Mens Black Leather Biker Vest

A leather biker vest is a sleeveless snap front waistcoat in leather, cut with open armholes so it fits over a jacket or a shirt. This one is black genuine hide with a full lining, in sizes XXS to 3XL.

Why biker vests have wide armholes

This is the detail that separates a biker vest from a waistcoat. The armholes are cut deliberately wide and low so the vest goes over a leather jacket rather than under one. That is the traditional use and it explains a shape that looks odd on its own. Worn over a tee, the armhole gapes. Worn over a jacket, it sits correctly. If you plan to wear it directly over a shirt, size down or accept that it will look loose at the underarm.

Snaps, and why leather vests do not use zips

A snap front on a vest opens flat and lets the piece hang correctly whether fastened or not. A zip pulls the two front panels together and creates a line that fights the drape. It is also practical. On a garment worn over a jacket, snaps can be fastened one handed and they do not jam the way a zip does when it catches on the layer underneath.

The back panel matters more than the front

On any biker vest the back is the visible surface, because that is what people see. It is one large uninterrupted piece of leather, which means it shows the quality of the hide with nothing to hide behind. Look at the back panel in the photographs. A single piece of clean hide across the whole back is good. Two pieces seamed down the centre means the maker could not get a large enough clean section, which is a cost saving and it is visible.

Fit

Take your usual size if you intend to wear it over a jacket, which is what the pattern assumes. Size down one if you will wear it over a shirt or a tee only. The chest is the only measurement that matters, since there are no sleeves and the armhole is deliberately loose.

Care

Condition twice a year and pay attention to the armhole edges, which take constant abrasion from your arms moving against them. That is where a vest fails first and it is the part people forget to treat. The back panel is the largest single area of leather you own on this garment, so it is also the part that shows drying first. Do not skip it because it is out of sight.

Specification table

Specification	Detail
Outer material	Genuine leather
Lining	Quilted polyester, full body and sleeves
Closure	Front Button
Collar	Erect
Cuffs	Sleeveless
External pockets	Front pockets
Internal pockets	Two inside
Back detail	Solid
Colour	Black
Fit	Regular, takes a mid weight layer
Sizes	XXS to 3XL, plus made to measure
Care	Condition twice yearly. No machine wash, no heat drying

Garment measurements by size. Measured flat, in inches. These cells stay empty until you send production figures. Publishing a measurement that is wrong causes returns, so I have not guessed.

Size	Chest across	Shoulder	Sleeve	Back length
XXS	40	18	25	25
XS	42	18	25	25
S	44	19	25	26
M	46	20	26	27
L	48	20	27	27
XL	50	20.5	27	27.5
2XL	52	21.5	27	28
3XL	54	23	28	29