A leather jacket is an investment, it is a garment of longevity and with the right care will last years for you. While you’re searching for your new leather jacket, it’s important to remind yourself that black is not your only colour option. If you’re keen to develop your style with a colourful statement piece while maintaining a cool, classic style then I strongly suggest investing in a coloured leather asymmetric biker. A black asymmetric biker is timeless, classic and versatile to style with, however, if you’re looking for something standout to add to an ensemble, a coloured leather jacket could be exactly what you and your wardrobe need.
The best thing about coloured leather jackets is that they’re statement pieces that can be worked well with your everyday garments as well as your smarter items. How ‘statement’ you want yours to look is entirely down to you. If you’re a person who consistently falls back onto the black items in your wardrobe, what’s a better way to say “I don’t just wear black” with a coloured statement leather?
There are a variety of ways to style up your coloured leather, it all starts with what colour you’re drawn to. There are bold sunset tones like ladybird red or saffron yellow and cooler hues within the blue and green colour palettes. You don’t necessarily have to invest in a bold coloured jacket as it’s pretty easy to style up an outfit with a natural toned one, whether you’re looking for a muted, sand colour or a bolder tan shade.
Let’s start with warmer colour palettes. I’ve noticed through trend research that there were flecks of warm tone colour clashing on the AW20 catwalks. Ochres, hot pinks, scarlets and tangerine shades were paired together quite frequently during fashion week – you’d think such a fiery palette would belong to a summer collection, but these shades can easily be incorporated into a winter wardrobe!
One colour that made quite the appearance on the AW20 catwalks was saturated red. This is quite a striking colour to work with, but don’t be put off by its distinctiveness. When styling such a vivid coloured leather, be it red, yellow, orange etc I believe most people would fall into the comfort zone of a jeans, t-shirt and trainer’s combo. A simple, yet effective everyday look – keeping it casual and making the jacket the most prominent piece of your outfit.
If you want your outfit to look less generic and don’t want your jacket taking centre stage over the rest of your look, try playing around with print and texture. One thing that I love pairing with a leather jacket is either a printed dress, a shirt dress, or a midi skirt, particularly one that’s pleated, has an eye-catching print, or has a silk-like texture – or all three! These kinds of items are versatile and effortless. One thing I would say though, is to be mindful about not making your outfit look too busy. For example, if you have a lot of texture and print going on with your bottom half, maybe opt for a plain jersey t-shirt or lightweight blouse or cami top, so when you layer your coloured leather over the top there is more of a balance – in colder periods you can switch this for a plain knitted jumper or a polo neck.
Image credits (1) The Fashion Heist, (2) Glaminati, (3) TorontoLife
Another thing I’d say is don’t try too hard to completely match your colours. So what if the yellow flecks on your printed skirt aren’t perfectly on par with your yellow leather? Trying to flawlessly match shades can sometimes make an outfit look forced together and quite frankly, it can be more hassle than it’s worth. I’m not saying mix in every yellow themed item you own into one look, but be experimental and don’t feel like you have to go out and buy a completely new wardrobe based around your leather jacket. Think carefully about what you already have in your wardrobe – you’d be surprised with what can actually go together.
In terms of footwear, trainers go with practically anything these days, as do boots. If you’re feeling a little more daring, opt for a boot either the same colour as or similar to your leather. Alternatively, complete your look with a chunky biker boot for a grungier style.
Focus on the details that you can incorporate into an outfit with a coloured leather. Going back to the grunge style, anything with ripped or acid washed denim, be it skirt or jeans, is perfect for a relaxed biker vibe. If you’re someone who would prefer to keep it simple with such a distinctive coloured leather, opt for a jersey dress or a simple slip dress layered over a t-shirt with trainers for a clean, minimal look.
Image credit: Natalie Borton
If you are looking for something slightly more low-key, a dark bottle green, navy, or natural toned leather jacket is the way forward. While there is a vast array of natural tones out there, tan is a one that stands out to me. For me, a tan leather asymmetric biker already brings a sense of sophistication, as does tailoring (which is a big trend at the minute) so it makes perfect sense to combine the two. For a tonal look, wear your tanned leather with a pair of tan/camel/beige coloured straight legged tailored trousers with a tucked in off-white shirt to achieve a muted sartorial style. For footwear, white trainers, tonal or white sling back flats or ankle boots to complete the look. Don’t feel like you have to stick to all neutrals as this leather would also work well and look ultra-chic with an all-white or all black outfit underneath.
It’s always worth experimenting with different elements of clothing to find what will look best with your coloured leather jacket. Hopefully this guide is somewhat useful to you. It’s all about what you feel confident in!
