Leather and....More Leather!

I'm going to warn you guys right off the bat, this is going to be a long post. I really like leather jackets, specifically moto jackets. My last post was partially on biker jeans and this one is on the leather jacket equivalent. If you haven't noticed the pattern here it's that my life is pretty boring so the way I incorporate some edge and excitement is through my wardrobe choices. Over my internship this summer we got a BLK Denim Navy leather jacket that I INSTANTLY fell in love with. I would go over to the men's designer department to try it on every single day, and by the end of the internship I had saved enough money to buy it for myself. I justified it by convincing myself that it was my reward for completing my internship and surviving a whole summer in Chicago (trust me, with me attempting to adult for the first time it was close a couple times). Since then I have been obsessed, so obsessed that in searching for jackets to feature in this blogpost I ended up finding way more pieces than I usually feature. So I am going to divide things into two sections. First will be the women's jackets and second the men's. Do keep in mind that these can be pretty unisex so if there is one you love don't get caught up in it being technically labeled a mens or women's garment just do you boo boo. The first two jackets I want to feature are both of these Saint Laurent jackets.

Saint Laurent Moto Jacket-$4990

Saint Laurent Fringe Detail Moto Jacket- $5990

The first is just a beautiful plain black moto jacket with really clean and simple zipper detailing. The second has FRINGE, I love fringe, my favorite color is fringe, and it would be such a great way to add sass to any outfit. I could never wear a fringe leather jacket because I would be constantly shimmy-ing and gyrating Tina Turner Proud Mary style all day and could never get anything done.

Actual footage of me getting all Tina Turnt Turnt

I'm assuming you have more self control and could handle it though. Unfortunately for me and my finances even if I could handle the jacket without twirling myself into a constant state of vertigo there is no way I could afford $5990 or $4900 right now.

BlackNYC Suede Moto Jacket-$198

RD Style Fringe Moto Jacket- $125

So I found these two great alternatives! For the moto jacket without the fringe I decided to go with something a little more fun. This jacket by BlackNYC has a great fit and the Burgundy color adds some interest to what would usually be a plain black jacket. The Suede also gives it a really cool luxe look, and $200 for an all suede jacket really isn't that bad. The fringe jacket is what I'm Most excited about, how awesome is this one by RD Style. It gives you a really similar look at a fraction of the price. The main difference is the color of the hardware but the jersey girl in me is kind of loving the gold hard wear with black. This one is also faux leather for all of you that don't want to wear leather and at $125 it wont break the bank. 

Now on to our mens jackets! Here is where things take an unexpected twist! I actually bought one of the high end versions of the jackets I'm featuring today. Like i said I found a way to justify the purchase and I don't regret it one bit!

BLK Denim Suede Moto Jacket-$995

BLK Denim Navy Moto Jacket-$995

The one I got was the navy one on the left and I love it. The quality of the leather is great and I love all the details that went into making it including the tiny little beads that are hanging from the zippers. I wear it all the time too, to the point that one of my friends nicknamed it my "Janet Jackson jacket" which I've come to embrace.  As I was looking at the website I saw that it came in black suede so I featured it too because I just love suede as a material. As hard as it can be to care for I think it gives a great look. Now I know that almost a grand is pretty a lot for a leather jacket but I have a spending problem ok DON'T YOU JUDGE ME! So lucky for you I found these two for 1/3 of the price and they are almost identical.

Topman Moto Jacket-$210

Topman Suede Moto Jacket-$300

These are both from Topman, one of my favorite fast fashion retailers to shop at. The plain black leather is a similar shape to the BLK denim and is actually on sale right now at Nordstrom.com for $210 which is not a whole lot for a genuine leather jacket. The one I am really in love with is the suede version, it looks almost identical to the BLK denim jacket but is $300 instead of $1000. I am actually considering buying this one because its so much less but would give me pretty much the same look. I mean how cool would it look over some a white t shirt, come coated denim, and combat boots? These jackets can just as easily be dressed up to give your button ups a bit of an edge. For ladies I love the way it looks over just a plain tank dress, and it would complete your look if worn with some distressed skinny jeans, a long t shirt and some pumps. Its an easy way elevate any outfit! By all means wear it indoors too, every time I wear it to work someone will come up to me and ask "oh my gosh how are you wearing that inside aren't you hot?' and my response always is....

