Black vs. Brown Leather Jackets: Choosing Your Ultimate Style

We men are saddled with a lot of big decisions over the course of our lives: where to live, what career to choose, whether you have kids and how many…

But none are as significant as choosing your one true leather jacket.

Because, in all likelihood, it’s the most expensive item of clothing you’ll ever buy — maybe even more expensive than your best suit. These days, you can get a very good, made-to-measure wool suit for under $900, but a good leather jacket?

Five years ago, when I bought what I consider to be the best leather jacket — Schott NYC’s Cafe Racer — it cost $850. At the time of writing, it’s $975.

But the simple fact is that a leather jacket is just not something you can cheap out on, and I am not so out of touch that I’ll tell you to to “just get a black one and a brown one”. They are not cheap! If you get one, you’ll probably get one.

So we’re going to help decide your color. First, I’ll give you the one simplest, most objective way to decide, then I’ll run through the more subjective and sentimental factors that contribute to this decision — because the whole heart and mind come into play with this kind of purchase.

Why Schott NYC’s Cafe Racer Is the Best Leather Jacket

So, why did we choose Schott NYC’s Cafe Racer as the archetypal leather jacket? Long story short: I think it’s the perfect balance of understated and edgy for a leather jacket.

Schott NYC was the first company to put a zipper on a leather jacket (some even claim they invented the leather jacket, period) and they’re responsible for many of the most iconic leather jacket of all time, perhaps most famously their “Perfecto” motorcycle jacket. But that jacket is really, really loud: it’s all zippers and buckles and asymmetry, and it’s a lot of effort to make it look like you’re wearing it effortlessly.

Listen, there are a ton of leather jacket types out there and they all communicate something different, but the one I always recommend is the Cafe Racer: it’s a great balance of rebellious and plain, style and effortlessness, eye catching and unremarkable. The mandarin collar gives it just the right amount of edge without looking like you’re trying too hard.

Plus, showing every type of leather jacket in two colors would really overcomplicate this article, so I had to pick a stand-in for the leather jacket. You can get whatever jacket you want; just about all these tips will still apply.  

Cool vs Warm Palettes: What Colors Match With a Leather Jacket

There is only one best way to settle the decision of leather color, and it’s the same thing I said in my article about choosing black or brown boots: Go to your wardrobe and look at the colors of your clothes. In aggregate, they probably lean in one of two directions.

Some guys come up with a dozen color palettes to classify your clothes but I just have two, and these two leather jacket colors fall pretty neatly into each: warm colors and cool colors.

(Blue and white can go into either group.)

Warmer (aka Earthy) Colors

Blue and white match anything but if most of the other colors you see in your wardrobe are warm and earthy like tan, green, brown, orange, and gold, a brown leather jacket will look best with your average outfit.

Cooler Colors

On the other hand, if most of the non-blue and non-white colors you see are black and grey, I throw the burgundy and purple-ish colors into the cooler category too, and honestly I think red and pink work better with cool colors than warm ones as well.

But that’s the rough split: if most of your stuff sits in those “cooler” colors, then you’re better off with a black leather jacket.

A Little Disclaimer

This is all subjective and none of it really matters and this two-palettes thing is obviously very simplistic and has exceptions.

A green shirt looks great with a black jacket and in the real world, no one will actually fault you if you wear grey and brown. But this remains the most useful simple answer: if you want just one guideline, figure out if your wardrobe’s mostly warm or mostly cool.

Not satisfied? Is your wardrobe perfectly split between the two? Do archaic color-matching “rules” not resonate with you? Just feel like arguing a little? Well, let’s go a little deeper!

Why Black Leather Jackets Are Better Than Brown

I’m not actually taking a side here; I’m presenting the arguments that each camp makes. Why might one say the best color for a leather jacket is black?

Black Leather Jackets are More Modern

To make a reductive generalization: if you’re a regular dude who has never liked to think too much about his clothes, or if you do think about your clothes and your style leans in the direction of what you might call modern or streetwear — in other words, if you’re most guys in the current year — your wardrobe is probably more cool than warm.

