SHOP $200, quince.com
Welcome to the Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash.
A high-quality leather jacket should be a staple in every man’s wardrobe, and the right one needs to be versatile, sturdy, and, of course, stylish. Everyone has a different preference in fit and style, and I consider myself to be pickier than most. When my former, faux leather jacket completely tore on me last winter, I had to brace myself to hunt down a new perfect style for this winter. The search was long, strenuous, and fraught with danger, but I finally found the ultimate leather jacket—Quince’s 100% Leather Harrington Jacket.
Nothing is quite so classic as the leather jacket is. Doesn’t matter if you’re reaching for a biker or a bomber, an oversized jacket or a fitted one; the bottom line is, you’re reaching for a leather jacket regardless, and you should be reaching for this one. It’s the best one I’ve found in my search, and the one I’ve been wearing all throughout this season—and I know I’ll be wearing it for winters to come, too.
SHOP $200, quince.com
You Can’t Beat the Price
Faux leather just doesn’t feel or perform as good as real leather does, but real leather tends to be way pricier. A quick search into 100 percent genuine leather jackets will reveal that much to you; finding a decent pick under 500 bucks isn’t easy work. That’s where Quince comes in.
Over the years, Quince has become my immediate go-to search for when I want something that doesn’t skimp in quality, but doesn’t break my bank account either. The brand’s 100 percent Mongolian cashmere sweaters for under $100 put me on, and everything I’ve had from them since has been just as great. So naturally, when I saw that Quince offers a real, full-grain, 100 percent leather jacket for less than $200—a real rarity, in this day and age—, I was sold. Trust me when I tell you that you aren’t going to find top-grain sheep leather at this price anywhere else; be my guest to try if you’d like to, but I’ve already been down that route.
You may assume that there has to be some sort of defect that allows this jacket to be so affordable. I thought so, too; but try as you might, you won’t find anything less than high-quality here. The leather is sturdy and warm, the way it should feel; it’s structured at first and breaks-in over time, and performs like a jacket four times this price would, too. Honestly, this is the kind of jacket that’s just so good, it’ll make you side-eye the other brands that offer similar styles for astronomically more.
SHOP $200, quince.com
It’s Classic and Timeless
To be totally transparent, I’ve never really rocked with a leather Harrington jacket before. All my past, beloved leather jackets have usually been biker jackets, bomber jackets, or aviator jackets. I’ve always loved a good Harrington, though, and Quince showed me that combining the two just makes sense.
Harrington jackets were popularized in the 1980s, taking roots in British counterculture. They started off cool, and remained cool—just look at one of the most iconic Harringtons of all time, worn by James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause. The silhouette is timeless and classic; it’ll never go out of style, and better yet, it’s versatile enough to be styled with anything, from a dressed-up pair of pleated pants and a button-down to a casual tee and baggy jeans.
This is the jacket you’ll wear most often this season, ‘cause you can wear it pretty much anywhere, with anything. It’s simple and chic, with its pointed collars, discreet side pockets, and a smooth full-frontal zipper. I have the black colorway, and I’ve been wearing it to black-tie events and to Sunday morning bagel runs alike; if you opt for the brown colorway, you have just as many options, plus the added vibe of autumnal coziness. Either way, you never have to worry about this jacket going out of style; it’s an investment for years to come, minus the money you’d usually spend on such a timeless piece.
SHOP $200, quince.com
It’s Even Got the Details Right
Everyone knows that a good leather jacket is all about the details. When you buy something you want to wear for the long-haul, it has to be good enough to be able to serve you for the long-haul, too. Quince’s Harrington leather jacket is packed with the functionality you need.
The leather is tanned (in a non-profit factory aimed at promoting sustainability, by the way) biodegradable, and textured with a pebble grain that only gets better with time, as you wear it more and it adjusts to your body and to the weather. To be honest, it’s slightly stiff at first, but any good leather is, from shoes to belts; the beauty is that it adjusts specifically to you.
On the inside, full poly-satin lining keeps you comfortable, too. I find this fabric to be incredibly breathable, with a cooling effect that’s very useful for those of you who, like me, get very hot very quickly. There’s also a chest pocket on the inside, alongside the two waist pockets on the outside, so don’t worry about having enough room to store your essentials, ‘cause you certainly do.
I sized up in my jacket, and it’s roomy enough to layer thick sweaters, hoodies, and tees underneath, but it does run slightly long. This is crafted to be true to size with room in the shoulders though, so keep that in mind when you select a size; you definitely don’t need to size up in order to layer. To make the fit even more adjustable, there are snap buttons at the cuffs; easy to roll up once or twice, if you want to, or to leave as-is—and leaving it as-is means leaving it as the ultimate leather jacket.
SHOP $200, quince.com
Photographs by Joe Lingeman. Prop styling by Heather Greene.
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