*Not* Blazers—The Anti-Trend Jacket Chic Women Over 50 Are Wearing With Skirts in Paris, L.A., and NYC
As a fashion editor, I'm always being asked about investments that will stand the test of time. As much fun as a viral product can be to incorporate into your usual rotation, nothing feels better than buying something that won't be considered "out" in a few months or even years. Case in point: Leather motorcycle jackets. No matter their age, their personal style, or how long they've owned it, moto jacket owners are never regretful about their purchase—not ever. It's one of those items you throw on again and again. But if you're feeling any doubt about buying one, listen up. To really hammer home how timeless leather motorcycle jackets are, look at Demi Moore, Cindy Crawford, and Amber Valletta, three women over the age of 50 with great style who have been wearing leather jackets for years and still wear them regularly. The style has become a staple in their wardrobes, and it probably always will be.
I most recently spotted Moore wearing an oversized version with her dog Pilaf in New York City. With it, she wore a sheer, lace maxi skirt, as well as a button-down shirt, knee-high boots, and Brandon Maxwell's viral newspaper kisslock bag from his S/S 26 show in September. The handbag shape and lace detailing on her skirt are both quite lady-like, but her choice of a leather jacket and all-black color palette gave the look some edge, making it feel right at home in Manhattan.
On Demi Moore: Brandon Maxwell The Maxwell Bag ($2200)
A few months prior, during Paris Fashion Week at the end of September, Amber Valletta attended the Saint Laurent S/S 26 show alongside a bevy of other friends of the house, including Hailey Bieber and Zoë Kravitz. For the occasion, the supermodel donned her Saint Laurent leather jacket—a mix between a motorcycle style and a bomber—with nothing underneath, adding a high-low black miniskirt, sheer tights, and patent-leather pumps. To double down on the '80s theme, she wore two silver cuff bracelets. Kate Moss also wore a similar version of Valletta's leather jacket in Paris during Fashion Week, though she styled her lace-trim shorts and fishnets.
On Amber Valletta: Saint Laurent jacket, skirt, bracelets, and shoes
Finally, in the spring, Crawford was also photographed in a leather motorcycle jacket, though she was in California, where she lives, and not New York or Paris, proving just how versatile this outerwear silhouette is. She was stepping out of dinner with Kate Hudson at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, wearing a more cropped version of the jacket style with a black T-shirt and a matching midi skirt with a high slit. She finished off the effortless, off-duty ensemble with black tall boots and a matching shoulder bag.
WHO: Cindy Crawford
Clearly, a black leather motorcycle jacket works for every occasion, in every city, and with every outfit, though it's best suited in these cases with skirts, black ones in particular. There's just an easy elegance that comes with black skirts and leather jackets. You don't have to question it—the pairing just works.
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Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
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