Hi Belle,

First off, I’m a huge fan of the blog. It was incredibly helpful a few years ago when I was a new grad starting my first DC job and had no idea what to wear!

I’m hoping you can help me. I’ve been looking for a classic leather jacket that wouldn’t look out of place with both dressy or casual clothing in either black or a natural brown. I like zippers and more moto styles, but I don’t want anything too unusual. I need something that is a little longer so it’s not accidentally a cropped jacket, which so many of them are.  I’d like to spend sub-$500, less if possible.

Thanks! Rachel

My favorite leather jackets come from Tahari.  They’re longer than many of the styles you see for sale, and they’re well made.  The leather also has a good feel to it.

Tahari Drape Collar Jacket ($299)

This Tahari jacket is on sale at Nordstrom in either black or grey.  You can also find it at Bloomingdale’s in brown for full-price.

I think the best place to go looking for a well-priced leather jacket is Bluefly.  Lots of brands, styles, and colors in a variety of price points. They have this Elie Tahari leather jacket, that hits at the hip, in three colors.  I also like this moto-style DKNY jacket in luggage brown.

Looking for a feminine leather jacket?  I love this blush-colored jacket from Neiman Marcus.

One last place to look is eBay.  I tried on several brands before I realized Mike & Chris was the fit I was looking for, so I searched eBay religiously for a few months and picked up a jacket for $125.