For Saint Laurent fall/winter 2014 collection four different leather biker jackets were featured on the runway. Today I’ll review one of them, my Saint Laurent studded lapels biker jacket – let’s start from the cut: designer Hedi Slimane applied the signature SLP skinny cut to this jacket, with high armholes and a cropped waistline. Measurements for my size (a 42 or XXS) while laid flat are: 39.5 centimeters for shoulder to shoulder, 41 cm for amrpit to armpit and a total of 53 cm for the length, measured from the shoulder seam to the hem of the biker; as for the majority of Saint Laurent jackets and coats, each size up ( 44, 46, 48 etc. ) adds about 1.5 centimeters to shoulders measurement, 1.5 centimeters to armpits and 0.5 cm for total length.
The FW14 studded leather biker, other than being featured in many magazines and Saint Laurent own campaign photos, is surely one of Slimane best designs to date. I wore mine many times, as I bought it one year about one year ago, and as you can see the leather finish is still going strong and it will be even more beautiful as it ages. The jacket is made in Italy ( Saint Laurent uses Tuscan craftmans for the leather garments ) with calf leather and a very comfortable and smooth cotton/cupro blend for the inner lining; there is also the usual ivory Saint Laurent silk tag and silver chain hanger right below the collar.
The silver zippers are Saint Laurent very own, heavy duty and really sturdy; each pull tab has a slightly angled, rectangular
shape, with the French fashion logo engraved on each of them.
The leather is a beautiful vegetable tanned black calf, treated with a washed treatment to give it a slightly Waxed finish and making it really sturdy at the very same time; at the touch, if it wasn’t for the thickness, you could easily think it’s horse leather, but with the same buttery feeling of the best Italian calf leather.
My advice is that to wear this Saint Laurent biker, you’ll need a toned-down outfit, letting the jacket do the talk: a pair of sleek shoes or boots, and skinny fit denim will be perfect for the bottom part. For the top, layer a monochrome sweater and a micro-patterned scarf during winter or a shirt with a minimal print for spring/summer. The “combos” I wore in the pic below are good for every kind of black leather jacket and will definitely make it shine in your outfit.
The jacket doesn’t have the usual notched lapels found on leather bikers, instead it has “wing” shaped lapels, a nod to some vintage motorcycle jackets from the 80s. Then there is the defining characteristic of this Saint Laurent double rider: the studs, which completely cover the lapels. Each stud is broken in and looks like a fired bullet, as you can see in the detail below; these studs were originally round shaped, and have been hammered to achieve this unique look.
Near the hem of the jacket, we find a functioning belt, a nice touch that even if it won’t get much use, in my opinion is a detail that’s needed in almost every leather biker jacket. There the hardware is silver colored brass, and both the buckle and the six rivets – which firmly connect the sides of the belt to the jacket – features the engraved Saint Laurent logo.
The additional pieces of leather and seams on the back of the shoulders and armpits – a feature quite common on Saint Laurent leather bikers, and also on real motorbike gear – help the movement of the arms since the leather is quite tight, especially during the first wears. Another characteristic is the amount of pockets: 3 on the front, with zippers closures, and two on the inside, right before the cupro/cotton lining starts, as you can see below:
In the end, I must admit this is one of the nicest pieces of clothing I own, and many people (often strangers on the street) complimented me about it and asked me where I bought it or the brand of it; even if this jacket is sold out since fall winter 2014, you can still have a chance to get it on auctions sites like Ebay or second hand designer sites like Grailed; big sizes are rather easy to come by, while smaller sizes are quite rare, but with a bit of luck you should be able to get your Saint Laurent FW14 studded biker online for a good price. As an alternative, you can shop the latest leather jackets from Saint Laurent on their official store, on ysl.com.
Close up detail of the epaulets on the shoulders and their snap button which keeps them in place.
The additional pieces of leather and seams on the back of the shoulders and armpits.
Saint Laurent fall/winter 2014 campaign shot by Hedi Slimane featuring the studded leather biker jacket.
