Leather Jacket Styles
What Is a Moto Jacket? Features and Origins
A moto jacket is a short leather biker-style jacket with an angled zip, snap lapels and a belt. What the name means, why each detail exists, and its history.
A moto jacket is a short, close-fitting leather jacket in the style of a motorcycle jacket, usually black, with an angled front zip, a wide collar with snap-down lapels and a belted waist. "Moto" is simply short for motorcycle, so a moto jacket and a biker jacket are the same family of jacket.
The look took shape in the late 1920s, when Schott made its first Perfecto for a Harley-Davidson distributor. Many of its details, from the angled zip to the cropped waist, began as fixes for riders.
This page is part of our guide to leather jacket styles and their history.
What does "moto" mean?
"Moto" is a clipped form of "motorcycle". Wiktionary records it as a word for a motorcycle or moped in some varieties of English, and also for a single heat in a motocross race.
Sellers use "moto jacket" as a shorter name for the motorcycle jacket, a riding style that later became a fashion staple. Fashion writers tend to use "moto" for the edgier, shorter-hemmed take on the classic leather jacket, with more zips and hardware.
Moto jacket features
"Varies" means our sources do not give a riding reason for that detail. For a deeper look at the collar, see common jacket collar types and how to identify them.
| Feature | What it looks like | Why riders wanted it |
|---|---|---|
| Asymmetrical (angled) zip | Off-center main zip | Shields the rider from wind |
| Snap-down lapels and collar | Wide lapels that snap flat | Short, tied-down collars stopped flapping on early racing jackets |
| Belt with buckle | Attached belt at the hem | Added with the angled zip to keep wind out |
| Cropped waist | Ends at a fitted waist | Lets the wearer move freely while riding |
| Snaps and zips instead of buttons | Chrome snaps, zipped cuffs | More secure than buttons yet easy to use |
| Epaulettes | Snap-down shoulder straps | Varies |
| Snug fit | Close, almost tailored | Varies |
Where the moto jacket came from
Before the zip: riding coats and racing jackets
The first motorcycle clothing borrowed from cold-weather wear. From the 1890s, riders in cold climates wore thigh-length, usually double-breasted leather coats.
Around 1905 and 1906, as racing bikes got faster, riders switched to close-fitting leather jackets cropped to the waist, with short collars and tight sleeves. That racing cut stayed common until the Second World War.
1928: the Perfecto
The maker behind it began in 1913 as Schott, in a basement workshop on Manhattan's Lower East Side, making raincoats. The company made jackets for Beck, a large Harley-Davidson distributor, and its 1928 motorcycle jacket sold for $5.50 at a Long Island dealer.
The Museum at FIT says the Perfecto drew on the black leather jackets of German First World War aviators, with buttons swapped for chrome snaps and zips. It carried the name Irving Schott had given his top leather jackets, after a Cuban cigar he liked.
Was it the first?
Sources disagree. Schott calls its 1928 jacket "the first modern leather motorcycle jacket". Wikipedia says the classic American biker jacket was likely invented in 1925 by Henry Shaw of Leathertogs in Massachusetts, with the Perfecto following from 1928.
The rebel years
Film made the moto a symbol. Marlon Brando wore a biker jacket in The Wild One, which helped American youth take up the leather jacket. Sources give the film's year as 1953 or 1954, and they also disagree on whether his jacket was a Schott original or a replica.
The Ramones wore Perfectos in the 1970s, and designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier made their own versions in the 1980s. Our brief history of jackets puts the moto next to the other classics.
Moto, biker, Perfecto or cafe racer?
These names overlap, which causes most of the confusion.
If you want the bomber side of the story, see bomber jacket vs motorcycle jacket.
| Name | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Moto jacket | Short name for a motorcycle jacket; in fashion, the zip-heavy, short-hemmed version |
| Biker jacket | The same classic leather motorcycle jacket, usually black |
| Perfecto | Schott's own name for its motorcycle jacket, first sold in 1928 |
| Double rider | A name some sellers use for the angled-zip biker |
| Cafe racer | A plainer cousin: short, straight zip, short collar, few extras |
Fashion moto or riding jacket?
They share a look, not a job. A fashion leather jacket would give little protection in a crash.
Jackets made for riding use thicker, stronger protective leather or technical fabrics, and usually carry padding at the elbows, spine and shoulders. If you ride, read types of motorcycle jackets and their uses before you buy.
Why is a moto jacket so short?
The short cut is a riding detail. The early racing jackets were cropped to the waist, and the Perfecto's waist was cropped so the rider could move freely. The full answer is in why are motorcycle jackets so short?
Is the moto jacket still worth buying?
Opinions differ. One 2025 article said the moto is "losing favor" while calling it trend-resistant, and a style writer calls it a classic you can wear at any age. We track the debate in are moto jackets in style?
Get a moto jacket made
The Leather Collection men's leather biker jackets range includes classic biker styles from 1950s films, cafe racers and zip-front casual jackets, mostly in black with brown, tan, grey, white and blue offered. They come in cowhide, sheepskin or lambskin, 0.8 to 1.3 mm (about 0.03 to 0.05 in) thick depending on style, and every jacket has a Custom Size option.
FAQ
What does moto jacket mean?
It means a motorcycle jacket: "moto" is short for motorcycle. In fashion it usually refers to the short leather jacket with an angled zip, snap lapels and a belt.
What is the difference between a biker jacket and a moto jacket?
There is no fixed difference; both names describe the same motorcycle-style leather jacket. Some writers use "moto" for a more fashion-led version with extra zips and hardware.
Are moto jackets outdated?
Not by most accounts, though one 2025 article said they were losing favor. Busbee Style calls the moto a classic you can wear at any age.
Which brand made the first moto jacket?
Most accounts name Schott, for its 1928 Perfecto. Wikipedia credits a 1925 jacket by Leathertogs, so the "first" is disputed.
Related guides
Sources
- The Museum at FIT, Schott Perfecto jacket (Beyond Rebellion: Fashioning the Biker Jacket, 2014)
- Schott NYC, The Schott Story
- Wikipedia: Motorcycle personal protective equipment, Jacket, Perfecto motorcycle jacket
- Wiktionary, moto
All read 2026-10-10.
leatheride Editorial Team
leatheride articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.