Women’s Frequently Asked Questions
Most of these questions come straight out of our inbox. Sizing questions, mostly. A leather jacket just doesn't behave like a cotton one once you're choosing between fitted and oversized, and people want a straight answer before they hand over their card. So here it is, written down in one place instead of scattered across a dozen email threads. Shopping for someone else too, or just curious how the men's sizing logic differs? Our men's leather jacket FAQs cover that side of the store.
Materials & Craftsmanship
What's the difference between lambskin and cowhide for a women's jacket?
Lambskin drapes. It's thin, soft, and close to the body from the first wear, which is why most of our fitted and cropped styles start there. Cowhide is a heavier, more structured animal entirely, and it holds a boxy or oversized shape better than lambskin ever will. There's no overall winner here. Want something that feels broken in the day it shows up? Lambskin. Want a sharper silhouette that holds for years? Cowhide.
Is a cropped leather jacket as durable as a full-length one?
Yes, and it's not close. Length has nothing to do with how the hide, the stitching, or the hardware holds up over time. Cropped and full-length go through identical construction. The only real difference is coverage. A cropped jacket won't cover your hips the way a longer one does, but durability-wise, they're built exactly the same.
Are your zippers and hardware genuine YKK?
Yes, on every single style, cropped or not. Cheap hardware is usually the first thing that fails on a leather jacket long before the leather itself gives out, snagging, sticking, splitting at the teeth within a season of regular use. A genuine YKK zipper pulls noticeably heavier from the first zip, and that weight is still there years later, unlike the off-brand stuff.
Do you use real leather or a leather blend?
Genuine hide, full stop, lambskin, cowhide, or suede depending on which style you're looking at. Never bonded leather, never a polyurethane blend wearing a leather label. The FTC's Leather Guides spell out exactly what can legally be called leather in the US, and every listing on this site follows that line.
Fit & Sizing
How should a women's leather jacket fit, fitted or oversized?
Honestly, it depends on the jacket, and it depends on you. A biker or moto cut wants to sit close through the body and taper at the waist. That's the whole point of the style, and fighting it by sizing up usually just looks like you grabbed the wrong size. A bomber or an oversized cafe racer is a different animal entirely, built loose on purpose so you can layer under it without a fight. Not sure which camp you're in? Go with what the product photos are showing you. We cut these jackets to sit a certain way, and second-guessing that intent tends to throw the whole proportion off.
Do women's leather jackets run true to size?
Mostly. There's one wrinkle worth knowing before you order: leather stretches a little at the shoulders and underarms in the first month you wear it. So something that feels perfectly snug on day one is going to feel a touch looser by week four. That's not a sizing mistake; that's just leather doing what leather does. Pull up the size chart on the actual product page before ordering, too, since our biker cuts and bomber cuts don't share measurements even at the same labeled size.
What size should I order if I'm between sizes?
Size down if you're eyeing something fitted, our women's biker jacket collection or women's cafe racer collection, because leather relaxes into your shape over the following weeks. Size up if a sweater or blazer is going underneath, especially with the women's bomber jacket collection, which runs roomier by design in the first place.
Can I layer a sweater or blazer under a fitted moto jacket?
A thin sweater works fine under most fitted biker cuts. There's enough give for that. A structured blazer underneath is a harder sell. Both pieces are already cut close to the body, so they end up fighting each other around the shoulders instead of sitting together. If heavier layers are the plan, look at a bomber, or a cafe racer cut with a bit more room built in.
Do you offer petite or plus sizing?
Select styles: yes, extended sizing shows up depending on the cut and the fabric batch running that season. Check the size dropdown on the exact product you're eyeing rather than assuming it applies store-wide. And if your size just isn't on the page for something you want, send us a message before you order anywhere else. There's often a near match in the size you need.
Care & Longevity
How do I clean and condition a leather jacket?
A damp cloth for everyday dirt, that covers most of it. A leather conditioner every three to six months keeps the hide from drying out and cracking down the road, and that's the step people skip most often, thinking the jacket takes care of itself. It doesn't. Skip the washing machine entirely. Skip the dry cleaner too. Both pull the natural oils out that leather needs to stay flexible.
Can I wear my leather jacket in the rain?
A light drizzle isn't going to hurt anything. A real downpour is a different story. Heavy water exposure strips the oils out and leaves the hide stiff once it dries. Caught in it anyway? Blot with a towel, don't wring it, let it air dry away from a radiator or direct sun, then condition once it's fully dry to put back what the water took out.
