How to Make a Leather Jacket Look Vintage

Slipping on a soft, supple leather jacket with that "Rebel Without a Cause" look is an instant expression of style. New leather jackets or older jackets left in the closet lack the personality and charm of softened vintage leather. But not to worry, you can soften and distress a new leather jacket to create a vintage look with a little time, patience and a few household tools.

Instructions

1  Purchase a jacket that resembles the look of popular vintage styles. James Dean's red jacket was cropped and zipped up the front. The popular A-2 military jacket from the 1930s and '40s has a Mandarin collar -- short and stiff, and is tailored to the body. Motorcycle jackets started out as military jackets like the A-2 but by the 40s, they resembled contemporary motorcycle jackets with a side zipper and a large collar with snaps on the edge.

2  Embellish the jacket, if desired. Add vintage patches or sew on leather or cotton lettering and numbering by hand, to give your jacket a one-of-a-kind look. Add embellishments before distressing the leather, to age everything similarly and create a unified look.

3  Soak and soap the jacket. Fill a sink or bathtub with warm water and submerge the jacket. Add saddle soap in the amount recommended on the container. Agitate, roll and twist the jacket until it is thoroughly covered. Saddle soap will soften the leather. There is no need to rinse the jacket, the saddle soap works best when left on.

4  Prepare the jacket for distressing. Remove the jacket from the water, lay it flat, and dry it with a hairdryer on the low or medium setting. This will begin the aging process, giving the leather a crackled, distressed look. Drag the wire brush across the entire surface of the jacket to loosen the surface of the leather.

5  Hang up the jacket and hit the leather with a broom or baseball bat, as if beating a rug. You want to loosen the leather and show signs of wear. Optionally leave the jacket hanging outdoors for several days to add age and character.

6  Drag the jacket over gravel and dirt. Lay the jacket on the dirt and drag it a few feet at a time, stepping on it occasionally to get dirt into the skin.

7  Sand the jacket in selected areas. If you want extra wear on particular parts of the jacket such as the elbows, pockets and sides of the jacket, select a very fine sandpaper and sand these areas in a circular motion to wear the jacket evenly.

Tips & Warnings

The color of the leather may lighten depending on its quality and the dyes that were used to color it initially.