Actual footage of me being sassy at work

Here is a picture of me in my jacket just to give you guys an idea of one of the ways I wear it.

I went with black biker jeans, black boots, and an oversized longline t shirt (for when I ate too much during lunch). The all black really made the blue of the jacket pop and it really elevated the plain t shirt and jeans and made me feel super B.A. all day. Not gonna lie I was a little warm but as long as I didn't move to much I was fine and I looked so cool it was worth it. Now get out there and join me in my moto jacket obsession! Whether you are wearing it with light wash jeans and converse Grease style or using it to add some edge to a dressy outfit I promise you will end up looking like a Bad B! 

DENIM

Ok so it's been a while since my last post, kinda graduated and became somewhat of an adult since then so yay (not really HELP I have no idea what I'm doing S.O.S.). With graduating came a new city  (Chicago) and a new job (Nordstrom) along with a dress code. I work in a contemporary mens department that carries most of the designer denim in the store, so my dress code is expected to reflect that. Now I had never been really been a fan of jeans, I have always struggled to find a pair that fit my Latina too many tacos al pastor curves right. However since working with so many jeans lately I have gotten the chance to try pretty much everything on and a couple styles have really grown on me. My two favorites are  biker and coated denim, they give any outfit an edge and are more interesting than the traditional pair of jeans. Biker jeans have details like zippered pockets on the front and stitching around the knees and coated jeans are covered in a wax coating to give them a leather look. In other words it gives you the leather pant look minus the sweaty booty. The two designer pairs I found were a pair of Balmain biker jeans and an Alexander McQueen pair of black coated jeans.

Balmain Biker Jeans-$1950

Alexander McQueen coated jeans- $645

I mean whats not to love they both have amazing detailing and the Balmain ones even incorporate both the biker jean with coated denim! The McQueen pant comes in at $645 and the Balmain at pretty much 2000 FREAKIN DOLLARS. Obviously I cant afford either one of these, and whoever tells you that you are rolling in dem stacks after graduation is a liar and also an asshole for getting your hopes up. If anything I am on a tighter budget now than I was during school because bills and stuff. Have no fear however I found two really great low cost alternatives to both of these.

Zara Biker Jean-$79

Asos Coated Super Skinny Jean-$60 $39

Can we all just give one big collective YAAAAAS for what a great deal these both are. Especially in comparison the the designer pairs. Now I know the Zara pair aren't as intricate as the Balmain pair but they give you the same look and have the biker details at a way lower price. I actually bought a pair of hudson ones at work that I love. They are super comfortable and look very similar to the Balmain ones but those are originally almost $300. The Zara ones I just came across while checking out their website and are almost the same and a fraction of the price. The coated ones are almost exactly the same as the Alexander McQueen ones though minus the zippers on the side pockets and look at the price! They are only $39 dollars on sale!!! I actually own these though and word of warning if you do not like skinny jeans you may want to pass these are TIGHT and you have to size up one from your regular size. If you do like the skinny fit though get ready to look SNATCHED because the fit is great and they have a great deal of stretch so they are super comfortable. Whether you decide to buy the designer pair (if you do let me borrow them plzzz) or the budget b ones get ready to add a tiny bit of bad ass to your outfit every day.

PS- Care tip for jeans especially the coated pair. DON'T WASH THEM or wash them as little as possible and for the love of god do not I repeat DO NOT put them in the dryer. It sounds gross i know but your jeans will thank you. Especially if you are investing in a designer pair. The wax coating will wash off if you put them in the wash and if you dry them the heat will just melt it right off and you will lose the finish. Also with the skinny fit styles and most jeans now they all have a bit of spandex or elastane in them. The synthetic blend will give them stretch so they fit comfortably and also keeps them from losing their shape too much during wear. However if these fibers are exposed to heat (aka the dryer) they start to break down and your jeans wont last as long. Fabreze and or the gentle cycle and hang drying will be your best friend. So there you go you learned something about fibers today and you have cool pants.