I’ve been loyal to my leather jacket for more than fifteen years. It’s Madewell, bought in my twenties, and the sleeve lining is now such a shredded mess it could star in a horror movie. And yet, it’s still one of the first things I reach for when the air shifts. Safe to say, it’s earned its cost per wear, but lately I’ve been wondering if it’s time for a new chapter. Do I upgrade? Do I reinvent? Or is it finally time to trade leather for something else entirely?
I knew I couldn’t go down this shopping spiral alone. Enter
, a fellow Substacker with an eye for outerwear and the kind of seasonal instincts that make her the perfect partner in crime. When I say she KNOWS her coats, I mean it. Just take a peek at her Fall Wishlisting.We started comparing notes. I had my sights on leather, Kelly on suede. Instead of writing separately, we decided to work together to pit the two materials against one another in a fun coast-to-coast take on which fabric truly rules. Because of my East Coast grit, I wrote for leather. Because of Kelly’s West Coast ease, she wrote for suede.
Three rounds, one fair fight on the following categories: climate, character, and style icons who embody the look. There must always be a champion, but we’re not naming the winner. Only you can crown the one fabric that reigns supreme.
Choose your fighter wisely.
Winner takes fall.
Round 1: Climate
Every fight starts with the conditions. Weather sets the pace, and outerwear either rises to it or folds in the corner.
Leather (Evonne): Cold snaps, grey skies, cutting winds. Leather was made for all of it. A shearling collar turns brutal gusts into background noise, a trench cuts a clean line through endless rain, and a moto jacket flashes its edge under city lights. More shield than style piece, it settles onto your shoulders with the kind of weight that says: “you’re covered.” It’s investment dressing at its purest, built to outlast the trends and justify the spend. Through icy storms, it doesn’t flinch, only softens and strengthens with every wear.
Suede (Kelly): We all know the perfect day only requires “a light jacket,” and that might as well be suede’s middle name. A day of breezy sunshine sandwiched between crisp mornings and brisk evenings calls for a jacket that can hold its own against the cool without holding you back. Suede takes the form of your favorite extra layer: shacket, blazer, trench, but is brushed enough to compete with your favorite cardigan.
Round 2: Attitude
Each persona decides who dominates the room and who lingers in the background.
Leather (Evonne): She’s the one who arrives unannounced but instantly owns the room. Her jacket is cracked in all the right places, her rings clink against a chipped glass, and she leans on the bar like it’s hers. She mixes silk slips with combat boots, layers vintage denim over lace, and keeps a concert ticket stub folded soft at the edges in every bag. Her leather holds memories the way fabric holds shape. She smells like musk, clove, and late nights. She’s resilient, a little reckless, and never explains where she’s been.
Suede (Kelly): She’s the kind of girl who shows up late but makes it look intentional. Her hair is wind-tossed, and her nail polish chipped. She’s wearing a beat-up vintage tee-shirt paired with delicate gold jewelry; an iced matcha in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She’s coastal cool mixed with untamed wilderness. She was raised on mountain road trips and rooftop parties. She smells like sandalwood and freedom. She’s nostalgic, grounded, and unbothered by the popularity she draws.
Round 3: Style Icons
Legacies are written in fabric. The ones who wore it first, and the ones who keep it alive, shape how we see it today.
Leather (Evonne): It doesn’t just borrow cinematic cool, it banks it. Every crease, every scuff, compounding the return. Trinity dodging bullets in The Matrix. Debbie Harry’s downtown bite. David Beckham evokes off-duty swagger. It’s the uniform of stage rebels, forever tied to defiance and allure. A presence that can be carved most certainly in black.
Suede (Kelly): True grit. James Dean in western fringe, hair swept by a breeze. Ali MacGraw in Love Story, draped in camel layers and collegiate calm. Penny Lane, the ultimate fan girl in shearling, sways from the sidelines. It’s texture that murmurs, a silhouette etched in sun and dust.
Final Bell, Final Word
There are some days when you need a shield, some an embrace. Leather thrives on being beat up, every scuff a return on wear. Suede asks for babying, but the softness pays you back tenfold. Both pay dividends in their own way. Leather is for brisk days when you crave the extra weight, but once the heat sets in, the bulk turns against you. Suede shines on mild days when the sun is out, but the second clouds gather, it shows its weakness.
Either way, our edit spans it all. Budget finds, vintage scores, and heirloom investments.
The moment’s here.
Your call settles the match.
In the end, it’s less about crowning a champ and more about choosing who you want in your corner when the bell rings.
 | A guest post by
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This is impossible.
Very hard to choose but for the first time in my life I’m Team Suede.