We’ve found The Best Leather Bomber In Town

The jacket of the moment is the leather bomber—and the best-priced ones are in Vancouver.

CHEAP + CHIC | Whoever made up the Fashion Must-Have lists that appeared in Canadian magazines and newspapers this past fall overlooked a must-have that is everywhere on the streets in Europe right now: the leather bomber or members only/British moto jacket cross. Just back from Italy, my friend Amelia says stylish women of all ages were wearing this sort of outerwear in Rome and beyond; ditto, says fashion friend Kristy, who spotted leather bombers around Scandinavia two months ago.

No slouch when it comes to trends, Joe Fresh picked up on the bomber/moto craze, including a $49 polyurethane take on the style in its current collection. And cute though it is, we’re taking a pass because we’ve found a Vancouver jacket we like better made of genuine leather for a killer price.

Archetype’s Killer Bomber

For the past two years, The Archetype on Main Street has sold stylish jackets made from reclaimed leather. Its first offering was a members only/motorcycle-racing cross in an interesting range of colours. If you hurry, you can just catch the last of this stock on sale for $139. This fall The Archetype introduced a leather bomber with a generous hood designed for rain-soaked locals. Modestly priced at $169, the unisex hoodie-bomber comes in basic black and a variety of colours including burnt sienna, oxblood, forest green and warm grey.

Celise Lippold, The Archetype’s buyer, says the jackets are made from reclaimed leather from ’70s and ’80s when the fashion industry was more concerned with volume than waste. A lot of old, stockpiled leather coats and jackets (and misdyed hides for furniture) now make their way to rag yards where enterprising designers pick them up, make new products and give the leather a second life.

The nice thing about Archytype’s jackets says Lippold, “is that they’re made from old jackets and coats with interesting details that get incorporated into the new jackets, making each one unique. So you aren’t going to see everyone running about with the very same product on their backs.”—Annabel Lee

The Archetype is located at 2549 Main Street, Vancouver, (604) 872-1144. Visit www.thearchetype.ca

Photo: Casey Phaisalakani