belt in the same tone looks like a set. Vary the shade.
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Too many western signals at once. Hat, boots, fringe, bolo and a large buckle together is a costume. Pick one or two and let the jacket do the rest.
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Sizing up for comfort. A jacket that hangs off the shoulder reads as borrowed no matter what is underneath it.
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Overloading the pockets. Leather holds the shape of whatever you keep in it, permanently.
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A scarf, a hood and a collar together. Three things happening at the neck. Choose one.
Open or Closed
Open is the default and it lengthens the torso, which is why most people prefer it. Closed is warmer and stronger in cold weather, and it needs the fit to be genuinely right, because a closed jacket shows every problem in the chest and waist.
If your jacket only looks good open, the fit is wrong rather than the styling. Our size guide sets out how to check that before you buy.
Common Questions About Styling a Leather Jacket
What do you wear under a leather jacket?
A plain t-shirt, an oxford or chambray shirt, or a fine merino knit. Avoid prints, logos and thick knits.
What colour goes with a brown leather jacket?
Cream, white, olive, rust, navy and any denim wash. Brown is considerably more flexible than black.
Can you wear a leather jacket with a shirt and tie?
Yes, with a soft collar and a knitted or wool tie. Not with a formal spread collar.
Do brown boots work with a black leather jacket?
Rarely. Keep the boots black or very dark brown when the jacket is black.
Should you wear a leather jacket open or closed?
Open in most weather. If it only looks right open, the jacket is the wrong size.
How do you wear a leather jacket without looking like a costume?
Keep everything else plain and limit yourself to one or two western signals at a time.
Let the Jacket Do the Work
Plain shirt, dark denim, boots that agree with the jacket rather than match it. Once that base is right, the jacket is the only decision that matters, and the color you choose does most of the styling for you.
Browse the western leather jackets collection to find the cut and color that suits what you already own, or check the best sellers if you want the versions that work for most people.