Winter is when a leather jacket earns its keep and when it takes the most abuse. Four things cause almost all of the damage.

Cold

Leather stiffens in low temperatures. That is normal and reverses as it warms. What is not harmless is flexing cold, stiff leather hard — forcing a very cold jacket into a tight fold can crack the finish.

Let a cold jacket come up to room temperature before packing it away.

Rain

Finished leather handles light rain without trouble. Wipe it down when you get indoors and hang it to dry naturally.

Heavy or prolonged rain is different. Once leather is properly soaked:

  1. Hang it on a wide hanger at room temperature.
  2. Keep it away from radiators, fires, hairdryers and direct sun.
  3. Let it dry slowly — usually a full day.
  4. Condition it once dry, because evaporating water takes oils with it.

Suede should never go out in rain unprotected. Treat it with a suede protector spray at the start of the season and reapply through the winter.

Road salt

Salt is the winter hazard people underestimate. It draws moisture out of leather and leaves white tidemarks, usually around the hem and cuffs.

Deal with it promptly:

  1. Mix one part white vinegar to five parts water.
  2. Dampen — not soak — a soft cloth.
  3. Wipe the mark gently.
  4. Wipe again with a clean, water-dampened cloth.
  5. Dry naturally, then condition.

Left in place over a season, salt will permanently mark the leather.

Indoor heating

The least obvious problem. Modern central heating produces very dry air, and a jacket hung near a radiator through the winter will dry out faster than one worn outside every day.

Hang your jacket away from heat sources. If you have nowhere else, an extra conditioning mid-winter compensates.

A simple seasonal routine

Start of the season

  • Clean the jacket.
  • Condition it, or for suede, brush it and apply a protector spray.
  • Check the zip runs smoothly; a little wax on a stiff zip prevents forcing it.

Through the season

  • Wipe the jacket down after wet or salty days.
  • Hang it on a wide hanger, away from radiators.
  • Treat salt marks as soon as you see them.

End of the season

  • Clean and condition.
  • Check seams and lining for anything that needs repair before it worsens.
  • Store in a breathable cover, somewhere cool and dry.

Layering in the cold

A leather jacket is a windbreak, not an insulator. Leather blocks wind very effectively and holds almost no warmth on its own — the insulation has to come from what is underneath or from a quilted lining.

For genuinely cold weather, either buy a jacket with a quilted or shearling lining, or size for a merino or lambswool layer underneath. Sizing for that layer at purchase is much easier than wishing for it in January.