Mens Leather Motorcycle Jacket - Style and Protection at the Same Time

While it might seem to many that the main purpose behind the mens leather motorcycle jacket is to look cool, in essence it was and still is to protect the biker should he happen to become involved in an accident. That having been said the mens leather biker jacket and the mens leather motorcycle jacket are in all reality two completely different versions of the same concept. Each is designed to protect the rider, but one is associated with the biker and the other with the professional motorcycle racer.

Ride Like a Pro

When it comes to riding a motorcycle safely, no one knows more about it than the professional motorcycle racer who rides on a street racing track at speeds that approach 200 mph. In order to protect the skin on his body from being shredded if he comes off his bike he covers himself completely in leathers including boots, gloves, and pants and of course a leather bike jacket. In the unfortunate, but all too common accident the leather will help him to slide along the ground yet protect his skin and save it from being destroyed as he slides across the track.

Today many motorcycle riders, especially those who prefer the café racer style motorcycles tend to copy this look. They do it not only for the safety that it offers, but many of them wear the colors of their favorite motorcycle manufacturer or team to show their support. Not only does leather protect the rider in case of an accident, but a mens leather motorcycle jacket is the perfect protection against the cold and the rain.

Brando Was the First

While Marlon Brando was not actually the first person to wear a mens leather biker jacket his portrayal of an out of control teenager on a Harley Davidson brought the leather bike jacket to the forefront of the cult fashion world. BY the time his movie "Rebel Without a Cause" had become a hit so had the jacket that he and his buddies in the movie were wearing. Before long every teenager in America, whether they had a motorcycle or not were buying this style of jacket so that they could emulate him and look cool.

The origins of this style of mens leather motorcycle jacket date back to 1946 in Portland, Oregon where Ross Langlitz had already created his own fashion following in motorcycle jackets. The new look for Brando including the now distinctive diagonal zipper and snaps, both of which were designed to make the jacket easier to open and close yet still provide the protection against sliding down the pavement.

In the end it really does not matter whether you ride or not the mens leather biker jacket still looks just as cool as it did when Brando first appeared on the silver screen fifty years ago. Back then the only color being worn was basic black and for many hardcore bikers this is still the only color, for the rest of us a basic brown leather jacket will work just as well to keep our skin intact and to keep the rain out.