Leather jackets have this funny way of outliving every trend that tries to replace them. They were cool in the '50s, they were cool in the '90s, and somehow they're still cool now. If you've been scrolling Princess Polly's outerwear section trying to figure out which one is actually worth your money, this is the guide for that.
I'll cover what's in the edit, the difference between real and faux, how to pick a silhouette that suits you, how to style each one, and how to keep your jacket from cracking in two years. No filler.
Why Leather Jackets Refuse To Die
Most clothes carry meaning. A women's leather jacket carries a lot of it. Throw one over a slip dress and suddenly the outfit looks like it took effort. Pull one on with a baby tee and jorts and you look like you weren't trying. That's the trick it does a lot of the work for you.
The other thing that's changed is the range. Even five years ago, "leather jacket" mostly meant a black biker. Now the category sprawls across cropped, oversized, blazer-cut, aviator, and longline pieces, and Princess Polly has been pretty thorough about stocking all of them.
Real Leather vs Faux
Pick your material before you pick your style. They behave very differently.
Real leather softens beautifully with time, breathes, and tends to last a decade or longer if you take care of it. It also costs a lot more, weighs more, needs conditioning, and comes from animals, which matters to plenty of people.
Faux-leather (usually polyurethane) costs a fraction of the price, comes in colours real leather can't easily do (think cream or burgundy with a matte finish), and weighs less. The trade-off is lifespan. A faux jacket worn regularly is usually good for two to five years before the finish starts to crack. Cheaper versions can also look plasticky under harsh light, though Princess Polly's faux tends to read more matte than glossy, which photographs better and looks more expensive in person.
If you want one jacket forever, save up and buy real leather. If you want to wear the trend now and refresh in a few seasons, faux is the rational choice and the Princess Polly range is built specifically for that buyer.
The Six Silhouettes, Properly Explained
Most guides treat "leather jacket" as one thing. It isn't. Here's what Princess Polly actually stocks and what each one does to an outfit.
- The classic moto biker is the original. Asymmetric zip, lapel collar, snap tabs at the throat, two zip pockets. The one everyone pictures when you say "leather jacket." It works with denim of any wash, white tees, slip dresses, midi skirts. It reads casual no matter what's underneath, so it's not the move if you want polish.
- The cropped biker is the same DNA cut shorter usually hitting at the natural waist or just above. Built for high-rise bottoms and minis. This is the most-photographed silhouette in the lineup right now, partly because it sits so well over bodycon dresses and high-rise jeans. If you have a longer torso, size up one or look at the classic instead.
- The oversized moto drops the shoulders, lengthens the body, and gives you room in the sleeves. This is the grunge-revival staple. It's also the only one in the lineup you can layer over a hoodie in February without feeling like you're wearing two coats. It can swallow shorter frames, though, so under 5'3" you'll want to commit to oversized proportions head-to-toe or skip it.
- The faux-leather blazer is the answer when you want to wear leather to dinner without anyone calling it leather. Structured shoulders, single-button or open front, blazer-length hem. Pair it with tailored trousers and a white tank and it reads polished. That's the whole point if you want cool-girl casual, the blazer isn't it.
- The aviator has a faux-shearling collar, fitted body, and pulls heavily from early-2000s airport style. It's the warmest piece in the category. Great with crewneck sweats, pleated minis, knee-high socks. Not the move if you live somewhere humid year-round.
- The trench or longline is the most editorial piece mid-thigh to knee, sometimes belted. It photographs beautifully and reads statement. The downside is versatility. You're not running errands in this. You're going somewhere.
How To Actually Choose
I find this gets overcomplicated. It really comes down to three things.
What's your climate? If it's mild year-round, a cropped biker or classic moto covers it. Real winters call for the oversized moto, aviator, or longline. Hot summers with cool evenings? Cropped easy to throw in a bag.
What's your life like? If most of your wear is weekend and going-out, the cropped biker is the workhorse. Work-to-bar with a smart-casual lean, get the blazer. Festivals, concerts, day-to-day casual, the oversized moto. Statement events and editorial outfits, the trench.
