Understated Leather Jackets: How to Find Your Favorite

I did not expect a brand called Understated Leather to be this fond of embroidery, and that contradiction is exactly why I keep looking. Jennifer Kassell spent years in fashion buying and direction, from Australia to New York, and ended up in Austin after time between New York and Los Angeles. On her founder page she talks about making something unpretentious, with unique, high-quality product, shaped by her Australian roots and her Texan life. That mix is the accent of the clothes: Americana with a little distance from the usual western uniform.

 

In 2014 she began customizing used leather and denim jackets, embellishing secondhand finds and selling them on, which is a small beginning that already holds the whole appeal: familiar pieces made personal. Bold embroidery and adornment became the label's reputation, and for Fall 2020 Brooklyn artist Jen Mussari added custom artwork across jackets, jumpsuits, sweaters and gloves. I went deeper on a related idea in Best Leather Jackets. I went deeper on a related idea in Biker Leather Jackets: Modern Cuts With Attitude.

 

So the collection reads less like a western costume and more like whoever is wearing it. I come for a coat with a point of view, and stay for the belts and softer pieces that make a quiet outfit feel like mine.

Outerwear is where the label starts, and the strongest pieces do very different jobs. The Plaid Western Cape reads like a blanket you are allowed to wear out, the Horsey Jacket brings a denim note, and the Studded Jacket is the more decorated option. I like the Love Story Jacket set against ornamental choices such as the Heart Charm Coat and the Combo Fringe Jacket, which carry the label's instinct for adornment without asking the rest of the outfit to compete.

 

In my fashion dreams, I throw the Horsey Jacket over a plain tee, straight denim and boots for a late dinner in Austin. My practical note: choose one standout texture and keep everything else quiet. What I would skip is wearing the fringe and the studs together.

The shorts make the label's western vocabulary easy to read. The Love Story Shorts keep it simple, the Dixie Frill Short has a softer edge, and the Combo Short and the Chaps-style shapes feel more graphic. I would build around one standout pair, add a clean top and a belt, and let the proportions do the work.

 

Picture her at a late-summer show in the Dixie Frill Short, an oversized shirt and flat boots, relaxed and not head-to-toe costume. When I am choosing between detailed options, I go for the pair that feels most like me and avoid piling several competing details into one outfit.

This is where accessories feel like a natural extension of the leather story. The Texas Motto Belt and the Fringe Studded Belt both carry decoration, and the Horseshoe Belt is the simpler accent. For something smaller, the Oversized Clutch adds shape without another layer, while the Heartland Robe and the Cropped Rodeo Robe change the mood entirely.

 

I picture a clutch tucked under one arm on the way to a show, then the Cropped Rodeo Robe thrown over everything when the evening turns cool. My tip is to pick either a statement belt or a patterned bag as the lead and keep the rest pared back.

The Austin point of view still makes sense to me: Australian roots, a Texan setting and a soft spot for pieces that feel personal. A brand born from embellished secondhand jackets has room for both a sharp coat and a playful belt.

 

The pieces I would keep closest are the ones that look like a person picked them, not a uniform: a jacket with a little character in its details, shorts for a gig, a clutch with personality. I can wear one piece at a time and still feel the brand behind it. Although, knowing me, I would start with the belt.