How should a women’s leather jacket fit? Biker, racer, bomber and cropped

Biker jackets: close, with room for the lapels

A biker has an off-centre zip and wide lapels that fold back across the chest. It is cut close to the body, so it should feel neat across the back and under the arms but never stop you crossing your arms. Check it both ways. Zipped up, the lapels lie over the chest and take a little extra room. Worn open, the fronts should hang straight rather than flaring out.

Our five bikers vary more than you might expect:

• Fitted and cropped at the waist: the black biker with a buckled belt, with studded lapels and shoulder epaulettes. The belt, with a metal buckle and eyelets, runs around the hem at the waist.
• Shaped to the waist: the chestnut contour crop moto, with curved panel seams and zipped cuffs on long, slim sleeves.
• Cropped just below the waist: the charcoal grey jacket with quilted shoulders and two buckled belts stacked at the hem.
• Boxy on purpose: the oxblood balloon sleeve biker, cropped, with dropped shoulders and full sleeves gathered into deep cuffs. Here the shoulder seam sits below the shoulder bone by design.
• Longer and plain: the cognac beltless jacket, hip length and slim, with a wide asymmetric lapel and no studs.

Racer jackets: clean lines and a low collar

A racer has a straight centre zip and a low band or stand collar, so the fit shows more than on a biker. The zip should run flat from hem to collar. If it ripples across the bust or bows open at the waist, the jacket is too tight there. The collar should sit close to the neck without pressing on it when you turn your head.

Our five racers are all hip length and cut close to the body. The princess seam racer in black uses princess seams to follow the body, and the dark brown quilted curve racer is shaped with curved seams under quilted shoulders. The cherry red corset panel racer goes further, fitted at the waist with a softly flared hem at the hip. The cognac raglan slim racer has raglan sleeves, so check the fit across the upper back and the top of the arm instead of at a shoulder seam. The slate grey wrap-neck racer has a wrap-over funnel collar, a zip set slightly off centre and adjuster tabs at both sides of the hem.

Bombers: roomy by design

A bomber is the one shape where extra room is the point. The body is fuller, and ribbed cuffs and a ribbed hem gather it back in, so the jacket blouses slightly above the hem. Judge the fit at the ribbing: the hem band should sit comfortably on the hip or waist without riding up, and the cuffs should hold the sleeves at the wrist.

Our cloud volume bomber in black is oversized and short, with dropped shoulders and full sleeves. The dark brown utility flight bomber is relaxed and hip length, with a stand collar, flap pockets and a zip pocket on the upper sleeve. If you like the look but not the volume, the first can be made less oversized and the second slimmer through the body.

Cropped jackets: let the hem do the work

A cropped jacket finishes at the natural waist or just below it, so its length matters more than anything else. Lift your arms above your head. It will rise, which is normal, but it should not ride up so far that it bunches under the arms when you reach for a high shelf. Wear it with high-waisted trousers, a skirt or a dress with a defined waist, so the hem meets the waistband rather than leaving a gap.

Our shorter styles are gathered on the cropped leather jackets page. Several can be made longer if you prefer a jacket that reaches the hip, and the hip-length designs can be cut cropped.

Getting the fit you want

Every jacket is made in S to XL or to your own measurements, and you can ask for it slimmer or more relaxed, cropped or longer, with a different sleeve or collar. Measure from your body or from a jacket that already sits the way you like, following the size guide, and tell us what you will wear underneath.

Write any change in your request and it is confirmed in your written quote before the leather is cut. A jacket takes 2 weeks to make from approval and full payment, then it ships to you in the USA or anywhere else, with delivery and any import charges included in the quote. Ask for a quote once you have picked a shape.