The Fine Art of Family eMagazine

When I was in Italy some years ago, I bought this classic brown leather jacket from a small store off a side street in Florence. At the time, I thought it was one of the “coolest” things I had ever purchased. Little did I know how much of an impact it would have on my wardrobe.

Though I own a lot of clothes (my apartment is bursting at the seams with stashes in every nook and corner), you might never know it considering how often I’m seen wearing my leather jacket. Remember that classic “Seinfeld” episode when Jerry dates the girl who “never changes”? I imagine that’s how my boyfriend and friends feel about me when they see me wearing my leather jacket–again.

It’s not that nothing else looks good. I have a ton of other great outfit toppers ranging from tailored blazers and cropped blazers to bombers and vests. It’s just that nothing else looks as good. The best part: It’s only gets better with age. Every time you wear it (almost 365 times a year in my case) it just gets softer, creamier, and increasingly worn in, fitting better every day.

Regardless of the decade, a leather jacket is an instant coolifier. Perhaps due to its history: At first, the leather jacket was part of the standard uniform of the brave airmen who wore them to keep warm in the cockpit during WWI and WWII. Later it was associated with tough guy actors from the 1950s, like Marlon Brando, and the 1980s, like Tom Cruise (AKA, Maverick), as well as rebelling youth, like punk stars the Ramones. Now you’ll see it on just about any celebrity and the infamous M.O.D. (models off duty).

Designers like Balenciaga, Rick Owens, and Mike & Chris make incredible leather jackets. Retailers like Zara and H&M offer their own brilliant, more affordable versions. A good leather jacket is a good leather jacket, whether it was made by a high-end designer, a giant retailer, or a little leather shop in an Italian town. This is one purchase that I will never have to worry about developing buyer’s remorse: It truly will last a lifetime.

[Photography courtesy of The Kobal Collection (left) and staff photographer (right).]

Tags: Built to Last, Celebrating, Fashion