How to Wear and Choose Leather Clothing and Accessories

How to wear leather depends on the piece. A vest should cover your trouser waistband. Gloves should suit the texture and color of the outfit, and a skirt or a pair of trousers starts with the right waist and hip size.

Leather now goes well past the jacket. Vogue's fall edit lists shirts, trousers, skirts and dresses in black, brown and cream. Each section below gives one fit rule and one style rule from a named source, links to the full guide, and says where the store sells the piece and where it doesn't.

Key takeaways- Vests: length matters most. A dress vest covers the waistband, and many riders want a vest that covers the lower back when seated.- Gloves: smooth lambskin goes with tailoring and grained deerskin with workwear. Brown is the most versatile color.- Shirts: the store sells shirt-style jackets, not true leather shirts.- Belts, wallets and hats are not listed on the store's sitemap.

Jackets have their own guides: how to style jackets and build outfits and leather jacket styles.

Leather vests

Americans and Canadians call it a vest, and the British call it a waistcoat. The biker version, the cut-off, is usually a denim or leather jacket with the sleeves removed, often covered in patches.

Fit rule: length comes first. Articles of Style says a vest should fully cover the trouser waistband with no shirt showing. Riding vests sit differently: Staghide says most riders prefer a vest that covers the lower back while seated on the bike.

Style rule: Orvis says the shoulders should lie flat and that a vest worn with jeans needs to fit well. A biker vest has snaps, straps or laces for riding. A classic vest has a cleaner front and is easy to wear over a shirt or sweater.

Leather pants and trousers

Vogue names a black leather tailored trouser as a wardrobe staple. Men's pants at the store are cowhide, 0.9 to 1.3 mm (about 0.035 to 0.05 in) thick, in classic, low rise, jeans-style and riding cuts. Women's pairs are mostly softer 0.8 to 0.9 mm (about 0.03 in) sheepskin, cowhide or goatskin, in slim jeans, lace-up and bell-bottom cuts.

Fit rule: both ranges can be cut to your own waist and leg numbers.

• Pairings and proportions: how to wear leather trousers
• The office question: can you wear leather pants to work?
• Heat: can you wear leather pants in summer?
• Why they turn heads: why leather pants make a bold style statement

Leather shirts

Vogue's list of black leather staples includes a button-up shirt. Before you shop, know what you're buying. The store's "leather shirts" for women are shirt-style jackets, light enough to layer like a shirt. The men's version is a leather shirt jacket with a shirt collar and a button or zip front. Neither is a thin shirt cut to tuck in.

• Outfits: leather shirt outfit ideas and styling tips
• Trend check: are leather shirts in style?

Leather skirts

The store sells mini, midi, A-line, pleated and pencil skirts, mostly in 0.8 to 0.9 mm (about 0.03 in) sheepskin. Vogue counts the black leather miniskirt among its staples.

Fit rule: the store's advice is to go by the larger of your waist or hip size for a pencil skirt. A-line and pleated cuts leave more room at the hips.

• Short skirts: what to wear with a short leather skirt

Leather gloves

Derek Guy of Put This On matches the glove leather to the cloth you're wearing:

On color, he says black or gray suits mostly black or gray outfits and brown is the most versatile. Gloves need not match your shoes, but they should suit the whole outfit. He wears unlined gloves above 50°F (10°C) and cashmere-lined pairs below that.

Know which gloves you need. The store's men's glove category sells dress, driving, woven and lined winter gloves. Riding gloves are in a separate motorcycle glove range. Women's gloves are mostly lambskin, many with suede, lined in cashmere, wool, silk or fur.

• Matching gloves to clothes: how to match gloves with your outfit
• Trend check: are leather gloves in style?

Chaps, bags and coats

These pieces don't have their own guides yet.

• Chaps go on over jeans to add wind and road cover on longer rides. Women's assless chaps cover the front and sides of each leg and leave the seat open.
• Bags: the store sells messenger, laptop, duffle, travel and shoulder bags, most of them unisex. A custom bag lets you set the strap length, pocket layout and size.
• Coats: men's coats run from full-length trench to shorter cuts. Women's coats come in 3/4 length, long trench, peacoat and blazer cuts. Coat styling is covered in the jacket styling guide linked at the top.

Belts, wallets and hats are not on the store's sitemap, so this guide gives no store link for them. Hide grades and construction are outside the scope of this style guide.

Where to buy each piece

Vests, pants and women's coats can all be cut to your own measurements. The table links the category that actually sells each piece.

FAQ

What time of the year do you wear leather?

It depends on the piece. For hot days, the store sells perforated vests that let air in and unlined vests that stay light. For cold days, it sells gloves lined with Thinsulate, cashmere wool or shearling. For trousers in the heat, see the summer leather pants guide linked above.

Which color leather gloves look better, black or brown?

Derek Guy of Put This On calls brown the most versatile. He keeps black or gray for outfits that are mostly black or gray.

Will a leather vest stretch?

Not much. Leather softens with wear but does not change size significantly, so buy the size that fits now.