Leather Jacket Guides

A leather jacket Halloween costume is the rare costume that earns a permanent place in your closet. Build the look around a genuine leather jacket, add props that come off on November 1, and you get one memorable night out plus a jacket you will wear for years.

How do you build a leather jacket Halloween costume that lasts?

The trick is to let the jacket supply the character and let everything around it, such as hair, props, trousers and shoes, supply the details. A few ground rules keep the jacket ready for everyday wear afterward.

• No glue, paint or iron-on patches. They mark leather permanently. If you want patches, sew them onto a denim vest worn over the jacket.
• No pins through the hide. Every pin leaves a hole. Clip accessories to fabric pieces or hang them from a chain instead.
• Keep makeup and stage blood off the collar and cuffs. A scarf or a high-neck top underneath acts as a buffer.
• Choose a style you would wear anyway. A black biker, a brown flight jacket or a long coat suits more costumes, and more of your regular life, than a novelty piece.

There is a practical upside too. Late October evenings can be cold, and most store-bought costumes are thin synthetic fabric. A leather jacket cuts the wind while you walk between houses or wait outside a party, and you can layer a sweater underneath without breaking the look.

Which leather jacket costumes work best?

1950s greaser

The greaser look grew out of American youth and motorcycle culture in the 1950s and early 1960s, and it is the easiest costume on this list. Wear a black leather biker jacket with a plain white T-shirt, dark jeans with a wide cuff and black boots. Slick your hair back with pomade and tuck a comb in your back pocket. Women can add high-waisted cuffed jeans or a full skirt, a neck scarf and red lipstick.

WWII-era bomber pilot

The A-2 flight jacket was adopted as standard issue by the US Army Air Corps in 1931 and was worn by American aircrews throughout World War II. Pair a brown A-2 style jacket with khaki or olive trousers, a white scarf, aviator sunglasses and a garrison cap or a leather flying helmet. Women can go for high-waisted trousers and victory rolls in the hair. Wartime crews often painted artwork on their jacket backs, but a canvas satchel with a mission-style patch gives the same feel without touching the leather. The history of the A-2 jacket is worth a read if you want the period details right.

Punk

Punk took shape in the mid-1970s, and its followers customized leather biker jackets with studs, paint and slogans. A jacket that already has studs does that work for you. Add ripped black jeans or tartan trousers, a plain or hand-lettered tee, heavy boots, a chain on the belt loops and spiked or temporarily colored hair. Everything except the jacket comes off at the end of the night.

Road biker

For a touring-rider look, wear a black biker jacket or a leather vest over a plain tee, with a bandana, fingerless gloves, straight jeans and engineer or harness boots. A wallet chain and dark sunglasses finish it. This is the costume most likely to become your regular weekend outfit.

If you want one jacket that covers several of these costumes and plenty of ordinary days, these three are a good place to start:

Men's Black Studded Leather Biker JacketMen's Distressed Brown Vintage A-2 Aviator Leather JacketWomen's Distressed Brown Leather Fringe Jacket

Western cowboy or cowgirl

Fringe does the heavy lifting here. A brown fringe jacket over a denim shirt or a prairie-style dress, with a felt or straw cowboy hat, a bandana, a big buckle belt and western boots, reads as Western from across the room. Our guide on how to wear a fringe leather jacket has ideas for keeping it in rotation long after the party.

Trench-coat detective

The trench coat takes its name from the officers' coats worn in the trenches of World War I, and it later became the uniform of the hard-boiled detective in mid-century crime stories. Belt a long leather coat at the waist and turn the collar up. Add a fedora, a loosened tie, a notebook and a magnifying glass. Our leather trench coat guide covers fit and styling for everyday wear.

Gothic vampire

A long black leather coat or a long moto jacket gives a vampire costume instant drama. Wear it over a black shirt or a lace blouse, with dark trousers or a long skirt, black boots, a deep red lip and plastic fangs. For a Victorian-leaning version, add a ruffled high collar, a dark waistcoat and a silver ring. Set pale face makeup with powder before you put the jacket on so it stays off the collar.

Couples and group ideas

• Greaser pair: two black biker jackets, one worn with cuffed jeans and one with a full skirt.
• Flight crew: a pilot in an A-2 style jacket and a navigator with a map case and headset.
• Biker club: matching black jackets or vests for the whole group.
• Frontier duo: a fringe jacket and a western vest with matching hats.
• Detective and informant: a trench coat for one, a biker jacket and dark sunglasses for the other.
• Vampire coven: long black coats, lace and red lips all around.

Groups that want matching jackets with a club name or emblem on the back can plan ahead for next year with our guide to a custom leather jacket with a logo. Keep in mind that custom and made-to-order pieces can't be returned.

How do you care for the jacket after Halloween?

• Wipe off makeup and stage blood quickly. Use a soft, slightly damp cloth and blot rather than rub. Test anything stronger on a hidden spot first.
• Air it out. Fog machines and crowded rooms leave odors behind. Hang the jacket somewhere with good airflow for a day or two, and use our tips on getting smells out of a leather jacket for stubborn ones.
• Remove every prop. Take off chains and clips before they leave pressure marks.
• Hang it properly. A broad hanger keeps the shoulders in shape until the next wear.

FAQ

Will fake blood or face paint stain a leather jacket?

They can, especially on lighter leather. Keep them off the jacket where possible, blot any marks as soon as you can with a damp cloth and let the leather dry naturally at room temperature.

Can I add patches or studs to my jacket for a costume?

Only if you want them to stay. Sewing, gluing or pinning leaves permanent marks, so for a one-night look, put patches on a denim vest worn over the jacket instead.

What is the easiest last-minute leather jacket costume?

The 1950s greaser. A black biker jacket, a white tee, cuffed jeans, boots and slicked-back hair take about ten minutes to put together.

Which leather jacket works for the most costumes?

A black biker jacket covers the greaser, punk, road biker and gothic looks, and it is just as useful the rest of the year.

Pick an archetype, let the jacket carry it and keep the extras removable, and your leather jacket Halloween costume turns back into everyday wear the next morning. Browse our vintage-style leather jackets for pieces that work on both occasions.