NO
YES, THEY’RE associated with nightclub lotharios drenched in Kouros cologne, but in their latest, more supple iterations, leather shirts are becoming rightful heirs to the beloved leather jacket. Just as that tough topper transcended its biker roots, evolving into a sophisticated choice for smooth celebs and NPR dads alike, leather shirts have been elevated and made more wearable by established menswear designers.
During its fall 2020 presentation, the Italian brand Brioni, not known for outfitting sleazy fist-pumpers, showed a classically cut leather button-up. New York label Sies Marjan sells a suede-lined option, and Swedish retailer Cos added an easy-fitting number in inky blue (below) to the new mix.
The biggest difference between these shirts and their disreputable forebears: They’re all crucially made from wafer-thin hides. The rich fabrications and richer feel “evoke kind of an elevated presentation,” explained Bruce Pask, the men’s fashion director for Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.
As with all leather items, a leather shirt connotes sensuality. Like the lace shirts Dior recently proposed and the silver trousers Gucci pitched, the new leather shirts prod men to be more sartorially self-assured, part of an industrywide redefinition of modernity. As Damien Paul, the head of menswear at retailer Matchesfashion, said, “Gay or straight, people are feeling confident with their sexuality and feeling sexy.”
Equally zeitgeisty is a growing eco-consciousness. Mr. Paul noted that Matches has had success with shirts from Nanushka, a vegan leather brand. Its featherweight polyester shirt is tender to the touch like a high-end hide but costs far less. The sweat-conscious should ape the way it’s styled on Matches’s website: worn unbuttoned, over a white T-shirt, like an overshirt. The look conveys ease, not “Hey babe, gimme your number.”
YES
THE LEATHER shirt has never permeated men’s fashion to the degree the leather jacket has for good reason. Never mind its creepy Casanova connotations: A leather shirt, some say, is just hard to wear. When asked for the first word the style brings to mind, a chuckling Mr. Pask did not hesitate: “sweaty.” As he explained, leather shirts are too sealed-off to wear without a “foundation garment,” like a T-shirt.
Another negative: A flat leather shirt gives off a tacky sheen when light hits it. Even if you combat sweat by layering it over a tee, it will still make you glimmer garishly. When NBA’er Russell Westbrook appeared on a 2016 Adweek issue wearing a black leather shirt, the most obvious thing about the cover was neither the headline, nor Mr. Westerbook’s good looks, but the blinding shine on his wet-looking button-up. (If you desire a notably luxe shirt, Mr. Pask recommended, get one cut from softer, gentler, more forgiving suede.)
And don’t look to leather shirts for a flattering fit. Mr. Westbrook’s shirt grips him like a vacuum-sealed contractor bag, not a problem for a built athlete who likely logs as many hours in the gym weekly as most of us do sitting in our desk chairs. For the even slightly flabby, a leather shirt accentuates imperfections. So if you hope, for example, to consume your weight in carbs while watching the Super Bowl in your glossy new leather shirt, brace for stretch marks or consider a more oversize style (see main photo).
A leather shirt’s construction also poses a practical problem. “It’s quite a fragile garment,” said Mr. Pask. “It’s not the most durable.” While a thick-hided motorcycle jacket is designed to take a beating, a thin leather shirt aspires merely to look pretty. Its delicate skin is vulnerable to scratches and tears. Leather shirts can run into the thousands—that aforementioned Brioni number will set you back $3,400. That’s a sizable gamble on a questionable garment.
HIDE ACHIEVERS / THREE BUTTERY, LIGHTWEIGHT BUTTON-UPS THAT GO EASY ON SLEAZE
Write to Jacob Gallagher at Jacob.Gallagher@wsj.com
The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.
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