Before I start, I think it’s important to explain why I’m not buying this beautiful leather jacket from Zara.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-Zara. I personally love their designs and I enjoy selectively buying from their collection. I have stuff from them that have lasted me years and I still re-wear today. But, I also have stuff which I should have been more selective of. I’m referring to clothes that has either disintegrated (within less than a year of owning them), or, was too trendy. With the latter, I regret not staying closer to my true style and be a smarter consumer, but then again, it’s a learning process 🙂 In short, it’s a love hate relationship and I’m trying to be more selective in what I purchase from Zara. Specific to this jacket, I have these reasons:- It’s not real leather – it’s 100% polyester / polyurethane (PU). I’ve had PU clothing before and in my experience, this material have the tendency to disintegrate & crumble. I was really disappointed in the past and knowing that I prefer real leather, I should make it a hard requirement to invest in real leather and not PU (even though it’s pretty).
- This jacket is too popular. It’s a gorgeous cut, I get it. But when something becomes too popular, it becomes too overdone too quick. Honestly, that statement alone makes me wonder if this type of jacket is even my style. I have the tendency to follow trends I don’t even like because I struggle with my own personal style and I’m trying to learn how I can avoid doing that.
- The shearling part of this jacket apparently sheds quite fast and I saw a video on TikTok from someone that claimed that the leather coloring came off and stained their clothes (will try to find the video on TikTok and link it here). Again, Zara’s quality is overall patchy and questionable. I haven’t personally touched this jacket in real life, but I’m not convinced that it’s not messy in some way.
- It’s honestly not that cheap. If spend a little bit more, or invested time in finding it secondhand, I could get way better alternatives with better materials at a lower price point.
As a side-note: I’m aware of the conversation surrounding the harmful effects of both real leather and PU leather on the environment. But, I don’t have enough knowledge on the subject to truly and objectively comment on this topic. I honestly struggled in finding a truly objective article/source that can explain this topic well. So, to avoid any misinformation, I will refrain on commenting further on the sustainability argument of either material.
My personal list of what I think would be better alternatives to the viral Zara leather jacket:
Please note that this is not a sponsored post. However, some of the links below are affiliate links. I include these as a way to keep the blog running free of charge for my readers.
Secondhand designer / Vestiaire Collective picks
Vestiaire Collective is honestly such a wildcard to me. I feel like you’ll never really know what you’re gonna find. There’s also an air of uncertainty with the authenticity of the items. But, if you know what to look for – you’d be mostly safe. Vestiaire of course offers their own authentication services, but like I’ve mentioned in my other post, I’d take it with a grain of salt.
In my opinion, there’s a ton of better alternatives to the Zara leather jacket here. My own personal favorite from the list of jackets I’ve linked on the left (or above if you’re on mobile) is the Armani Jeans suede jacket (no. 3). I love the suede, it looks so beautifully done and I think it’ll be so soft in real life. The shearling also looks so fluffy and I don’t doubt that this jacket will keep me warm. Totally crushing hard on this jacket.
other preloved jackets found on Ebay
I honestly forget about ebay quite often cause it’s not really that popular in the Netherlands. I might be totally off, but here we use Vinted, marktplaats, facebook marketplace and depop more. BUT, if you’re in the US or the UK, ebay has so many great local finds that it’s totally worth checking out. A couple of years ago I got my 100% leather bomber in perfect condition from ebay for just 30€. It was honestly the find of the year. It’s a messy platform, but if you can overlook that – I’m sure you can find really great items.
The keywords I suggest is: leather shearling, shearling aviator, 100% leather. With ebay, it’s better to be as vague as possible to have a wide enough coverage to get all of the good stuff. It’s time consuming but, that’s almost always the case with buying secondhand or thrifting 🙂
My personal favorite: Arma
This brand is on the pricey side retail. But, they can totally be affordable on the preloved market. I saw a ton of secondhand Arma jackets on Vinted that are less than 30 euros – all in great condition, almost like new. I’m calling out this brand on its own cause honestly, Arma deserves more recognition. They make great leather jackets that are incredibly sturdy and stands the test of time. My boyfriend has had his Arma jacket for at least 6 years now and it’s still in great condition. I’ve used his jacket regularly and I’ve loved it every single time. It’s extremely warm, practical (huge pockets) and it’s really well crafted. Not a single thread out of place and everything is just neatly done. I love it.
Their Patty leather jacket is the closest one in terms of the look, but honestly a lot of their other design captured my eyes. Those are the ones I decided to feature on the left (or above if you’re on mobile :)).
Honorable mention of finds that I can’t not mention:
- NYC Jackets (specifically their Vicki suede shearling aviator)
- Rotate Birger Christensen (Millie jacket – on sale right now at the Outnet)
- Rouje (their Kim leather jacket)
- Independent sellers on Etsy. To be honest, I’m totally new to Etsy so I can’t really vouch for their quality. But, each sellers have their own little review section so you can make your own decision before buying from the seller. From what I can see, there’s a ton of independent leather sellers who make custom jackets that fits your size (example). A lot of these jackets are also “inspired by” items, so it might be a nice alternative to get the look without splurging on the luxury price tag (example 2).
- Cos (not an exact match, but I love this shearling jacket).
- Arket (also not an exact match, but love this style).
More luxury finds:
- Reiss (crushing hard on their Daia jacket)
- Acne Studios (absolute perfection)
- Joseph (Compton shearling coat)
- AMI Paris (honestly the cutest cut)
- Blumarine (OMG! that price tag though </3)
- Anything from Khaite (lord rest my soul)
Aaand, there you have it. I hope that you liked this article and found better alternatives to the Zara leather jacket we’re all crushing on. If you have better suggestions, please do share – I’d love to check out your recommendations.
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