Acceptable leather jackets for professional settings?

[Benproof]

I've always felt it's what you do, and how well you do it, that matters most. If your damn good at what you do, even the ugliest piece of clothing won't mean jack squat.

Ohhh..you don't live in England. Here, if you are damn good at what you do, it's the ugliest piece of clothing they use to hang you in a noose.

1916 it was fine to wear a leather jacket to work (aka bombing the hell out of so called enemies).

2016 it is fine to wear ankle cropped trousers to work, low crotch trousers and no crotch trousers; wear cross body man bags and Imelda Marcos shoes for men with low cut shirts designed to exaggerate men boobs. Leather jackets at work - just so passée.

 

[Superfluous]

I honestly think that if your style is yours, your confident in it and it becomes you, then wear whatever you want. If a bunch of buttoned up stiffs find it offensive or out of place that's their problem.

Sounds good in theory, but its far from reality. If your audience -- whether it be a client, judge, panel, tribunal, officer, decision maker, etc. -- is a "buttoned up stiff," their opinion of your dress indisputably matters; and, if they "find [your dress] offensive or out of place," it is NOT their problem -- rather, its YOUR problem. If you want to succeed, your dress/appearance must be consistent with the expectations of your audience, including most importantly those you seek to influence. For example, regardless of our respective businesses/industries, we all have clients. If our clients are comfortable with casual dress, so be it. However, if our clients expect us to dress a certain way -- e.g., suit and tie -- it is incumbent upon us to meet their expectations (or risk the consequences of failing to do so, including loss of business). Even clients who themselves dress casually often expect their professionals to dress more professionally then they do.

As others have repeatedly and accurately observed, it all depends on our individual circumstances. That said, one must consider the expectations of our audience and those we seek to influence, and adjust our dress accordingly. Keeping our clients/decision makers content and comfortable with us is OUR problem, not theirs.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I quite like a leather blazer. But like bike jackets there's hideous examples.

I've never had a job where I couldn't wear leather.

I think it's ironic that convention not good taste rules here. Many of our jackets cost a heap more than the hideous suits I see on the street everyday. Just this morning I saw a young lawyer in a shiny, fashionably tight number that gave me nosebleed.

 

[ton312]

Sounds good in theory, but its far from reality. If your audience -- whether it be a client, judge, panel, tribunal, officer, decision maker, etc. -- is a "buttoned up stiff," their opinion of your dress indisputably matters; and, if they "find [your dress] offensive or out of place," it is NOT their problem -- rather, its YOUR problem. If you want to succeed, your dress/appearance must be consistent with the expectations of your audience, including most importantly those you seek to influence. For example, regardless of our respective businesses/industries, we all have clients. If our clients are comfortable with casual dress, so be it. However, if our clients expect us to dress a certain way -- e.g., suit and tie -- it is incumbent upon us to meet their expectations (or risk the consequences of failing to do so, including loss of business). Even clients who themselves dress casually often expect their professionals to dress more professionally then they do.

As others have repeatedly and accurately observed, it all depends on our individual circumstances. That said, one must consider the expectations of our audience and those we seek to influence, and adjust our dress accordingly. Keeping our clients/decision makers content and comfortable with us is OUR problem, not theirs.

I suppose that's true. I couldn't be happier not to work in such an atomosphere tho. Even in a very traditional setting, my numerous tattoos, very unique appearance (by Catholic school standards) has never been the subject of how I was perceived or what I was capable of. Perhaps, to a fault, I've always been of the mind that I am what I am. If it doesn't fit the mold or expectations of those I "serve" I'll go somewhere else, and probably be better for it.

 

[cuchulain]

I work in corporate America as a VP of IT, and unfortunately I'm absolutely at the mercy of others opinions of me. I have tattoos from my time in the Marines but they don't quite fit in now that I'm an executive manager. I wear long sleeve shirts and rather mundane typical business casual attire, dress pants, oxfords, dress shirts, occasionally a sports coat. There's time for me to be me, but at work I have to be a conformist, it pays the bills, it is what it is. If I showed up at work with a leather blazer my boss would think I was having a nervous breakdown or something.

 

[ton312]

I work in corporate America as a VP of IT, and unfortunately I'm absolutely at the mercy of others opinions of me. I have tattoos from my time in the Marines but they don't quite fit in now that I'm an executive manager. I wear long sleeve shirts and rather mundane typical business casual attire, dress pants, oxfords, dress shirts, occasionally a sports coat. There's time for me to be me, but at work I have to be a conformist, it pays the bills, it is what it is. If I showed up at work with a leather blazer my boss would think I was having a nervous breakdown or something.

