I went on a leather jacket try-on spree this winter, looking for “the one”. I imagined it would be flattering and smooshy, and over time, would break in to the perfect “oh, this old thing?” soft rumple. Leather is something I avoid altering, so finding good fit off the rack was not looking promising, with my narrow shoulders being my worst enemy on this quest. After trying a slew of beautiful, smooshy leather jackets from such brands as Mackage and All Saints, everything left me feeling “meh”.
Then, on a jaunt through Zara, I found this TRF leather jacket and lo and behold, it fit incredibly well off the rack. It’s not as smooshy or detailed as some of the better brands I tried, but the fit can’t be beat, and I think looks more expensive on me than those pricier versions for that very reason. Fit trumps price.
Here’s hoping after some good wear, it’ll soften up to rumply perfection. ;)
FYI…fellow petite Crystalin can be seen wearing the same leather jacket here.
— Outfit Details —
Jacket Zara TRF (also in red & faux)
Shirt Banana Republic
Jeans Rag & Bone (here & here) (also in cropped) – on sale!
Shoes Kate Spade
Handbag Elizabeth & James thanks to Shopbop (in black) (also love this one!)
Watch thanks to Daniel Wellington
Bracelet Vintage
Rings Catbird, vintage, & Downtown LA
— Altered —
Nothing ;)
the jacket looks great! i’ve still never found the right leather jacket, they just dont fit right on my too wide shoulders
Thank you Amber! I hope you find one!
Yay, jacket twins! I was shocked with how soft this jacket was when I first found it. It also ended my long search for the perfect leather jacket. I did have to take the arms up a bit, but my tailor did a fantastic job!
Yay! It looks great on you! We must be closer in size than I thought, because I was wondering if the sleeves fit you perfect like that off the rack. I’ll have to hit you up for a tailor recommendation now that I’m in The Bay. ;)
I have had The Perfect Leather Jacket on my sartorial wish list for-EVER. I have one, and it fits, but it just doesn’t look quite right. Why does everyone say they avoid tailoring leather? I was nervous about taking to a tailor because I don’t have a regular one and jackets can be complex to alter, but does the material being leather add another layer of complexity?
On a different note, I love it when cost-effective intersects with style perfection!
Hi Kim! A lot of tailors refuse to deal with leather, so just finding one that will alter your leather items can be a hassle in itself. It can be difficult to work with, and pricey, so I like to avoid if I can. I’ve had leather pants hemmed, but that’s about it.
Best of luck finding your “the one”! =)
Thank you! Pricey is what I was most afraid of. Sighs. Maybe it needs breaking in?
On another note, is this the same jacket as yours? If not it looks so similar! Just happened to see this and immediately thought of this post. http://www.vogue.com/8074199/couples-style-kim-kardashian-kanye-beyonce-jay-z/
Not the same jacket, but pretty similar! =)
Kudos! I just purchased a very similar jacket from Zara yesterday. The quality is pretty good and it was on sale. Much better than Mango’s quality.
Enjoy your new Zara jacket! Getting them on sale can’t be beat!
I thought this was the madewell ultimate – check that one out in XXS if you haven’t already, it’s a DREAM and the price was the only thing holding me back
Tempting! The reviews are wonderful! I’ve never had Madewell fit me in the shoulder though. Did you try it on in size xxs?
Yes I was stunned by how tiny the xxs is! I am very nearly extrapetite’s size so not quite as petite as you, but the arms were cut very slim and I was very very impressed overall. it’s a thicker, heavy duty leather but it is beauuutiful
The jacket looks so comfy and worn already!
http://www.looking-glass.ca
Thanks Maria! I’ve been purposely tossing it around a little bit, so I guess it’s working. ;)
That’s a great find!! I’d never have guessed it was Zara :)
Thanks Rose! =)
Have you tried any other TRF leather jackets?
I’m crushing on this one:
http://m.zara.com/ca/en/collection-ss15/woman/outerwear/biker-jacket-c539005p2517056.html
Hi Lise! I haven’t tried any other of the recent Zara TRF leather jackets, but I have tried a few from other seasons and they have all tended to fit similarly. They tend to run smaller than the regular Zara lines. I hope that helps!
Hi,
Enjoyed read your blog all the time,i bought Zara leather jacket but not fit me but fit you very well ,then i end up bought a Micheal Kor leather jacket the label said 100 % leather mean real ?is fit me very well but when i wear on make alot squeak noise a lot Why? do you have that on yours? how to make that noise away ?
Hi Jenny! Yes, if the label says “100% leather”, that means it’s real. My leather jacket makes noises when the leather brushes past itself, like when my arms swing against the sides when I’m walking, but I wouldn’t call it squeaking. It’s more like a “swoosh” noise. Try and figure out if the noise is coming from the leather or from the hardware (zippers and snaps). If it’s the hardware, you can add a tiny bit of leather conditioner to the spot that is squeaking to see if that helps. If it’s the leather that is squeaking, it could just mean the leather is still stiff from being so new and needs to be worn in a bit. Good luck!
loving this leather jacket! It’s such a wardrobe staple!
xoxo baanou
http://www.baanou.com
Is this jacket relatively thick and soft? Also, what country is it made in? I just purchased it and the wait is killing me.
Hi Jasmine! Yes, for the price, the jacket is quite thick and soft. It was made in Pakistan. Hope you like it as much as I do!
That is so great to hear. I droppe. By Nordstrom and saw a couple leather jackets literally as thin as paper and looked like a twelve year old made them and they were charging 350. I was hoping this jacket was made in Spain or Morocco but it’s better than China.
You look amazing in the jacket! What size did you order?
I don’t know what size she ordered but I am 33-34(depending on padding) 26-36 and I ordered a size small and it was very tiny. I fit into a size 4 at H&M and their sizes are very small. I had to send it back and get a medium. I saw another YouTuber who had a size large in this jacket and she was a very small girl.
Hi Runnergirl & Jasmine! I’m wearing size XS, and my measurements for reference can be found here: http://www.alterationsneeded.com/my-measurements. Generally speaking, each size up is about a two inch difference. So if I fit the XS with a 30 inch bust, then someone with a 32 inch bust will fit better in size S, and someone with a 34 inch bust will fit better in size M. This doesn’t work on EVERY brand or item, but I’ve found it to be a pretty good rule of thumb. I hope that helps! =)
Thanks that helps a lot! I wish Zara had a size in between sometimes as the small was only a cm or two small.
I literally just received this same exact Zara jacket in the mail today! The sleeves are also too long for me. I noticed someone commented about living in the Bay… I am in Berkeley/SF and would really appreciate it if you told me who tailored your jacket for you :)