Dear Belle,
Thank you for the post last week on casual clothes for work. Could you suggest a leather or faux-leather jacket that isn’t cropped? I’d like to spend less than $175, but everything I’ve found in that price range is way too short.
Abbi
In that price point, you’re looking at faux-leather or vegan-leather as some retailers like to call it. Like with any synthetic material, there are good quality pieces and substandard pieces. So when shopping for leather-like materials, pay attention to thickness and feel. You want a material that is soft and pliable, not hard and plastic-y to the touch. You also want a material that isn’t too thin, it should have some weight to it.
While I can’t tell you whether these jackets pass the feel test, they do look like good options. So give them a try, and see if they live up to expectations.
Blank Denim Vegan Leather and Ponte Jacket ($92) // Forever 21 Street Chic Moto Jacket ($25) // BB Dakota Johs Leather Jacket ($118)
Leather Accents. To get a leather look without being awash in faux leather, I like jackets with leather accents of leather sleeves. This jacket from Blank denim has a cool slouchy look with a shawl collar. I also like this Mango jacket with leather appliqués, and this chocolate-brown Carmen Marc Valvo blazer with leather sleeves. Plus-size? DKNY makes a shawl collar blazer with faux-leather sleeves.
Burgundy Leather. The great thing about colored leather is that no one expects it to be of sublime quality. It’s a trend piece, a fashion item, it’s supposed to look good. This Forever21 jacket is definitely worth a look at less than the cost of a Happy Hour bar tab. This INC stand collar jacket with quilted details is a nice-looking piece. I also found this Blank denim option with zipper details. And plus-size ladies should check out this Modcloth See You Maroon jacket.
Not feeling burgundy? I also found this quilted white jacket from Zara or this Sam Edelman navy jacket with a studded collar.
Brown Leather Jackets are my personal favorite. I prefer the autumnal colors to the harshness of black. This New York & Co. jacket with a slight peplum is kind of interesting. And this collarless Charter Club jacket in a medium tan is a versatile piece at a good price.
You can also found leather or faux-leather jackets on Bluefly for a good price. They stock a number of great leather jackets in the mid-300s price point. I’m especially fond of this shawl collar Elie Tahari jacket.
10 comments
Jenn says:
I have a moto-style jacket from Express that I got a couple years ago that I really like. It was around $100, vegan leather, but it feels like real leather, and even ages like my old leather jacket. I don’t know what styles they have right now, but I know their faux leather material was pretty good for the price.
ml says:
You could also try Nordstrom Rack or TJ Maxx. I got a great quality Michael Kors leather jacket last season at the ~ $200 price point.
J says:
I second this. The Nordstrom Rack at 18th and L has leather and faux leather jackets in a bunch colors and styles – or at least they did when I stopped in a few weeks ago.
Michelle says:
I have that Tahari jacket from Bluefly. I LOVE IT! On top of being really chic looking, it is extremely warm. It is lined in some sort of sweater-like material. I wear it all the time and would recommend it to anyone looking for a sophisticated leather jacket or who isn’t so into the “biker” jacket look.
LadyMacbeth says:
I have the same jacket and I second Michelle’s comment. It’s also durable despite being made of a very soft leather. I’ve had it for two winters and wear it all the time.
Sharyn says:
Try Express. They have some of the softest, most realistic looking faux leather jackets that I’ve ever found. And they’re around $100.
Laura says:
Dressbarn, believe it or not, has a really nice range of faux-leather jackets in my local stores right now. All <$100 and feel very nice to me.
202 says:
I also saw some good ones at Niemans Last call this past weekend.
Mary Jo says:
I have that Forever 21 jacket. It was a little squeaky the first few times I wore it, but that has pretty much stopped. It looks a lot more expensive than it is, and I have received quite a few compliments.
Norma Fay says:
I love the look of faux leather Jackets. I found an amazing one at http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com. They had great deals, so I saved $100 on my new coat. The best part was, since it is faux leather, I get the look of leather without having the guilt.