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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Try Express. They have some of the softest, most realistic looking faux leather jackets that I’ve ever found. And they’re around $100.
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.
I also saw some good ones at Niemans Last call this past weekend.
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.
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.