If I were to put money on it, the odds are a black leather jacket will work best for the average guy.

Black Leather Jackets are More Urban

The black leather jacket is indisputably the more contemporary, almost stereotypically metropolitan choice. When I go downtown to New York’s Soho neighborhood, I see way more black than brown.

On a similar note, it works better with modern, casual streetwear — I’d much sooner wear a hoodie under this.

Black Leather Jackets Are More Youthful

This can be a pro and a con, but it’s fair to say that all of these points point to the fact that of the two jacket colors, black will make you look more like you’re from the 21st century.

Black Leather Jackets are Cooler

Let’s face it, black leather is cool.

It just can’t be denied.

Let’s say you’re in the classic starter kit for either jacket: blue jeans, white sneakers, white shirt. If you go with black, you will be considered cooler. It’s just science.

I could even argue the black leather jacket, in addition to being cooler, is edgy but not aggressive.

To sum up: it probably works best with your wardrobe right now, it’s urban and contemporary, it’s understated and youthful, and at the same time it brings to mind the coolest characters of the last century: Elvis, Marlon Brando, the Terminator, Rocky, rockers, bikers, greasers, how could you want anything else?

Why Brown Leather Jackets Are Better Than Black

I said earlier that most guys don’t think about what they wear, try to pick inoffensive and forgettable clothes, and wind up with a lot of black, gray, blue, and white, leaving black as the obvious choice for them.

However,

Brown Leather Jackets Match More Colors

Brown is an actual color.

If you’re a guy who puts a little more thought than usual into his wardrobe, if you have more clothes than most guys, if you don’t avoid colors or patterns? You’ve probably got a bunch of clothes that would look better with a leather jacket that makes less of a statement and adds a warm, versatile color to round out your fit.

Brown Leather Jackets Are Classic Americana

If you’ve ever felt a touch of fondness for some flavor of Americana style: preppy, workwear, “classic”, outdoorsy, vintage — there’s a great chance a brown jacket will fit into your wardrobe.

Not to mention, the average American guy likes the standard template of brown or tan boots, flannel, and jeans or khakis. Brown is the most natural pairing here because it has more of that American heritage vibe. if you like boots, flannel, or just menswear that’s more classic Americana, brown is the natural pairing.

Brown Leather Jackets Evoke Adventure and Heroism

Black leather jackets are cooler, you say? Indiana Jones, Captain America, Steve McQueen, our nation’s fighting men and women who wore brown leather jackets in the world wars, they aren’t cool to you, are they?

Well. OK, all those people aren’t quite cool in that “rebellious greaser” way but they are… heroic, right? Brown leather jackets make you think of words like bold, adventurous, decisive, leader — that’s the kind of jacket I want to wear! Who thinks we should emulate rebels, anyway?  Get a job, you no-goodniks!

Brown Leather Jackets are More Versatile 

Brown is warmer. It’s the warmer color, but it’s warmer in other ways: it’s considered a softer color, it’s more relaxed, less hard-edged, and therefore more versatile. 

This means it works more easily with more colors, but also in that it works more easily in more situations. It has a more “everyman” feel, but it also has a sense of adventure about it. We don’t have to be embarrassed to say it makes us think of Indiana Jones and fighter pilots. It does, and they’re awesome! And yet, it’s the jacket that’s more relaxed and easier to wear. Win, win.

Brown Leather Jackets are More Mature

If black is more modern and streetwear-suited, you can brown is more “classic”. In the same vein, if black is youthful then brown is more mature — or at least, more easily worn by more age groups. And it’s certainly less controversial to wear after middle age.

(I’m not saying you shouldn’t wear leather jackets after middle age, I’m just saying there’s controversy around it — and brown has less of it.)

When it comes to more classic, widespread, longstanding pillars of menswear like oxford cloth button downs and chinos, I much prefer wearing those — or, honestly, any button-up shirt — with the brown jacket.  

Brown Leather Jackets Age Better

While everything we’ve said is subjective, one thing that isn’t is that brown leather ages more interestingly than black. An old brown leather jacket develops way more color variation and patina than an old black jacket.

