It is then sent to the tannery where the skins undergo a series of processes designed to preserve and soften the hides. As soon as the skin is removed from the animal at the meat processing plant, it is refrigerated, salted, or packed in barrels of brine. Raw material Īntelope, buckskin, goatskin, sheepskin, horsehide and cowhide are the hides most commonly used to make leather jackets. Yakov Sverdlov allegedly initiated this practice. Russian Bolsheviks commonly wore leather jackets, which became a quasi-uniform for commissars during the Russian Civil War, and later for the members of the Cheka. The jacket was often part of an overall uniform-ensemble meant to protect bomber pilots from exposure to the extreme climate conditions found at high altitude, and often incorporated sheepskin, using the intact fleece on the inside for warmth. During the Second World War the garments became known as ' bomber jackets' and were heavily insulated and prized for their warmth. One of the first modern leather jackets the type A1 was created by Chapal in 1925. In the early 1900s aviators and members of the military wore brown leather flight jackets. Soviet tank commander Semyon Krivoshein wearing a black leather coat based on the reefer jacket Fabrics simulating leather such as polyurethane or PVC are used as alternatives to authentic animal hide leather depending on the needs of the wearer such as those pursuing vegan lifestyles or for economic reasons as synthetic fibers tend to be less costly than authentic leather. Most modern leather jackets are produced in Pakistan, India, Canada, Mexico and the United States, using hides left over from the meat industry. Leather jackets can be designed for many purposes, and specific styles have been associated with subcultures such as greasers, motorcyclists and bikers, mobsters, military aviators (especially during and directly after World War II) and music subcultures ( punks, goths, metalheads, rivetheads), who have worn the garment for protective or fashionable reasons, and occasionally to create a potentially intimidating appearance. The leather material is typically dyed black, or various shades of brown, but a wide range of colors is possible. A leather jacket is a jacket-length coat that is usually worn on top of other apparel or item of clothing, and made from the tanned hide of various animals.

Designer motorcycle jacket