Yeah I hear you. One thing is for sure for me...I won't fall over dead on a pile of money!

 

[ProteinNerd]

I don't think I've ever seen a leather blazer actually look good...anyone got any examples?

 

[ton312]

I don't think I've ever seen a leather blazer actually look good...anyone got any examples?

If you do find such an example, you'll also likely find the wearer pictured while riding a fire breathing unicorn with a machine gun horn.

 

[Ralph_Phillips]

If you're the boss, wear anything you want. If you're not the boss, wear anything the boss wants.

 

[Superfluous]

I couldn't be happier not to work in such an atomosphere tho.

I'm jealous. In my private life, I am rigorously casual (rarely do I wear anything but jeans). However, in my work like, my dress is governed by the realities of my clients and the services I provide to them. While my track record of competence and success are of paramount importance, my appearance and presentation are also material factors. This is particularly true because I am the representative and advocate of my clients in matters for which absurd amounts of money are at stake, and the arbiters of these disputes care about appearance and professionalism. Therefore, like it or not, I must dress the part; and that part does not include a leather jacket in place of a sport coat or suit.

 

[Superfluous]

If you're the boss, wear anything you want. If you're not the boss, wear anything the boss wants.

Even the "boss" must cater to his/her clients.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I don't think I've ever seen a leather blazer actually look good...anyone got any examples?

Blazer - maybe not - leather coat, yes but it is subjective -

John Sim in Life on Mars
Brad Pitt in Fightlub and Killing Them Softly

 

[zebedee]

You don't wear a leather jacket at work- if work involves an office- unless you're a journo . You could wear it to work, but they look weird over a suit. I keep the leather for my own time. I did occasionally wear one when lecturing/teaching, but after a while I got the feeling that a) I was being a twit b) other people thought I was being a twit. You can have a relatively crap suit, but it is, at least, the right kind of garment for an office.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Blazer - maybe not - leather coat, yes but it is subjective -

John Sim in Life on Mars
Brad Pitt in Fightlub and Killing Them Softly

I don't think either of them scream "professional setting" though.

Still taking entries for decent looking leather Blazers......anyone?

 

[Marv]

I wear a leather jacket to work most days, either an A2 or G1 (wearing a B-10 at present) depending on the weather.
The office environment is smart casual but I wear shirt, trousers, dress shoes etc., I have attended meetings wearing my A2 and nothing was said, however for most of the time, the jacket just gets worn to and from the office and of course outside of work.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I don't think either of them scream "professional setting" though.

Still taking entries for decent looking leather Blazers......anyone?

Ok. I have always worn what I want at work so I probably don't relate to the question as others might.

 

[Benj]

I don't think either of them scream "professional setting" though.

Still taking entries for decent looking leather Blazers......anyone?

I might be biased because this guy is the founder of my favorite brand (Flat Head), but I think this looks great on him.

Masayoshi Kobayashi in his leather blazer:

 

[Benproof]

I don't think I've ever seen a leather blazer actually look good...anyone got any examples?

The USA police departments still issue leather jackets to officers, right?

I always thought it was acceptable for police officers to wear leather jackets at work...
They seem to have some great jacket styles which has inspired the civilian ape market.

 

[Edward]

I think it's ironic that convention not good taste rules here. Many of our jackets cost a heap more than the hideous suits I see on the street everyday. Just this morning I saw a young lawyer in a shiny, fashionably tight number that gave me nosebleed.

On the other hand, it's regularly observed in these parts that those hip hop pants /track suits / sportswear monstrosities cost several times the price of a decent suit... I don't think money really comes into it much when looking at acceptable business wear. I remember a member of the local council in Larne, NI, many years ago. He was voted in once or twice because people thought it was funny. He used to turn up at all functions in sweatshirt, trackpants, and a pair of trainers. Once they barred him from a formal council dinner because he refused to comply with the dresscode. He turned up in the paper the next week, insisting this was an outrage, and droning on that he should be allowed to turn up anywhere in his sportswear because it was "good quality" and expensive - "I never wear anything but Nikes on my feet, for example." Made rather an ass of himself. Nobody ever too him seriously after that.

 

[Grayland]