Do You Think Leather Jackets Are Cool?

It’s so hot, the only reason you should be wearing a leather jacket right now is if you’re the Fonz, your lover is a “cub,” or you refer to your motorcycle as a hog without getting laughed at or punched in the nose. Now that tween pop idols have stolen tricked-out leather jackets from the punks, are they signifiers of “cool” anymore? 

VICE: Do you think leather jackets are cool?
Zoey (left): Yes, totally. Especially with studs because they’re kind of gangster, but it’s still…
Sophia (right): Fashionable?
Zoey: Yes, fashionable. I think in high fashion, leather jackets look cool because it’s high quality. The leather is edgy.

Where are all you from?
Zoey and Sophia: Berlin.

Ellis: Uh, yes. 
Nathan: Quoi? 
Ellis: Vestes en cuir. Sont-ils a la mode?
Nathan: Oui. 
Ellis: Yes, oui. 

Why are they fashionable?
Ellis: Because I think it’s a little bit vintage, but also a little chic, but also a little rough-looking.
Nathan: Oui, j’ai une veste. 
Ellis: He has one. 

I met some girls on the other side of the park from Berlin, and they also like leather jackets for similar reasons. Are they popular in Europe? 
Ellis: Popular? Yes. We all like them. 
Nathan: Oui.

J’ai compris. 

Josh (left): On certain people, sure.

What kind of people?
Not me.

Especially not today, it’s too hot.
Correct.

You could wear a light one.
Marshall (right): I don’t think they’re good at all for the summer. I think they’re definitely designated to fall, winter, and spring. And, I mean, the close fit is always going to be in style, but the baggy look… yuck!

What are the best colors for a leather jacket?
Black jackets in general are going out of style and fading away. Brown is coming back.

Josh: And I just remembered that I have a very motorcycle-style leather jacket that I sometimes wear, so… Oops. It’s brown. 

Emily: I do. I have one. I like it. 
Jeff: Yes, absolutely. Not today, but…
Emily: He has a really cool one.

Why do you guys think they’re still in style?
Emily: I think they’ll always be in style. It’s a look, you know. It’s tough, it’s New York. 

Chris: Yeah, I love leather jackets. Black ones are usually my favorite—with studs. Especially biker jackets. I like when they’re more loose and not so tight and fit. I like a good studded leather jacket on some people, usually not on me, though. I try to make it more subtle when I wear one. 

John: Yeah. 

Do you have any?
No, I don’t. 

You just think they’re cool?
Yeah. I’m from Miami, we don’t really ever need them there. But I just moved here. I should get one, right?

Right. 

Michelle (left): It depends, not now. 

Kathleen (center): I like sweater jackets more. 

Caroline (right): I think people can work them.

Michelle: I like leather jackets.

Is there a certain style of leather jacket that’s better than another?
Michelle: I personally like leather jackets that are form-fitting, so no bagginess for me.

Caroline: I like the short ones.

Kathleen: Definitely.

Michelle: Kind of short, but fit. You know? Not like they’re from the 80s, like a big motorcycle driving leather daddy. 

Previously – What Kind of Dinosaur Would You Be?