Leather jackets have long been associated with adventure fashion, having a rugged charm. They are an awesome garment to wear and head outdoors, whether for leisure, travel or adventure. The often asked question however is, can you wear amens leather jacket to work? This blog is going to find out how to inculcate leather jackets in your overall work personality ensemble.
Appropriate Leather Jacket Types For A Professional Outfit
When deciding on leather jacket for a business casual look, opt for styles that are simple and not too fancy.
Avoid These In A Leather Jacket For Work
- Avoid heavily loaded leather jackets i.e. ones with rivets, studs, epaulettes etc.
- While there are some who wear biker jacket designs with notch collars, it`s still considered too over board for a professional personality.
- Avoid biker jackets with belts and buckles. That’s a thing for fashion outdoors, parties and bash only.
- A womens leather jacketcrafted with polished leather for extra gloss or a leather jacket crafted with rugged or distressed leather for a vintage touch is a BIG NO NO. You are going to work, not on a fashion show or an evening out with friends.
Look For These In A Work Leather Jacket
- Opt for a leather jacket that exudes sophistication. One that has a simple cool style. Your work personality should always be about professionalism and work readiness. Make sure to avoid leather jackets that are too fancy or highly fashionable. Choose ones that suit gives the right signals that you are here to work.
- Black and brown are two safe colors for leather jacket you intend to wear to work. We will elaborate further on colors going forward in this article.
Bomber Leather Jacket
This is a great garment piece to don as you head to work. The zip up design with front side pockets is a great statement piece. It`s a smart yet simplistic cool option to compliment your overall professional attire.
Of course you should avoid one with embroidery, patches etc.
Straight Fit Biker Jacket
A straight fit biker jacket is another simple yet cool design that can add volumes to your work personality without much effort. It has a minimalist design ensemble, that goes well with semi casual & semi formal attire, adding a touch of mystery and elegance to your personality.
Avoid those fancy biker jackets with rivets, epaulettes, buckles etc. these are not the ones for an office get up.
Leather Jacket With Shirt Collars
This design is a great layering for your formal wardrobe as it has a pretty formal feel of its own, adding a powerful vibe to the overall ensemble. A stellar garment to wear with other formal attire and accessories for an aristo look.
Leather Blazers & Coats
Leather coat or blazer is an extremely elegant wardrobe option for professional settings. It adds class to your personality, a sign that you have a versatile personality with a rich taste in style.
- Don`t get too excited as you identify an attractive piece for yourself somewhere. Make sure you wear one that fits nicely to your body measurements and isn`t one that looks bigger or loose on you. Oversized ones look better on big muscular guys.
- It’s a great layering option for winters. If you`re on the move quite frequently at work or if its summers then it isn`t the best of choices.
The Best Colors For A Professional Leather Jacket
Leather jackets come in a plethora of hues and finished appearances. They suit different attires, activities and personality types. If you intend to use one professionally then you need to be careful what color you choose.
Decent Black Leather
– Black is symbolic with power yet has a pretty decent appearance. Choose a black leather jacket to add attraction and some mystery to your personality. Avoid those extremely glossy black mens leather jackets though. They fit the fashion centric look only and definitely not a nice cut for a professional environment. Coming off too loud is never advisable for a professional look.Versatile Shades Of Brown Leather
Brown leather is associated with timeless elegance and versatility. It`s also available in a variety of different shades. A tan or rusted brown leather jacket is an elegant option to sport for a smart business casual, business ready look at work. Try and avoid close to maroonish shades.
Sober Shades of Leather
Original leather is available in unique color shades and hues, thanks to imaginative leather tanning and modern dyeing techniques. Choose earthily, quietly decent color tones for your work leather jacket. Olive, light grey, a decent tone of blue etc. are all shades that can be a good match with other wardrobe, you wear to work.
Avoid Bright, Shiny Or Flashy Colors/Finishes To Leather
As mentioned above, flashy, glossier leather types or bright color options never tend to fit nicely in a professional and serious work avatar and hence must be avoided in the case of a leather jacket as well, which you intend to layer with your work wardrobe. Keep in mind, these leather types do look very attractive and might make you sway into believing `I need to look different from the crowd` but are definitely not a good idea for a seamless work personality.
Things To Wear With A Leather Jacket To Work
Interestingly, a leather jacket or blazer can be worn with both formal and business casual attire. The trick is to ensure it does not compete with other participants but instead be a nice add on to the ensemble. Let`s have a look at some good accessories to partner your leather jacket at the work place.
A Business Casual Appearance
T-Shirt Style
High neck T – Shirts or turtlenecks provide a rich professional look with a leather jacket. Of course round necks are the ones to avoid here for their overly casual appearance. Your T-Shirt should never be one of those with prints or embroidery etc.
Collar Shirts
A tailor fit dress shirt with jeans and khaki pants looks eternally stylish once you don a leather jacket on to it.
Dark Blue Jeans, Black Jeans or Straight Cotton Pants
Make sure that your jeans fits nicely and does not hang loose. Avoid any faded or worn out style fabric for your jeans to pair with a leather jacket. A blue jeans, preferably dark blue and black jeans are the best options to wear with a leather jacket. Dark shade smart casual pants provide a cool yet sober match to a leather jacket as well, both can function in tandem in you over all style ensemble at the work place.
Moccasin Shoes, Chelsea Boots
Now that you have made the effort to blend a leather jacket in your professional wardrobe, pair them with stylish shoes that fit the smart yet business casual genre i.e. Moccasin shoes or Chelsea Boots. Chinos are pretty trendy but don`t necessarily fit the billing with a leather jacket. And hey, you`re not on a biking trail with friends to wear joggers.
How To Style A Formal Appearance With A Leather Jacket
Formal Buttoned Down Shirt, Tailor Stitch Shirt
These shirts are a cornerstone of any formal attire. You can wear a simple leather biker jacket to enhance your style statement as well but a leather bomber jacket looks stellar on these shirts. Remember the aviator look with sun glasses?
‘A crisp white buttoned down shirt layered with a tan brown leather bomber jacket or black leather jacket on a white formal shirt can be a scintillating combination’
Dress Pants and Leather Blazers
Perhaps the most formal look can be attained when you don a leather coat or blazer on a typical formal attire comprising of a formal short, dress pants, waist coat and a tie. Can`t get more elegantly stylish, mysteriously attractive at work. P.S. a leather blazer should suit your appearance however and should not look too big on you. Perhaps, a thing for broad and tall guys to wear to suit the aesthetics.
Oxford & Derby Shoes
Complete your presentation with a stylish pair of formal shoes i.e. Oxford or Derby shoes. No room for any other smart casual option of course, given that you`re wearing a typically formal attire with the leather jacket as a sign off garment on top.
Is A Leather Blazer Still In Fashion?
A leather blazer is old fashion but something that can bring a refreshing change to your work look if you`re bored of the latest trends.
Are Leather Jackets Good To Wear To A Corporate Event
They are a stellar option to wear to a corporate gathering, however you should analyze these things before you finally decide to wear a leather jacket to one such event
- Purpose of event.
- Your company culture or the culture of the company by whom you have been invited.
- The nature of event.
- The audience & attendees – their age group, purpose of visit etc.
On A Finishing Note
Similar to your shirt, tie, shoes, belt etc. your leather jacket should provide a layering with precision. It should be a garment that adds value to your persona and a finishing touch to the whole ensemble. Carefully tread the line between stylish or too flashy/shouting out loud with your layering of a leather jacket at work. Good Luck!
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