Brunello Cucinelli Shearing Biker Jacket
In our generation, it was called mouton, and more recently it’s known as shearling – a leather item where the sheepskin’s wool is sheared down to form the inner lining, with the leather surface facing outwards, resulting in a light, soft, and warm piece. This shearling, reimagined with Brunello Cucinelli’s sensibility into a double-faced biker jacket style, is the shearling biker jacket we’re introducing here.
Double-faced rider jackets typically evoke rather rugged items like Schott, Lewis Leathers, or Buco’s J-24. More recently, pieces like those designed by Hedi Slimane for YSL have introduced a fashion-forward element. With their biker or rock-inspired aesthetic, these are inherently tough, masculine pieces that look best on younger rock bands. Wearing them as one ages becomes considerably more challenging.
Speaking of rock, you may have seen Slash of Guns N’ Roses wearing a double-faced rider jacket as part of his stage attire. Though past sixty, he wears it incredibly stylishly as a rock star. (Slash seems to favour Lewis Leathers and Schott pieces.)
The Brunello Cucinelli shearling biker jacket, while shaped like a rider’s jacket, is designed to be worn over a suit or as a jacket substitute. This gives it a different impression from the hard, double-faced cowhide or horsehide rider’s jackets. It allows those of a certain age to wear it elegantly and subtly, projecting a masculine rather than merely rugged vibe. Due to the nature of shearling, it is exceptionally lightweight, soft, and comfortable to wear, making it an excellent piece that can be worn with ease even by those of a certain age.
Introduction.
In the article on the A-2 jacket, I mentioned that wearing the original A-2 requires a bit of finesse once you reach a certain age. However, the Brunello Cucinelli shearling biker jacket I’m introducing this time is an exceptional piece. Its high quality and effortlessly worn-in look mean it flatters anyone, however they choose to wear it.
Viewed on its own, it might appear rather distinctive and challenging to style. However, it pairs beautifully with creased trousers, including denim and chinos, creating a cohesive look. Even in the depths of winter, it provides light warmth – a thin knit layer underneath is sufficient – avoiding bulkiness. This makes it a superb, versatile winter outerwear piece, delivering a stylish and refined finish.
Order Event
About three years ago, when I visited Brunello Cucinelli’s Ginza store, I was invited to consider a cashmere poncho for my wife, as it was due to be released the following season and was rather lovely. As this poncho was not available for general sale and could only be ordered at special order events, I was strongly encouraged to attend. Having never been to such an event before, I agreed to visit. Brunello Cucinelli holds order events twice a year; the one I attended was for the FW (Autumn/Winter) collection.
The invitation came at the end of January, with the order event scheduled for mid-March. The venue was the press room at Brunello Cucinelli’s head office in Kioicho. We were offered refreshments while the items for the following FW season were displayed in an orderly fashion. The schedule was well-managed; including us, three couples were leisurely viewing the displayed garments. A characteristic of Brunello Cucinelli is its older clientele, and the other couples present were also from a generation slightly above ours.
The main purpose of our visit to the order event was to select winter items for my wife. Accompanying us from the Ginza store was Mr. Brunello Cucinelli, often featured in the media, known as Mr. Hikino, who helped us choose her garments. My wife’s eye was drawn to a medium grey cashmere peacoat featuring blue, one of the season’s standout pieces. At this point, Mr. Hikino brought her a cashmere poncho in the same shade to pair with the peacoat.
As the collar opened slightly, he also brought a cashmere scarf. Here, Mr. Hikino truly excelled, selecting a voluminous, chunky brown alpaca scarf to pair with it. The subtle Marrone Azzurro combination, with the contrasting textures of the poncho and the chunky, oversized scarf, was an exquisite pairing. It created a relaxed styling yet felt exceptionally high-quality. My wife was captivated by the ingenuity of the combination and decided immediately on the ensemble Mr. Hikino had selected.
The Man Who Popularised Brunello Cucinelli in Japan: His Refined Styling
My wife had made up her mind about what she wanted, and Mr Hikino kindly browsed around for something for me too, bringing me the shearling biker jacket featured in this article. Given that Brunello Cucinelli is renowned for its cashmere, and I had expected him to recommend an item lavishly crafted from the world’s finest cashmere, this was an unexpected choice.
My preconception was that Brunello Cucinelli equates to cashmere, so I was considering a cashmere coat. I had intended to order the recently discontinued Rudangot—a reversible coat crafted using cashmere on both sides (a very luxurious coat in the Balmaquin style)—but I understand this Rudangot has been discontinued. It was an exceptionally fine coat, but reasons included excessive cost and the fact that, being reversible, it couldn’t use cupro or similar fabrics for the lining, meaning the wear experience differed from a standard coat for some individuals.
(Brunello Cucinelli’s interpretation of Rudangot signifies a riding-style coat, akin to their Cavallo jacket interpretation).
Should this cashmere reversible Balman coat be reissued, it remains an item I would very much wish to acquire.
What I found rather unexpected about Mr Hikino’s selection was that, probably because I was wearing 501XX jeans and a Brunello Cucinelli field jacket that day, he assumed I liked vintage and Americana styles and chose a similar-taste biker jacket.
