Everything gets better with age. Wine, women, song and, yes leather. The feel and touch of a soft distressed leather jacket is the ultimate in looking and being cool.
Nothing feels better against the body than a great pair of worn out, distressed jeans, right? Well, pairing them with a great distressed leather jacket and a pair of distressed boots and your look is complete.
Chances are you might very well have a priceless gem hanging in your downstairs coat closet. If you already own an older leather jacket (and who hasn’t had one or two in their lifetime), and haven’t worn it because it is too “worn out”, then it is time to take another look.
Many people go to great lengths to distress their own new leather, from using rubbing alcohol, crumpling it and even kicking it around in the dirt. Imagine? A brand new leather jacket being kicked around in the dirt? But, with distressed leather, the older, the more worn out looking, the better.
Leather is one of the materials, like denim, that actually looks better with age. Like your favorite t-shirt or pair of shoes, it doesn’t matter how old it gets, it just is comfortable against the skin.
So what exactly is a distressed leather jacket? Distressed leather is leather that has been treated to age the appearance without damaging or weakening the integrity of the garment.
Basically, it is giving a vintage feel or weathered, broken in look to the garment. The process ages the material without weakening it but achieves that “soft, cool” feel. Leather accessories such as gloves and vests can also be distressed to complete a great look.
Distressed leather jackets are often more visually appealing to the consumer than a newer looking leather jacket. Because of this, the distressed jackets will usually sell for a higher price than the brand new leather. This is one of the reasons, many opt to buy new and distress their own.
Regardless of whether you buy your distressed leather jacket, distress it yourself or just grab an old “almost thrown out” gem from your closet, owning one is the ultimate statement of cool.