Menswear guys like myself will utilize a considerable amount of mental gymnastics to justify our purchases. Most of it revolves around using quality and versatility as a rationalization for dropping a bunch of cash – it will last forever! You can wear it with anything! Just think of how low the cost-per-wear will be! But at some point, when the closet is already fit to burst, this logic breaks down and you simply have to admit the obvious: I want to buy this because I like it.
After purchasing my Valstar suede jacket a few years ago, I passed through this process of attempted rationalization. Yes, the jacket was expensive, but it was filling a hole in my wardrobe! By purchasing this piece, I would have a suede jacket that could be worn with any number of styles and was made well enough to last me as long as I needed. This was true on a technical level, but after years of wearing I started to think to myself – what if I had another suede jacket? Similar, but different, in order to complement what I already had? The desire to buy something was there, but I struggled to come up with the justification. But you know what? I’m an adult, and I wanted to buy another suede jacket. I don’t have to explain anything to anybody.
Similar to my thought process for my two-season wardrobe (and I should note I still wear almost all of that stuff), I wanted something that was comparable to what I knew I liked, but different enough to work with another spectrum of clothing. My Valstar is admittedly sartorially-styled, so I wanted something more rugged than refined.
The jacket I ended up with came from RRL, and is a rather unique take on a classic trucker jacket. RRL, as many here will know, is Ralph Lauren’s western-inspired line. The pieces are heavily influenced by vintage finds, and many look like something you would discover in an amazing thrift store. RRL’s prices are generally very high – too high, really, given how many other good options there are out there – but the styles are generally very well executed and the designs are such that you can’t really find anything else like it. Nobody does it quite like RRL, and so we grimace while we buy it but we buy it anyway.
I first saw this jacket while traveling in London last year. One of RRL’s few independent shops is located in Soho, and as soon as I saw it on the rack I began to think about how to rationalize the purchase. It was a serendipitous meeting, and although I was strong enough to resist purchasing in that moment, the jacket continued to live on in my brain for weeks after. Ultimately, I was able to make the purchase back in the states when I was able to find one for a fair price.
These two suede jackets, with their powers combined, can cover a lot of ground and have become some of my favorite pieces of outwear to use. They do have a lot in common – they’re both brown suede jackets with a cropped, trim fit and button closure – but the many subtle differences make them quite unique from each other. Or that’s what I tell myself, at least.
The piece from RRL is made from hearty roughout suede, and features a western yoke and curved external pockets. And unlike the finely-polished horn buttons on the Valstar, the RRL jacket features stamped metal buttons, which are complemented by metal side adjusters as well. These small accents are detailed with Southwest-style motifs, further accentuating the “yee-haw” nature of the piece.
The difference in the two suedes highlights just how much variability there is in this wonderful material. The Valstar is made from thin goat suede, and the result is a supremely velvety – and somewhat delicate – material that feels very luxurious. The RRL jacket is made from a hearty cowhide leather that hasn’t been treated much and thus retains much of the rough unevenness that the original hide came with. Unlike the finely processed goat suede, the roughout cowhide welcomes abuse and tends to look even better as it gets beat up. RRL goes ahead and does a bit of beating up this piece for you, just to make sure that it really looks like it came from a thrift shop.
One of my favorite design elements on the RRL jacket is admittedly one of the least useful. The three pockets – two hip and one breast – are wonderfully designed, with a curvy shape that makes the jacket immediately stand out from a more basic trucker. But these pockets aren’t good for much of anything aside from looking cool, as they aren’t cut with any allowance to expand. In other words, they lie flush to the jacket so don’t expect to put anything other than some loose change in them. But again, this jacket was never about utility in the first place – it was about looking awesome. And it definitely does that.
When I wear my Valstarino, I generally think of it as a sportcoat substitute. I like it best with trousers and a button-up shirt. The RRL jacket, on the other hand, looks right at home with denim, sneakers, and a t-shirt. Between the two of them I can wear a suede jacket for most of the occasions that I might find on my calendar.
I won’t sit here and preach about how every guy needs two suede jackets to complete some sort of capsule wardrobe. You don’t really need one suede jacket, and you definitely don’t need two. But if, like me, you feel the impending urge to hunt for a justification, I’m here to tell you that you don’t always need it. Sometimes it’s worth it to go with your gut and buy something that, while not “logical,” will just be fun to wear. And if you find yourself in a predicament like mine I recommend finding two styles that complement each other. It certainly won’t justify the purchase – that’s between you and your checking account – but it will at least ensure that you get to enjoy wearing it as often as possible.
