The Elusive Bomber Jacket

Posted on 02.22.09 to $100 and under by Lindsay

I’ve been getting tons of questions about this fancy thing called a bomber jacket. It’s got you all in a frenzy! I completely understand why, though… It’s easy, it’s casual, it’s dressy, it’s edgy, it’s polished… It’s the most amazing piece of clothing ever created. (Okay, maybe not, but it is pretty fantastic…)

So if you think you’re going to now see a long list of beautiful, buttery leather bomber jackets for little more than a good night’s tips… You are so wrong. While I love leather bomber jackets as much as the next girl (…she says as if she’s ever owned one…), there’s little to no chance that, in the middle of winter, you’re going to find any of these puppies on sale for less than $200. They’re still retailing for $350+, so if you’re stuck on handcrafted leather, I suggest you take a long look in the mirror and reassess your options.

Here’s the straight dope:

Fake Leather: There are several reasons to buy fake leather (er… faux sounds classier, doesn’t it?), including but not limited to the fact that no one has to die to make it. It also looks like the real thing (hopefully) and is sometimes water resistant. Do not even try to call it “Eco Friendly”, though. What do you think they make fake leather out of? Grass? Old cars? A mass of empty Starbucks cups? You see where I’m going with this… It looks like leather, but feels like plastic. That’s because it is plastic and will do just as much damage to the earth as any other piece of plastic will. So, make your decisions wisely! For the record, my shoes have leather uppers. Yep. Leather.

Knit/Woven: Obviously, knit and woven bomber jackets will look approximately nothing like the garments you see on celebrities and in editorials, but the upside is that they’re still warm when you need ‘em to be. Also, they’re totally seasonally versatile, meaning a knit bomber jacket won’t get shoved to the back of the closet as soon as summer hits – you can still wear those puppies on summer nights, adorably, over your favorite summer dresses. They’re also waaaay cheaper than anything real or fake that you’re bound to find.

So without further adieu, here are the faux leather options:

Arden B. Leatherette Bomber Jacket
$98 $58
Comes in Green (shown), White, or Gold

Wet Seal Distressed Bomber Jacket
$39.50 $19.75
Comes in Gold (shown), Pewter, or Black/White (read: acid wash-esque)

Behold! The single exception to my diatribe… a suede jacket.

Preston & York Suede Bomber Jacket
$199 $59.70

Now, on to the knit/woven bomber jackets:

Free People Cotton Knit “Beach Bomber”
$77 $65.45
Comes in Ivory (above), or Muted Brown

Dana Sweater Bomber
$79.50 $39.99
Comes in Cream (above), or Heather Grey

Montana Bomber
$79.50 $39.99
Comes in Black (above), Cream or Purple

Riley Plaid Bomber
$78.50 $19.99

Stephie Nylon Bomber
$89.50 $39.99
Comes in Purple (above), or Black

F21 Winter Femme Jacket
$34.80

VS Wool Bomber Jacket
$138 $99.99
Comes in Plaid (above), Camel, Charcoal Heather, or Black

I hope you feel more liberated in your bomber jacket choices – there certainly are a lot of them!

xoxo.

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