The Rider Jacket: Lewis Leathers, Saint Laurent, Celine, Dior Homme and Loewe

The rider jacket is among the few garments that fashion has never managed to replace. It began as protective clothing for motorcyclists, passed through film and music into rebellion, and arrived on every major runway as a signature. The version in a Tokyo wardrobe is often the best made and the least worn, which makes Japan the place to look for one.

Origins

Two names stand behind the form. In New York the Schott brothers made the Perfecto motorcycle jacket from the late 1920s, with its diagonal zip and belted waist; in London, Lewis Leathers, founded in 1892, became the maker of choice for British riders and later for the rockers and the punks. Brando in The Wild One and the Ramones made the jacket a symbol, and Japanese riders and bosozoku crews took it up in turn; the story of that road culture is in Bosozoku and Yanki Style.

The houses

• Lewis Leathers and Comme des Garçons. The Lightning is the British house's classic model, and Comme des Garçons has reworked it in a collaboration that keeps the cut and changes the finish. Our archive holds one in black.
• Saint Laurent. The black lambskin biker is the house's signature in menswear, cut slim with an asymmetric zip, belted hem and quilted shoulder panels. The leather is very fine and very soft; check the shoulders and cuffs for scuffing.
• Celine. The zip rider with zipped pockets and cuffs, in the slim silhouette of the Slimane years.
• Dior Homme. Calfskin blousons in pale colours with the Dior Paris script, cut close to the body.
• Loewe. A double rider in heavy Spanish calfskin, the house's leather argument in clothing form.
• Louis Vuitton and Kansai Yamamoto. The yellow and black motorcycle jacket, and the sequinned kabuki biker of Cruise 2018, which is covered in the Kansai Yamamoto guide.

Reading the leather

• Lambskin is light, soft and fine-grained, and marks easily. It suits the slim cuts of Saint Laurent and Celine.
• Calfskin and cowhide are heavier and tougher, and take the creases that give a rider its character. Lewis Leathers and Loewe use them.
• Lining and zips. Check the lining at the armholes and the zip teeth for wear; branded pulls should match the house.

Fit

A rider is cut to fit close, and leather does not stretch as cloth does. Take the flat measurements, especially the shoulder and the sleeve, and compare them with a jacket you own. The Paris houses run slim; a Saint Laurent 52 may fit like another house's 48. See the sizing notes in Designer Jackets from Japan.

Care

Store a leather jacket on a wide hanger, away from radiators and direct sun; keep it out of plastic. If it is rained on, let it dry slowly and naturally. More is in Caring for Luxury Leather.

Why Japan

Japanese owners buy a rider for a season, wear it carefully and keep it in a garment bag, which is why unscuffed lambskin appears here far more often than elsewhere. Condition is graded on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks.

In the archive now

• Designer leather jackets · Designer jackets
• Saint Laurent · Celine · Dior · Louis Vuitton · Comme des Garçons

Continue reading

• House Codes: Celine, Saint Laurent, Loewe, Berluti, Dior Homme
• Japanese Heritage Flight Jackets
• Japanese Streetwear: A Field Guide
• All collector guides

Looking for a Schott, a Lewis Leathers or a particular size? Our Hunting Salon™ searches across Japan's private collector circles on your behalf.

Index terms: designer leather jacket · lewis leathers lightning · comme des garcons lewis leathers · saint laurent biker jacket · celine leather jacket · loewe leather jacket · dior homme leather blouson · rider jacket guide · lambskin vs calfskin jacket