Caring For Your Leather #5
01/07/07 12:55 Filed in: Leather
by LeatherBear
The basic outfit of leathermen has common elements accented by items of individual taste and affordability. Even the common garments may be varied, remembering that if you stray too far, you will upset the overall look you are striving for.
The basic outfit of leathermen has common elements accented by items of individual taste and affordability. Even the common garments may be varied, remembering that if you stray too far, you will upset the overall look you are striving for.
If you are going to buy only one piece of gear to
start your collection, it should be a black leather
motorcycle jacket. You know the kind I mean: the
classic look with chrome buttons and bright zippers.
Paired with nicely broken-in Levis, you can look
pretty tough. That aside, for the price of a quality
jacket, say, between $150 to $650, you can outfit
yourself more completely with boots, belt, vest, and
maybe another accessory or two. Take a look around at
the next leather night or event you attend. There are
always a few guys in a black leather racing jacket,
store brand jeans with a dress belt, and loafers. All
past sins are forgiven, but let’s avoid that in the
future. Think Tom of Finland. He nailed the look dead
on. If you wear running shoes, you can at least fake
a foot injury.
Most leather bars or gatherings require that you wear at least one major item of leather clothing. Qualifying for this would be a jacket, a vest, chaps, or leather pants. Still, an assembly of the right accessories can add up to a look that gets you through the door in better style than any one of these. A well-selected belt, the right boots, a harness, armbands, and a hat build a hot-looking outfit over jeans.
A quick word about jeans: I have no doubt of the equal quality among many brands, but if you are shooting for the true look, there is no substitute for Levi Strauss. Believe it or not, some leather bars, especially in bigger cities where they have a larger client base to draw from, will not let you in the door if your jeans don’t have that tell-all leather label on the back.
Despite what I said about the one-item wardrobe above, your starting place (other than your jeans) should be your boots. Quintessentially, the look is smooth, black, shiny, round-toe, pull-on boots rising to the bottom of your knee. The perfectly acceptable and lower cost alternative is the classic engineer boot, not quite as tall, but still appealing. Cowboy boots are not a part of this outfit. Lace-up boots are fine for bar wear, but avoid the combat boot look unless you are doing a military uniform thing. Your boots should be clean and polished, preferably taken care of by your local boot black.
The next item of concern is your belt. Don’t underestimate the effect your belt has on your overall look. The choices here are NOT narrow versus wide – it should be a minimum of 1 ½ inches wide – but rather studded or plain. Look for something thick, at least 8- or 9-ounce leather. If you want a belt you can wear other than with your leather gear, buy a plain black belt. If you are willing to have a belt that you only wear with leather gear, tuff it up!
Another item to consider first line is a bar vest, and this is one place where it is hard to go wrong. Who wears black leather vests besides bikers and leathermen? There are a ton of styles available, and you can spend as little as $30 or as much as $300 depending on the quality, manufacturer, and style.
The next article, the last in this series, will discuss finishing out your leatherman gear with accoutrements that distinguish you as a top/bottom or dominant/submissive. We’ll talk about chaps, harnesses, and finishing touches. In the meantime, remember Leather Night at the Barracks on the first Saturday of every month, and Bear Night on the third.
Most leather bars or gatherings require that you wear at least one major item of leather clothing. Qualifying for this would be a jacket, a vest, chaps, or leather pants. Still, an assembly of the right accessories can add up to a look that gets you through the door in better style than any one of these. A well-selected belt, the right boots, a harness, armbands, and a hat build a hot-looking outfit over jeans.
A quick word about jeans: I have no doubt of the equal quality among many brands, but if you are shooting for the true look, there is no substitute for Levi Strauss. Believe it or not, some leather bars, especially in bigger cities where they have a larger client base to draw from, will not let you in the door if your jeans don’t have that tell-all leather label on the back.
Despite what I said about the one-item wardrobe above, your starting place (other than your jeans) should be your boots. Quintessentially, the look is smooth, black, shiny, round-toe, pull-on boots rising to the bottom of your knee. The perfectly acceptable and lower cost alternative is the classic engineer boot, not quite as tall, but still appealing. Cowboy boots are not a part of this outfit. Lace-up boots are fine for bar wear, but avoid the combat boot look unless you are doing a military uniform thing. Your boots should be clean and polished, preferably taken care of by your local boot black.
The next item of concern is your belt. Don’t underestimate the effect your belt has on your overall look. The choices here are NOT narrow versus wide – it should be a minimum of 1 ½ inches wide – but rather studded or plain. Look for something thick, at least 8- or 9-ounce leather. If you want a belt you can wear other than with your leather gear, buy a plain black belt. If you are willing to have a belt that you only wear with leather gear, tuff it up!
Another item to consider first line is a bar vest, and this is one place where it is hard to go wrong. Who wears black leather vests besides bikers and leathermen? There are a ton of styles available, and you can spend as little as $30 or as much as $300 depending on the quality, manufacturer, and style.
The next article, the last in this series, will discuss finishing out your leatherman gear with accoutrements that distinguish you as a top/bottom or dominant/submissive. We’ll talk about chaps, harnesses, and finishing touches. In the meantime, remember Leather Night at the Barracks on the first Saturday of every month, and Bear Night on the third.