I rarely run into a category of apparel that I don’t have much experience with. I’ll readily admit, I’ve only ever owned one other leather jacket in my life, and that was in my teens when I was desperately trying to look cool alongside my jean jacket. Those were fashion phases of my teenagehood, but the fashionable leather jacket has come roaring back in recent years. Today, the mighty leather jacket, a minimalist wardrobe essential for any man, has made quite the comeback in modern popular culture, and companies like The Jacket Maker are pouncing on that trend.
But don’t be fooled; the Jacket Maker isn’t some stodgy old company that produces outrageously priced apparel. No, this direct-to-consumer brand is part of a new breed of companies looking to cut out all kinds of intermediaries and sell high-quality pieces directly to buyers looking for excellence in apparel at a reasonable price.
Disrupting the art of selling jackets, The Jacket Maker was started to find a middle sweet spot for pricing and quality. After wearing and examining the Ionic Black Leather Jacket, it would appear that they’ve hit the bullseye in their attempts.
With free worldwide shipping, the Jacket Maker sells an impressively wide area of jackets and jacket-like products for both men and women. In their online store, you’ll be able to find hand-made bomber jackets, blazers, winter jackets, windbreakers, winter coats, aviator jackets, wool coats and more.
But let’s get to the product I managed to get my hand on, the Ionic Black Leather Jacket.
Created as a classically styled leather jacket, the Ionic features a slightly slim fit while exhibiting nearly excellent attributes across the board. The outer shell is made of sheep-skin leather with an aniline finish, while the inner body is made from a quilted viscose lining. Featuring a full zipper along with zipper cuffs, the jacket has plenty of places to store your good in. Four outside pockets include two zippered chest-high pockets with plenty of depth and volume. Though let’s be honest, you’re leaving those pockets empty most of the time. Additionally, two inner shell pockets allow for flexibility for both lefties and righties as you reach inside your pocket for your phone or wallet. And yes, those internal pockets are even large enough to encompass my iPhone 12 Pro Max fully.
Available in seven colours, including black, blue, green, red, and three different shades of brown, which oddly enough The Jacket Maker simply calls all three “brown,” the jacket is also available in sizes XS-4XL. I’m always one to appreciate a wide variety of colours and especially a good selection of sizes, as you know, humans come in a very big range of shapes and volumes. What’s even better about the Jacket Maker buying process is that the company offers a made-to-measure custom size option for most of their jackets for only an additional $30.
Fit
As I mentioned earlier, the fit of the Ionic is excellent. It’s both flattering and slightly slim, but I would suggest that you purchase the normal size you’re accustomed to buying for your jackets. At least for me, the sleeves were spot on in length with no unusual bunching or length issues. The collar is cut nicely, and the rise comes up at just the right height below my chin.
Materials
At this price level, I honestly didn’t expect the materials in this leather jacket to be this excellent. But it’s not just the leather. Everything from the inner liner to the liners of the pockets and the use of YKK zippers give the jacket a very premium feel. It’s even evident in its relatively hefty weight.
Build Quality
Too often, direct-to-consumer apparel brands fail to meet the build-quality test as far as I’m concerned. I haven’t quite figured out why that is, but when you take many DTC brands and compare them against their luxury competitors, the difference in quality is immediately evident.
I’m happy to report that no such gap appears to exist here. And while my only point of comparison is a very expensive leather jacket (think five times the cost of the Ionic) that a friend kindly allowed me to examine, the Ionic more than held its own in a close-up examination of the build quality.
Everything from the excellent stitching to not a single loose or visible thread out-of-place impressed me immediately. Upon further examination, the jacket seems to be sewed together by expert artisans. No unwieldy gaps or crooked sections appear anywhere on the jacket.
Comfort
But what’s it like to wear the Ionic Leather Jacket? Well, like any other leather jacket, it’s certainly not the most comfortable garment you’ll ever wear, but as far as leather jackets go, it’s quite nice to wear around. It’s Fall time in my corner of the world, and I’ve been wearing this jacket regularly while out and about, and I’ve found it to be quite comfortable. With time, the leather will stretch ever-so-slightly, so I imagine I’ll grow to like this jacket even more. But perhaps my favourite aspect of this jacket is that it somehow manages to avoid the nearly universal complaint of leather jackets in that it makes guys that run hot like me instantly overheat. With its choice of materials, whoever designed this jacket somehow managed to hit the sweet spot of comfort, warmth, and cooling!
And one final side-note. I review apparel all the time. Companies send me all manner of goods and a good portion of it; I wind up wearing out on the town while I go about running my errands and whatnot. Occasionally I’ll receive a compliment about various pieces that I’m wearing, but this jacket has garnered more than any other item I’ve worn in the past year. So do with that as you will.
