There's never been a better time to buy a leather blazer. So, if you've been toying with the idea for a few seasons now, we recommend taking the plunge – because this staple isn’t going anywhere, and might just prove as versatile as your trusty trench or biker.
If you've previously dismissed this trend as too hard to wear, a quick Google of the 2020s supers will quickly show you otherwise. When Kendall Jenner and Kaia Gerber wear leather blazers (which is often, FYI), they tend to keep things classic with 1990s straight-leg jeans or tonal black trousers.
Bella Hadid, however, loves a good Matrix-inspired leather-on-leather look: she's paired hers with matching jumpsuits, wide-leg trousers and glossy wet-look leggings. Hailey Bieber has been spotted in all of the above combos but recently she's been making a case for styling one with an oversized T-shirt – barely visible beneath its thigh-grazing hemline.
The second misconception we're disproving with this edit: that leather blazers are uncomfortable. Tailoring tends to be pretty oversized in 2024 (no Noughties nipped-in waists here) so it's actually the opposite of stuffy or restrictive. And that’s before you factor in leather’s supple handle, guaranteed to soften with age, and the quality of new-gen vegan iterations.
Finally, if you thought leather wasn’t summer-appropriate because the image of Ross Geller’s sticky talced-up trousers from Friends is etched in your mind, think again. There’s a reason this fabric has reigned supreme for the past three years: it’s totally trans-seasonal and can be switched up easily with styling tricks.
In fact, a leather blazer is the easiest way to toughen up summer dresses and gives slinky evening looks the edge they need. Then, as the weather cools, you can try layering with turtlenecks, and always rely on this jacket to elevate ‘boring’ staples – it’s a match made in heaven with jeans and a white T-shirt – look instantly cool.
From classic black leather blazers to 2024’s bold painterly styles and more neutral iterations, here are 20 to shop now.
Best Oversized Leather Blazers
The best way to buy into this trend is with an oversized cut. What started as a borrowed-from-the-boys fit, soon morphed into sleeve-trailing, mid-thigh-grazing, Balenciaga-boxy proportions. You can pick anywhere along that scale and still nail the look – whether you want to add interest to simple denim looks or spotlight your investment à la Mrs. Bieber with bare legs and knee-high boots.
Best Colourful Leather Blazers
Just when we thought colourful leather had been left in the 1980s along with Madonna's fingerless gloves, Gucci went and dyed this fabric in cherry red hues for Sabato De Sarno's SS24 debut. This one isn’t for the fainthearted, we’ll admit, but it’s also not as tricky to style as you might first think. Take inspiration from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and style a fuchsia jacket with camel trousers, tap into purple and teal’s 1980s connotations with stirrup leggings, or sling a neon blazer over an old LBD instant style points.
Best Black Leather Blazers
If you’re still toying with the idea of a leather blazer, invest in a black iteration that’ll slot straight into your staple wardrobe. You can wear it to work with tailored trousers and loafers, in the evening with slip skirts and strappy sandals, and on the weekend with straight-leg denim and white tees. While oversized styles are a right of passage in 2024, by opting for something belted or 1970s-inspired, you can guarantee longevity.
Best Neutral Leather Blazers
The beige blazer has been a dominant micro-trend for several seasons, so it’s only natural that neutral leather jackets are creeping in now. The most 2024 take on this is anything white or cream, tapping into that polished, vanilla palette that’s dominating both interiors and mainstream fashion on Instagram. If you want to have a little fun with your look, though, try 1970s shades of toffee-brown or tan.
Best Faux Leather Blazers
It’s 2024, so gone are the days of squeaky, smelly PU and vinyl – vegan leather has never been better. It turns out the OG sticky stuff, laced with plastics, was fresh-carbon-emission-hell to produce and even harder to get rid of (synthetics are not biodegradable). We have brands like Stella McCartney and Hermès to thank for developments with mushroom leather, which is a sustainable alternative made from renewable fungi root structures.
Then there's Nanushka. The Budapest-based brand which has managed to make ‘leather’ its thing without ever having used animal-derived fabrics. While buying second-hand is the most sustainable thing you can do, if you can’t fathom wearing skins Nanushka’s blazers are as good as the real deal.
