“This Bison jacket is one of the finest leather jackets I have ever seen. The bison is soft yet robust and you know as soon as you try it on that it is an heirloom product that will last for fifty to a hundred years.” – RobTheKayaker from Illinois
Nothing clarifies the appealingly rugged quality of leather jackets for men more than Raiders of the Lost Ark.
I was 12 years old when the movie came out, and like most of the planet, I was hooked on Indiana Jones. For three days in a row, I made a pint-sized pilgrimage with friends to the movie theater in a neighboring town to catch a matinee.
It was the first time I used my hard-earned allowance to see a movie multiple times. It was also the first time I noticed an article of clothing on a fellow and thought, “He looks downright handsome wearing that jacket.” Of course, I’m paraphrasing. At the time, sitting there gaping up at Harrison Ford and hugging a tub of popcorn the size of my torso, it was more along the lines of, “He’s so cute! I love him! I love his jacket!”
Yes. I dug his fedora and his bullwhip, too. But it was his leather bomber jacket that made Indiana Jones appear just the right mix of tough and sensitive to my 12-year-old self.
The jacket’s charm wasn’t derived from the style so much as the lived-in fit that could only come from surviving giant rolling boulders, a snake pit and a bar brawl alongside a tough broad. Because what really makes jackets for men work – then and now – is the living, adventuring and exploring that goes on while you wear them.
That’s not to say style is unimportant. When selecting a jacket to accompany you on your journeys, I’ll quote the sage old knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – “choose wisely.”
You should only go for a style that suits you and feels great on you. Whether it’s a classic field coat, a leather bomber jacket or a fleece windbreaker – you’re going to wear it best if it’s your genuine style. Be sure to settle on one that can keep up with you on your most rugged outings. If your jacket can manage a day of hunting, fly-fishing or hiking, it’ll handle catching dinner and a movie handsomely.
As for material, any well-constructed jacket is going to serve you well whether it’s made of leather, wool or cotton. But leather jackets are legendary for getting better looking as you break them in over years and decades. They become truly one of a kind, created by you and your adventures.
Was hoping for a review of a jacket. Got a narcissistic story about the writer’s teenage crush on Indian Jones instead. 0/10.
Where can I find the jacket in the picture?? The link takes me to a completely different jacket.
this is lambskin not bison. It is on the Orvis homepage.