Wardrobe Essentials: Leather Jacket

This is the second part of my Wardrobe Essentials series: the adaptable and versatile foundations needed to build a wardrobe for any occasion. You can read the other parts here.


Leather jackets were first worn by aviators and the military at the turn of the twentieth century; they were designed to protect the wearer from extreme temperatures, which is why some are lined with sheepskin. Throughout the 40s, 50s and 60s the style was popularised by Hollywood and quickly became an immediate way to define a character as 'cool': Marlon Brando and Honor Blackman both wore leather motorcycle jackets in 50s and 60s films and TV. In the 60s and 70s leather jackets were worn by punks and heavy metal fans, leading the item to be increasingly associated with rebellion; these jackets were often accessorised with chains and studs. 

Cropped: Acne // Coloured: Carven // Aviator: Acne // Biker: Topshop

I first began my obsessive hunt for my own leather jacket after seeing off-duty models, especially Kate Moss, wearing them effortlessly in street style photos. I say obsessive hunt, because it is really difficult to find the perfect leather jacket: I didn't want to settle for the first one I found in Topshop, I wanted it to be an investment, with the perfect cut, fit, and hardware. Believe it or not, but I spent three years hunting down my perfect one! I found it in spring last year, a gorgeous Burberry one in the softest buttery black leather, cropped with silver hardware, but it was far too expensive. Fortunately, it made it into the Net-a-Porter summer sale, and I was in a position where I could just about afford it at half price, and I literally bought the last one! 

1: Chan Luu // 2: COS // 3: Topshop // 4: ASOS // 5: Johnny Loves Rosie // 6: River Island // 7: ASOS // 8: ASOS

I now wear it all the time, and I think leather is one of those fantastic materials that only gets better with age! I can't wait for it to start weathering and take on that perfect lived-in look. It can be worn in infinite combinations: to add interest to a simple jeans + tshirt combination, to rock up a pretty floaty dress, making a casual slouchy dress more stylish.

Wardrobe essentials: Black skinny jeans

I wrote previously about my intention behind what will hopefully become a series of posts about 'wardrobe essentials', the sartorial foundations on which a versatile wardrobe can be built, able to be adapted to any kind of event and situation.

This, the first post, is about the hardest working item in my own wardrobe: the black skinny jean. Since about the age of 15, I've worn a pair of these jeans at least once a week. I wear them to work, the library, restaurants, the pub, to travel in, nightclubs... you name a place, I'll wear my skinny jeans! They're so versatile, and once I've found a brand that suits both my body shape and your budget, I think I'll be sorted for life!

I currently have three pairs in rotation: a pair from New Look last summer, a pair from Vero Moda and a pair from Cheap Monday. My favourite ones are from Vero Moda; the material is super soft and stretchy, meaning they have an excellent tight fit but I can still easily jump around in them. They also don't gape at the back as my Cheap Monday ones do, or slide down horribly when I sit down as my New Look ones do. They're also a great bargain, currently on sale at £19.50 at ASOS!

left: Vero Moda Skinny Jeans // centre: Cheap Monday Tight V Stretch // right: New Look Skinny Jeans

When buying skinny jeans I always check out the fabric components to see how much stretch they're likely to have, but it's much better to try them on to see what the fit is really like. For example, the Vero Moda jeans apparently only have 1% elastene in them, but to me they feel much stretchier than both the Cheap Monday and New Look ones, which both have 2% elastene.

Although the cheapest at a mere £9.99, the New Look jeans have become very faded with wear, and now feel quite hard and stiff even after they've been worn - this makes them really hard to put on and sit cross-legged in, not ideal at all! I have had them for almost a year though, so they're quite good value really. The Vero Moda ones are by far my favourite though, and I think I'll be stocking up and buying a couple more pairs since they're on offer at the moment!

Do you consider black skinny jeans as one of your wardrobe staples? Which is your favourite brand?