How long should a genuine leather jacket last?
Ten to twenty years if you treat it decently. Longer, in plenty of cases we've seen. Cheap PU or bonded leather cracks and peels within a year or two, since the surface coating is doing all the structural work and there's nothing underneath it once that fails. Real hide just ages instead. Deeper color, softer grain, a jacket that looks better broken in than it did brand new.
How do I store my jacket between seasons?
Wide, padded hanger, never wire, somewhere cool with air able to move around it. Skip the plastic garment bag entirely. Trapped moisture against leather over a long stretch invites mildew. A breathable cotton cover is fine if dust is really the only thing you're worried about.
Style & Use Case
What's the difference between a biker, bomber, and cafe racer jacket for women?
A biker jacket has an asymmetric zip, wide lapels, and a fitted waist, originally built to cut wind at speed. A bomber trades all of that for a ribbed collar, cuffs, and hem with a plain front zip, easier to layer and generally roomier. A cafe racer takes the biker shape and strips it down: minimal collar, cleaner line, less hardware. Jeans and boots call for a biker. Over a dress on a cold day, reach for the bomber. Want structure without the extra buckles? That's the cafe racer. Full range is here: biker, bomber, cafe racer.
Can a leather jacket be worn in a professional or office setting?
In most offices today, sure, a fitted black or brown leather jacket over a blouse or a simple dress reads as polished rather than casual once the cut is clean. What doesn't work is heavy distressing or loud hardware, which leans off-duty no matter how you style it. Check the black leather jacket collection and brown leather jacket collection for the cleaner-lined options that lean office-appropriate.
What jacket style works best over dresses?
Cropped, usually a biker or cafe racer style so the shorter hem doesn't fight the dress's own line or cut it off at an odd point. A full-length jacket can swallow a fitted dress visually, though it plays fine with something looser or a midi length. If the dress already has a lot going on- sleeves, texture, print- keep the jacket simple and let the dress do the talking.
Are cropped jackets a passing trend or a wardrobe staple?
At this point, closer to a staple. Cropped leather has stayed in steady rotation for several seasons running, paired well with high-waisted denim, midi skirts, and dresses. None of that has slowed down. Trends do eventually shift, though, and a full-length jacket will always be the more versatile pick across more body types and more decades of your closet.
Do you carry celebrity-inspired or vintage styles?
We do, on both counts. The women's celebrity leather jacket collection recreates recognizable film and TV silhouettes in genuine leather, and the women's vintage leather jacket collection leans into distressed, already-worn-in finishes. One clarification on the celebrity line specifically: these are style-inspired cuts, not licensed merchandise tied to a studio or actor.
Ordering, Shipping & Returns
What's your return and exchange policy?
Returns and exchanges go through within the window on our Shipping & Returns page, as long as the jacket's unworn with tags still on. Custom or made-to-order pieces sometimes run different terms. Worth checking the specific listing if sizing's got you on the fence before you buy.
How long does shipping take within the US?
A few business days once your order's processed; faster options sit at checkout if you need it sooner than that. Made-to-order or custom-fit jackets take longer; simple reason: those get cut and stitched to order instead of pulled off a shelf that already has stock sitting on it.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes, to select countries outside the US. Transit time and any duties owed come down to the destination, so run the shipping calculator at checkout before finalizing anything.
Can I exchange a jacket if the size doesn't fit?
Yes, no extra charge, as long as it's unworn and still inside the return window. Leather sizing just isn't as forgiving as a cotton shirt, so we'd rather get you into the right size the first time around than have you break in a jacket that never quite sits right on your frame.
Trust & Authenticity
Are your jackets handmade or factory-produced?
Cut and stitched by hand using traditional methods, not run through some fully automated assembly line. That's part of why two jackets in the same style will show small, natural differences in grain and finish from one to the next. It's a hide, not a printed pattern. No two are identical, and that's kind of the point.
How do I know I'm buying genuine leather?
Every listing spells out the exact leather type and grade, lambskin, cowhide, or suede, in line with FTC labeling standards for what actually counts as genuine leather. Listing doesn't say which hide it is? Ask before ordering. Better than guessing.
Do you offer a warranty on stitching or hardware?
Yes, manufacturing defects in stitching or hardware fall under our standard warranty, spelled out on the Shipping & Returns page. Normal wear and improper care sit outside that warranty, since that's just leather behaving the way leather behaves over time, not a fault in how it was made.