What proportions are you after? Defined waist points you to the cropped or classic. Layering over chunky knits or going for a slouchy proportion points to the oversized. Elongation is the longline. Structure is the blazer.
If you're buying your first leather jacket and you just want one that earns its hanger space, get a classic moto in black. It's been the right answer for seventy years and it's still the right answer.
On Colour
Black is the default, always will be, and frankly there's no shame in it. The other colours worth knowing about:
Chocolate brown is the trend pick this year. It reads warmer and richer than black and surprisingly expensive in photos. Cream and off-white soften the silhouette in a way black can't and work beautifully over darker outfits. Burgundy and oxblood are the quiet-luxury play adds depth without shouting. Tan and camel lean Western and pair well with denim. Glossy black patent is club-ready but harder to style during the day.
Sizing Things You Should Know
Faux-leather doesn't stretch. This matters more than people realise when they're between sizes.
Layering over knits or hoodies? Size up. Cropped styles run short in the torso longer-torsoed buyers should also size up. Oversized sleeves are meant to fall past the wrist, that's not a defect. The shoulders should sit at the edge of your actual shoulder for the classic and cropped fits; for the oversized cuts they should drop an inch or two past.
The category typically runs XXS through XXL with Petite and Curve options on certain pieces. Use the measurement chart on each product page rather than relying purely on the size letter, because fast-fashion sizing varies more between styles than people assume.
How To Style Them Without Overthinking
Five formulas that have held up across multiple trend cycles:
A cropped moto with a slip dress and either ballet flats or chunky loafers is the going-out outfit. Hard to mess up. An oversized moto over a baby tee with low-rise jorts or wide-leg jeans is the off-duty look that's been on every It-girl's feed for three years running. The faux-leather blazer with a white tank, tailored trousers, and pointed flats takes you from work to dinner. A trench over a bodysuit with knee-high boots is date-night editorial. The aviator with a crewneck, pleated mini, and knee-high socks is cold-weather campus.
If there's a rule underneath all of these, it's that leather wants to be paired with something soft. Slip dresses, baby tees, sweats, knits. The texture contrast does most of the work.
Making A Faux Jacket Last
A few small habits will turn a two-year jacket into a five-year one.
Spot-clean only with a damp microfiber cloth, and mild soap if you really need it. Don't soak it, don't put it in the washing machine, and definitely don't put it in the dryer heat is what cracks faux-leather faster than anything else.
Hang it on a padded or wide-shouldered hanger. Wire hangers leave permanent shoulder dents that no amount of steaming will fix. Keep it out of direct sunlight when you're storing it, because UV dries out the finish and fades the colour. Every three to six months, condition it with a faux moto leather jacket conditioner (not a real-leather one, those are formulated differently and can damage PU).
If you spot a small crack early, you can seal it with a leather-repair compound and stop it spreading. Ignored cracks always get worse.
The Sustainability Bit
Faux-leather isn't an automatic win on the ethics side. Most PU is petroleum-based, doesn't biodegrade, and sheds microplastics over time. Real leather is a meat-industry byproduct but carries its own footprint from tanning chemicals.
The most sustainable jacket is the one you actually wear for years. If you're going faux, pick a silhouette you'll still want to wear in 2028 meaning the classic moto, not whatever extremely-of-the-moment cut just hit the homepage. If you're going real, buy quality and commit. Either way, how you care for it matters more than which one you picked. A well-maintained faux jacket will out-sustain a neglected real one without breaking a sweat.
The Short Version
The Princess Polly leather and faux-leather jacket category covers six core silhouettes, priced between $58 and $129 USD, with colours and detail variations that refresh each season.
For most buyers, the right starting point is a black cropped or classic moto in faux. It's versatile, photographs well, and sits at the lower end of the range. From there you can build out a brown blazer when you want polish, an oversized moto for layering, a longline trench for the moments you want to make an entrance.
Buy the silhouettes that survive trend cycles, look after them properly, and a jacket that cost under $100 can do the work of one that cost three times as much. For years.