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What do you layer under your leather jacket?

newtojackets

Practically Family
Messages
960
Imo if you can’t layer anything, under your leather jacket, other than a t-shirt you are buying the wrong size. A jacket should be versatile, and you should be able to wear it as much as possible, so if you are buying that tight fashion fit you greatly limit the use of the jacket.
Not necessarily. Some styles e.g. the board racer / J100 are ‘riding shirts’ i.e. are holes are too high to layer with most things
 

Kenan

A-List Customer
Messages
374
Not necessarily. Some styles e.g. the board racer / J100 are ‘riding shirts’ i.e. are holes are too high to layer with most things
I would still buy it in a size where I could wear a long sleeved racing t-shirt underneath at least.
 

Peacoat

*
Bartender
Messages
6,445
Location
South of Nashville
I don't much wear leather when it is cold. My Thunder Bay is good to around freezing with no layering. Below that I go with wool or down.

When on the motorcycle, I wear a vest, of which I have several. When it got really cold, I woiuld wear a heated vest, which is the only way to go. These days I no longer ride when it is cold enough for the heated vest. With age comes wisdom.
 

Bfd70

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,282
Location
Traverse city
Imo if you can’t layer anything, under your leather jacket, other than a t-shirt you are buying the wrong size. A jacket should be versatile, and you should be able to wear it as much as possible, so if you are buying that tight fashion fit you greatly limit the use of the jacket.

I wear heavy, thick sweaters over shirts or t-shirts. I no longer have a single jacket that doesn't allow for massive layering & isn't warmly insulated as I'm sick of being cold each year.

While good as a wind protection, leather is in fact counter-productive at battling cold. It's actually got cooling properties! It can trap and hold some warmth around you, especially if it's well lined with something providing decent insulation such as wool or polyester padded quilted lining, but in order for that to work, you need space and you need layers that actually sufficiently warm you up so there is some heat to hold.

Otherwise, wearing an I don't know, slim fitting cafe-racer over a thin shirt on an actually cold day may be worse than wearing just a thin shirt.

Leather jackets are intended to be worn over everything else so if you live somewhere cold, the sooner you drop the notion of looking cool in a slim-fitting leather jacket, the better.
I’ve been screaming this lately. I know it doesn’t apply to those in climates where it doesn’t get below 50f much but for those of us in 4 season climates skin tight and sexy is only worthwhile if you’re 25 or younger.
 

Kenan

A-List Customer
Messages
374
I’ve been screaming this lately. I know it doesn’t apply to those in climates where it doesn’t get below 50f much but for those of us in 4 season climates skin tight and sexy is only worthwhile if you’re 25 or younger.
Or if you want to look like a Ramone
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,074
Location
London, UK
For me it very much depends on the jacket. I have several jackets that are sized such that they will comfortably fit collar and tie and a waistcoat if suitable. Other jackets - like my shearlings - are in a size that allow me to fit those plus a heavier sweater or cardigan as well. Considered one of these a while back:

1671475920936.png


to go either on its own or over a leather, but in the end I decided it just looked somehow much too 'modern' for my tastes. (In an ideal world, I'd never wear anything that looked overtly post-1960.)
 

snowbird

New in Town
Messages
5
This is all good stuff. I am kind of leaning towards something a little smoother so that it can slide in and out over my wool lining easier. Something like this maybe. The key is it would have to be fairly thin so that it isn’t too bulky. Anyone tried something like this?
43059F6D-3565-4F62-9F6E-A7147C63D8C9.jpeg
 

Carlos840

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,944
Location
London
This is all good stuff. I am kind of leaning towards something a little smoother so that it can slide in and out over my wool lining easier. Something like this maybe. The key is it would have to be fairly thin so that it isn’t too bulky. Anyone tried something like this? View attachment 474377

I have this IH thing which is basically the same thing:

https://www.ironheart.co.uk/jackets/ihj-79-blk.html

IMO it only fits comfortably if your leather jacket is 1 size too big to start with.
I can't fit it in my usual size 42 jackets, only in my winter size 44 jackets.
 

Aloysius

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,943
Or if you want to look like a Ramone

Except for Marky’s Monza which he mostly wore with his previous band, their jackets were nowhere near as undersized as people imagine. Dee Dee regularly wore a hoodie under his Perfecto, as did Joey (whose sizing had other problems, chiefly his being far taller than average). Johnny’s is clearly true to size, as are Joey’s Lewis jackets and later Vanson jackets.
 

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