Wardrobe Staples

It's been a few years that I've been searching for the perfect leather motorcycle jacket. Even before I was a fashion editor, I used to want items in my closet that didn't actually exist in the current marketplace. Chalk it up to an innate sense of what's to come? I just remember back in the early 90s when I moved to NYC and all I wanted was a pair of knee high zip up boots in a caramel brown leather with a slightly rounded toe that were like the ones I wore in the 70s. Needless to say, I couldn't find anyone who made any boots that were knee high. I'm not kidding. They just weren't available. Fast forward a few years and it seemed like everyone now made that silhouette and a knee high boot was not like trying to locate a needle in a haystack.

Well, it's been the same thing for this leather motorcycle jacket. I found a really great one in December of 2008 in San Francisco. It was even a really reasonable price and the store was willing to give me 20% off too. But I was cash poor and really couldn't justify spending the $350 on myself. Of course in retrospect I am upset that I did not take my own advice and just buy it on the spot. I know how it is. If you find the item you've been looking for, and it's not a fortune, grab it!

I remember contacting the store when I returned to do a phone order and they said they would have a manager call me back. Well, that never happened. And as I always say, follow up is soooo important! A lesson I learned far too well when a week later I called back and they said the jacket had been sold. ARGH!

I decided to contact the company of the jacket to see if they could locate one in another store, in another city, or even directly from them. No such luck.

Ever since that debacle, I've been in pursuit of the perfect leather jacket. I wouldn't say money is no object but I definitely learned my lesson and decided that I needed to have an open mind (and pockets) if and when I found the piece.

Two and a half years later with random searches at stores across the nation both in person and via online purchases, I finally found a reasonable version of what I've been in hot pursuit.

My Twenty8Twelve "Aldridge" leather motorcycle jacket was pre-ordered back in August with a delivery date of mid-October (per Nordstrom.com). To my surprise, it arrived on the last day of September. All I can say is that I acted like a little girl on Christmas morning. And that's not pretty on a 41 year old woman...

It's pretty darn close to "near" perfection. It ain't perfect. But it has a lot of what I wanted: a fold down collar (opposed to the many collarless versions I found), classic asymmetrical zippers, a longer/regular length (opposed to the many cropped styles), side zipper pockets. I would have liked zippers on the sleeves but instead I got two vertical zippers in the back (like vents) which actually provide some "let out" for wearing the jacket with something more bulky underneath (or in my case, providing more room for my continued top-heaviness from nursing!).

I paid towards the top end of what I wanted to spend but it didn't matter. I got what I wanted and now I can "be at peace" (haha) knowing that I finally have the jacket I've been looking for and can start wearing it all the time, especially with the weather starting to finally turn crisper.

Next up on my search for the perfect wardrobe staple? A champagne sequined shawl collar long cardigan in ivory. If you happen to find it, let me know.