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Black and brown are the leather jacket colours most brands start with, and for good reason: black leather jackets suit every style and hide everyday wear, while brown leather jackets age into a patina buyers value. A custom run is not limited to either. Velocity Wear makes real leather jackets to order in the colour and finish you specify, from tan and burgundy to green, navy, white and grey, from £150 a jacket.
This guide is for brands, boutiques, clubs and teams choosing a colour for a run of leather jackets: what each colour does on a rail and in wear, which of our house designs it suits, how to specify it so every jacket in the run matches your reference, and how colour affects the minimum order.
Which leather jacket colours can you order?
Any colour you can show us. The leather is dyed to the shade agreed in your quote, so colour is part of the specification rather than a pick from a short list. The leather itself, its finish (smooth, soft, distressed or vintage), the lining and the colour of the hardware are agreed at the same time, and the whole jacket is confirmed on a digital proof before anything is cut. We work in real leather only: no faux or PU leather.
| Colour | What it does | House designs it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Reads smart or hard depending on the hardware, hides scuffs, and is the easiest colour to sell | Riders, racers, bombers, the Long Campus Coach |
| Dark brown | Warm and heritage; a distressed finish looks natural on it | Aviators, bombers, truckers |
| Brown and light brown | Shows a patina as it is worn | Racers, truckers, the Shearling Work Coat |
| Tan | Light, casual and vintage in feel; shows wear first | Bikers, racers, suede bombers |
| Burgundy and dark red | Rich rather than loud | Racers, bombers, varsity |
| Red | A statement colour for a drop or a team | Racers, bombers, varsity sleeves |
| Green and dark green | Military and outdoor in feel | Bombers, truckers, varsity |
| Blue and navy | Club and team colours; navy as a softer black | Varsity, bombers, racers |
| White | Clean contrast; shows marks soonest | Varsity sleeves, racers, contrast trims |
| Grey | Quiet and modern, often chosen in suede | Suede bikers, truckers |
Black leather jackets: where most ranges start
A black leather jacket for men or women is the safest first colour for a new range. It sells across ages and styles, it hides the marks that everyday wear leaves, and it changes character with its hardware: silver zips and snaps make a mens black leather jacket look harder, dark or gunmetal hardware makes it quieter. A black leather bomber jacket, a black leather aviator jacket and a black racer are the three cuts brands most often order in black.
Two black finishes come up again and again in briefs. A vintage black leather jacket has a slightly worn, broken finish on the high points, so it looks lived in from day one. A soft black leather jacket is usually lambskin or a soft-finished hide, chosen for drape rather than structure. Both are finishes to name in your quote. Longer lengths work in black too: a long black leather jacket or one of our black leather coats, such as the Long Campus Coach, gives a range a cold-weather piece, and the Hooded Flight Bomber can be made as a black leather hooded jacket.
Brown leather jackets: dark brown, light brown and tan
Brown is the colour that rewards wear. A brown leather jacket for men picks up a patina at the elbows, cuffs and pockets, which is why heritage and workwear labels choose it. Dark brown suits the aviators and the A2 cut, and takes a distressed finish naturally. A light brown leather jacket and a tan leather jacket read younger and more casual, and suit the racer and biker cuts. A brown leather bomber jacket and a brown leather aviator jacket are the classic flight pairing, and a brown leather coat, such as the Shearling Work Coat, finishes a winter range.
If you are choosing between a mens brown leather jacket in a smooth finish and a brown distressed leather jacket, think about how the jacket will be sold. Smooth brown looks the same on every jacket in the run. Distressed brown varies a little from piece to piece by design, which suits a vintage label and suits a uniform less. A brown leather jacket with a hood is possible on the Hooded Flight Bomber, and a long brown leather jacket can be quoted on the Long Campus Coach.
Burgundy, red and dark red leather jackets
Red is the colour brands order for a statement piece. A red leather jacket in a racer cut is the classic, and a red leather bomber jacket works for a streetwear drop or a club whose colours are red. For a range that needs to sell to more people, burgundy and dark red are the safer reds: a burgundy leather jacket for men reads rich rather than loud, and works in a racer, a bomber or a varsity body. A mens red bomber jacket with contrast ribbing is also a natural team piece.
Reds vary more between hides and dye lots than black or brown do, so send a physical reference if you can, and expect the proof to name the shade.
Green, blue and navy leather jackets
Green and blue are where a range starts to look its own. A dark green leather jacket in a bomber or trucker cut has a military, outdoor feel, and a green leather jacket in a brighter shade suits a fashion drop. Blue leather is usually ordered for a club or team: a blue leather jacket in the club colour, often as a varsity or a racer with contrast trim. Navy is the quieter option, a softer alternative to black that still looks smart, and it is a popular choice in suede, as our guide to suede and shearling jackets explains.
White, grey and black and white
White leather is the boldest choice. A white leather jacket for men is usually a racer or a varsity with white sleeves, and it shows marks sooner than any other colour, which buyers of a white jacket accept. Grey is the opposite: quiet, modern and most often ordered in suede. A black and white leather jacket is nearly always a varsity or letterman, with a black body and white sleeves or the reverse, or a black jacket with white striped rib trims. See our leather varsity jackets page for how two-colour jackets are put together.
How do you specify a leather colour so the whole run matches?
- 1Send a reference: a swatch of leather, a garment in the colour, or a photo taken in daylight. A brand colour code helps, but leather takes dye differently from fabric, so a physical reference is better.
- 2Name the finish: smooth, soft, distressed or vintage. The same dye looks different on each.
- 3Choose the hardware colour: silver, gunmetal, brass or black zips and snaps change how the colour reads.
- 4Pick the thread and lining: tonal stitching looks quieter, contrast stitching shows the seams.
- 5Approve the proof: the leather, colour, finish, hardware and branding are set out on a digital proof, and nothing is cut until you sign it off.
Leather is a natural material and every hide takes dye a little differently, so slight variation between jackets is normal, most of all in distressed and vintage finishes. A smooth, evenly dyed finish gives the closest match across a run.
What a run of coloured leather jackets costs, and how many you need
Custom leather jackets start from £150 each. The final price depends on the style, the leather and finish, the lining, the hardware and the branding, so every order is quoted, with shipping to your country as a separate line. The standard minimum is 20 jackets per design, and for a limited time we accept 10 per design. Sizes can be mixed freely inside that quantity.
- Each colourway is its own design: black and brown versions of one cut are two designs, each with its own minimum.
- No single-piece samples: the colour, leather and hardware are confirmed on a digital proof instead.
- Production takes 10 to 15 working days after you approve the proof, with delivery quoted separately.
- Payment is 50% when the order is placed and 50% when it is ready to ship.
Browse every house design on the custom leather jackets page, read men's leather jackets by cut to pick the shape, and our leather jacket buying guide to compare the leathers themselves. Send the style, quantity, colour reference and your logo, and the quote comes back within 1 hour on a working day.
