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Suede jackets, shearling jackets and smooth leather jackets can all start from the same hide; what changes is which side faces out, whether the wool stays on, and how the surface is finished. For a custom order, each is a specification. Velocity Wear makes jackets in every type of real leather, suede and shearling included, in the colour and finish you specify, from £150 a jacket.
This guide explains what suede and shearling are, which cuts suit them, how cowhide, sheepskin, lambskin and goatskin compare, and what full grain, distressed and vintage mean when you write them into a brief. For the wider buying view, including care, our leather jacket buying guide goes further.
What is a suede jacket?
Suede is leather with the napped side of the hide facing out, brushed to a soft, velvety surface. A suede jacket is therefore a leather jacket, which is why the terms suede leather jacket and leather suede jacket mean the same thing (and why the common spelling swede jacket turns up in so many searches). Suede is softer and lighter in look than smooth leather and takes colour with a matt depth that smooth leather does not.
It also behaves differently. Suede marks more easily, darkens when wet and is brushed rather than wiped clean, so it suits a fashion or weekend piece more than a jacket that will be worn in all weathers. Buyers of suede jackets for men and women know this, and it is worth a line on your care label.
Which cuts work best in suede?
Relaxed and casual cuts suit suede best, because the nap softens hard lines. These are the briefs brands send most often:
- Suede bomber jacket: the most ordered suede cut for men. A mens suede bomber jacket in brown or tan is the classic, a black suede bomber jacket the modern version, and a green suede bomber jacket a fashion colour. A brown suede bomber jacket for men is the safest first suede design for a UK range.
- Suede biker jacket: the rider shape in suede looks softer than in smooth leather. A brown suede biker jacket is the heritage choice; a blue suede biker jacket or a grey suede biker jacket is a fashion one. A mens suede biker jacket is a design piece, like all our bikers.
- Suede trucker: the shirt-collared trucker in suede is a natural workwear piece, as our guide to men's leather jackets by cut explains.
- Suede coat: a longer suede coat, such as a version of the Long Campus Coach or the Shearling Work Coat, gives a winter range a softer alternative to smooth leather. Other coat lengths can be quoted as a custom design.
Suede colours
Suede takes colour differently from smooth leather: the same dye looks deeper and more matt. Browns are the most ordered, from a dark brown suede jacket to tan. A tan suede jacket and a tan suede bomber jacket read light and vintage. Black suede is quieter than black smooth leather, which makes a black suede jacket a good everyday piece. A navy suede jacket is the smart alternative to black, grey suede looks modern, and a green suede jacket for men suits an outdoor or heritage range. Any shade you specify can be quoted; our leather jacket colours guide covers how to send a colour reference.
What is a shearling jacket?
A shearling jacket is made from sheepskin tanned with the wool left on, so the wool sits on one side and the leather or suede on the other. In jackets it most often shows at the collar, cuffs and hem, as on the B3 flight jacket. Two of our house designs show shearling this way: the B3 Arctic Jacket, a leather and shearling jacket with a buckled collar, and the Shearling Work Coat, a brown leather coat with a shearling collar and cuffs. The hide, the shearling and the lining are each specified in your quote and shown on the proof.
Cowhide, sheepskin, lambskin and goatskin compared
| Hide | Feel | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Cowhide | Firm, thick and hard-wearing; breaks in over time | Riders, bikers, truckers, workwear |
| Sheepskin | Warm and supple | Aviators, bombers, the shearling designs |
| Lambskin | The softest and lightest, with a smooth drape | Fashion jackets, racers, women's designs |
| Goatskin | Between cowhide and lambskin, with a pebbled grain | Flight jackets, bombers |
| Buffalo | Thick and rugged | Heavy workwear and winter cuts |
A cow leather jacket, usually called cowhide, is the hard-wearing choice: a cowhide leather jacket for men is stiff at first and moulds to the wearer. A sheep leather jacket, whether sheepskin or lambskin, is softer from day one, and a sheepskin leather jacket is warmer. A goatskin leather jacket sits between them, with a pebbled grain that hides small marks. Any of these, or a leather outside this list, can be quoted.
Full grain and other grades
Grade describes how much of the hide's original surface is kept. Full grain leather keeps the whole outer surface, natural marks included, and develops the deepest patina; a full grain leather jacket is the grade most heritage labels ask for. Top grain has the surface lightly sanded and finished for a more even look. Suede comes from the inner side of the hide. Name the grade you want in your brief, and the quote states which one your jackets will use.
Distressed, vintage and soft finishes
Finish is the last layer of the specification. A distressed leather jacket is finished to look worn, with colour broken at the seams and high points, so a run has a lived-in look from the first wear. A distressed brown leather jacket is the classic, particularly for aviators and the A2 cut, and a distressed leather jacket for men in black reads harder. A vintage finish is a gentler version of the same idea. A soft finish is about hand rather than look, and pairs naturally with lambskin.
Because a distressed finish is applied by hand, no two jackets in a run look exactly alike. That is the point of the finish, but it is worth knowing if the jackets are a uniform rather than a fashion piece.
Ordering suede, shearling or leather jackets
The terms are the same whatever the hide. Real leather only: no faux or PU. From £150 a jacket, with the final price set by the style, hide, grade, finish, lining, hardware and branding. The standard minimum is 20 jackets per design, and for a limited time we accept 10 per design, sizes mixed; suede and smooth versions of one cut are separate designs. We do not make single-piece samples, so the hide, colour and finish are confirmed on a digital proof, and production takes 10 to 15 working days after you approve it.
See every house design on the custom leather jackets page, including the leather varsity jackets, and compare the main styles in custom leather jackets: five styles compared.