You know, because brown is a color. 

Leather Jacket Outfits

We couldn’t leave without providing a few visual aids in our contrasting pair of Schott leather jackets, so here are some… I don’t know, “template outfits” that might inspire you or help you decide what color jacket is best for you.

Black Leather Jacket with White T-shirt

The classic never-goes-out-of-style formula for a leather jacket fit, on the left we’ve got a the heavyweight Stamp shirt from Kato, worn-in selvedge jeans from Pure Blue Japan, and impossible-to-get Chelseas from Briselblack. You can get grey Chelseas from Thursday or Allen Edmonds much more easily; grey is a super underrated boot color.

On the right I’m wearing the same Stamp shirt, a grey beanie from Aran (avoid, it’s not that warm), jeans from Momotaro and my custom pink Red Wings. They can’t be bought in that color but they did come out with these even cooler pink roughout ones.

Streetwear: Leather Jacket With Chuck Taylors

Brown is best for vintage but with these blue PF Flyers, “brown” (they call it brown but they’re tan) Proof Rover pants in stretch canvas, and blue Sunspel polo shirt (James Bond wears it!), you’ve got an understated yet not stuffy fit.

On the right I’m in red Chuck 70s, black stretch jeans from Naked & Famous, and a hoodie from Ten Thousand for a perfectly subtle streetwear look.

Black Leather Jacket With Boots

OK I should have tucked in the pink shirt but these are good examples of leather jacket outfits that aren’t all black and grey. The pink chambray shirt is from Proper Cloth (they’ve discontinued it, man am I bad at marketing clothes) and the grey canvas pants are from Grown & Sewn, black Chelseas from Dr. Martens.

On the right I’m in a black t-shirt from Gustin, grey boots from Onderhoud (a tiny Indonesian shop with a one-year waitlist) and these great, wide leg chinos from J Crew in a color they call “Dusty Wine.” This way, you don’t have to call them purple.

Modern Leather Jacket Outfit With Sneakers

Nice and simple, the black jacket fit has a grey crewneck sweater from Wills, the stretch chinos from Flint & Tinder, and my favorite leather sneakers, the Koio Capri.

On the right we’re a little fancier. OK, a lot fancier: I’m wearing the heavyweight tee from Wonder Looper, stonewashed Mammoth jeans from Kato, and Cordovan sneakers from Crown Northampton. (See how they’re made in our factory tour.)

Brown Leather Jacket With Workwear

These sorts of outfits get called “workwear” but they’re really just classic, casual Americana. Jeans, chinos, denim shirts, boots, and flannel button ups were originally made for working in, but now you can wear them anywhere.

On the left I’m in Oni’s Secret Denim jeans in the Relaxed Straight fit, Truman boots in Coach Rambler, and Thursday’s flannel. On the right, I’m in Flint and Tinder’s Bone Button denim Western shirt, chinos from Taylor Stitch, an undyed belt from Rose Anvil, and casual derbies from Oak Street Bootmakers.

Brown Leather Jacket With Chinos and Work Boots

A solid template that leans a little harder into mid-century classic Americana, I’ve got Freenote Cloth’s Deck Pants on the left with Wolverine 1000 Mile boots and a Raider shirt from Teddy Stratford. On the right I’m in Red Wing Iron Ranger boots with Buck Mason’s full legged Paperback Chinos and a denim work shirt from Benzak Denim Developers in Amsterdam. Nothing better than a denim shirt with chinos! Well, some things.

Conclusion: Which Color of Leather is Best for Me?

Like I said: the whole head and heart come into play when deciding on your forever jacket, and now you know what I meant. From practical elements (what matches best with the stuff I own?) to the more esoteric side of your purchase (how do I want to feel in this jacket?) I’ve covered all the bases you should be rounding.

And if I made so many great arguments that it’s now even harder to pick one? Then I did my job!

I guess the closest thing to objectivity surrounds the central question: what are most of the (not blue and white) colors in your wardrobe: warm or cool?

Or as someone on my YouTube channel perfectly summarized it: “Clark Kent would wear brown and Bruce Wayne would wear black.”