Leather Clothing and Accessories
Leather Shirt Outfit Ideas: How to Style a Leather Shirt or Overshirt
Wear a leather shirt like an overshirt: open over a tee with jeans, or closed with chinos or dress pants. Outfit table, colors and common mistakes.
Wear a leather shirt like an overshirt. Put it over a T-shirt with jeans for weekends, or over a knit or a button shirt with chinos for smart casual evenings. For a dressier look, tuck it into a skirt or wear it with dress pants and heels. Leave it open for a loose look, or close it for a neater line.
One thing to know first: the "leather shirts" sold at Leather Collection are shirt-style jackets. They have a shirt collar and a button or zip front and are light enough to layer like a shirt, but they are not thin shirts made to tuck under a jacket. The ideas below work for both.
This page is part of our leather clothing and accessories guide. For whether leather shirts are still worn, see are leather shirts in style?
Key takeaways- Treat it as a layer: open over a tee, or closed over a thin top.- Jeans and sneakers for casual days; a skirt or dress pants and heels for dressier days.- Black and brown go with most outfits. Camel, beige and white look lighter.- An all-leather outfit is a monochrome look. Break it up with one contrasting piece.
What you need
- A leather shirt or shirt jacket. Men's styles come in cowhide, sheepskin or goatskin, 0.8 to 1.0 mm (about 0.03 to 0.04 in) thick. Women's styles are mostly sheepskin, 0.8 to 0.9 mm.
- Something thin to go under it: a T-shirt, a knit, a button shirt or a light top.
- Bottoms for the occasion: jeans, chinos, dress pants or a skirt.
Outfit ideas at a glance
The Aesthetic Edge styled faux leather shirts. Leather Collection's women's pieces are real sheepskin, mostly 0.8 to 0.9 mm thick.
| Occasion | Under it | Bottoms | Shoes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend (men) | T-shirt, shirt worn open | Jeans | Not stated | Leather Collection |
| Smart casual evening (men) | Knit or button shirt | Chinos | Not stated | Leather Collection |
| Errands (women) | Shirt worn on its own | Jeans | Flats | The Aesthetic Edge |
| Work (women) | Shirt worn on its own | Pinstripe dress pants | Ballet flats | The Aesthetic Edge |
| Dressy (women) | Shirt tucked in | Tulle skirt | Heeled booties | The Aesthetic Edge |
| Layered (women) | Graphic tee, shirt open | Black skirt | Booties | The Aesthetic Edge |
| All-leather (women) | Shirt | Leather midi skirt | Contrasting booties | The Aesthetic Edge |
Step 1: Decide open or closed
Open, a leather shirt works as a layer over whatever is underneath. Closed, it reads as the main top. The Aesthetic Edge's layered look, worn open over a graphic tee, works with button-down or zip-front shirts.
Step 2: Pick the bottoms by occasion
For casual looks, The Aesthetic Edge pairs a leather shirt with jeans and sneakers. For dressier looks, it's a skirt or dress pants with heels. Leather Collection's men's version: jeans for weekends, chinos for smart casual evenings.
Step 3: Choose what goes under it, and what goes over
A shirt-style jacket is often worn over a thin top. For a warmer outfit, a lined version slips on easily over a shirt or a sweater. For another layer on top, The Aesthetic Edge suggests a blazer or a denim jacket.
Lining changes how shirt-like it feels. With no lining, the piece stays thin and light, closer to a real shirt.
Step 4: Pick a color that works with your wardrobe
Black and brown suit most outfits. Beige, camel and white give a lighter look. Neutral colors read classic, while bold colors and patterns read more trend-led.
Women's shirt-style jackets at Leather Collection come in black, red, pink, brown, chocolate brown, camel, olive and blue, with black the most common. The men's shirt jackets come in black, brown, beige, camel and white.
Step 5: Go all-leather with care
Leather on leather is a monochrome look. The Aesthetic Edge pairs a leather shirt with a leather midi skirt and breaks up the black with white studded booties. Vogue lists a black leather button-up shirt, a tailored trouser and a miniskirt among its black leather staples.
For leather bottoms, see how to wear leather trousers and what to wear with a short leather skirt.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Expecting a thin, tuck-under shirt from a shirt jacket | It is a layer; wear it over a thin top |
| A heavy lining for warm days | Choose no lining for a lighter piece |
| All-black leather head to toe with nothing to break it up | Add one contrasting piece, such as light shoes |
Where to find one
Men's styles are in Leather Collection's leather shirt jackets. Women's styles are under Leather Collection women's leather shirts, which are also shirt-style jackets. Both can be cut to your own measurements. Matching gloves for cold days are covered in how to match gloves with your outfit.
FAQ
What do you pair with a leather shirt?
Jeans and sneakers for casual days. A skirt or dress pants with heels for dressier days, with a blazer or denim jacket if you want another layer.
What kind of pants should I wear with a leather top?
Jeans or chinos are the easy choices. For work, The Aesthetic Edge pairs one with pinstripe dress pants and ballet flats.
Are leather shirts still in style?
Vogue counts a black leather button-up among its leather staples. Our trend page looks at that question in full.
leatheride Editorial Team
leatheride articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.