Truth be told, my initial impression of the shearling biker jacket wasn’t particularly favourable. I rarely wear leather items myself, so I was unsure. Mr Hikino suggested, ‘It would suit today’s atmosphere; do try it on.’ So I put it on and stood before the mirror. The reflection presented a different impression from how it looked on the hanger.
At first glance, it gives the impression of a rugged leather jacket, but when actually worn, that ruggedness doesn’t come across as strongly as expected, creating a remarkably balanced look. The ageing treatment is exquisite, pairing perfectly with the 501XX jeans worn that day. While evoking a 50s Teddy Boy style combination, it presents a very mature, elegant and sophisticated way of wearing a leather item.
The comfort is also different from typical leather items; it’s light, soft, and the unique softness of the sheepskin lining feels pleasantly warm.
Mr Hikino also mentioned that because it’s light and warm, it’s often worn with denim during winter. It pairs well with thermal T-shirts or Brunello Cucinelli cashmere knits, allowing you to enjoy wearing it lightly without looking bulky. Furthermore, the effect treatment gives it a vintage-like texture, so it looks naturally worn-in with any vintage jeans you own.
What surprised me was how it looked relaxed on the hanger, felt comfortable to wear, yet when viewed in the mirror, the length and width were perfectly tailored, making my figure appear more defined. This is the result of Brunello Cucinelli’s meticulous tailoring expertise, achieved not only through pattern-making but also through considerable attention to sewing and construction. The size I tried on was an S, but Mr Hikino recommended an XS as it would suit me better when actually worn.
After this exchange, impressed by Mr Hikino’s excellent selection, I decided on the shearling biker jacket.
In truth, during my conversation with Mr Hikino, I kept my remarks about my shearling biker jacket and Brunello Cucinelli to a minimum. The hour-long serious discussion we had centred on my fondness for vintage clothing, leading to talk of European vintage pieces alongside American ones, and eventually arriving at the M38, which piqued Mr Hikino’s interest. As one would expect of a master of style, his knowledge of vintage clothing was profound, and I thoroughly enjoyed our rather lengthy conversation.
The true essence of Mr Hikino’s selection
Considering why a connoisseur of Brunello Cucinelli like Mr Hikino, who is well versed in the brand, chose a shearling rider’s jacket rather than a cashmere coat or jacket typical of Brunello Cucinelli, it becomes clear that, as stated earlier, his selection prioritised pairing with my vintage garments.
Mr Hikino, upon seeing the 501XX (manufactured in 1954) I wore on the order day, immediately recognised it as a 1950s 501XX. (He likely identified it instantly from characteristic details like the yellow stitching.) The conversation naturally turned to the 501XX, and then to other favourites like my Lee 101Z Black Tag (also from the 1950s). He carefully noted the casual conversation we had, and while selecting a poncho for my wife based on my preferences, he likely considered what would pair best with my vintage clothing, leading him to choose the shearling rider jacket.
At the time of purchase, I didn’t give much thought to why he recommended the shearling rider jacket. However, seeing the photos of the style paired with the 501XX this time, I realised Mr. Hikino must have had this particular style in mind.
The meaning behind selecting the rider’s jacket to match my image was likely as follows.
Wear Example 501XX
Styling a shearing rider’s jacket
I’ve been rather partial to vintage clothing and have hardly worn anything but blue jeans for the past few years, but this year I’m making a conscious effort to wear other bottoms. Among these, there’s a silhouette that’s slimmer than standard straight jeans. I’ll pair Dior’s signature black slim-fit denim, featured in my previous article on the Dior pea coat, with Visvim’s five-pocket straight trousers.
Slim-fit black denim jeans
The biker jacket paired with slim black denim also has a rock vibe, evoking the image of Motorhead’s frontman, Lemmy Kilmister. Adding an extra-wide gun belt around the waist completes that look. While Lemmy’s biker jacket featured studs and the band’s logo painted on the back, making it technically different, the combination of a biker jacket and slim black jeans captures his essence.
Pairing it with black slim-fit jeans brings out the biker jacket’s vibe, evoking the image of European bikers. In films, it’s the sort of outfit you’d expect an ageing, hippie-turned-biker-shop-owner to wear. While Remi and the hippie-turned-biker-shop-owner image would call for straight, waist-length hair, I’m well past the age for that and it wouldn’t suit me anyway, so I just wear it as is.
Wear example: Slim-fit black denim
Wear Example: Visvim 5-Pocket Straight
Having not worn them for some time, I’ll pair these Visvim five-pocket straight-leg trousers with a winter coat, which provided the impetus to combine beige-toned trousers with outerwear. For me, beige or white trousers conjure the image of Yukio Mishima. While I’m not particularly knowledgeable about Mishima himself, I recall seeing footage of him in my childhood wearing white trousers and a dark brown polo shirt.
Incidentally, in the early 2000s, when I saw Dolce & Gabbana’s spring/summer collection at Barneys, it immediately conjured that image of Mishima. The combination of tight, low-rise beige trousers and a dark brown polo shirt that hugged the body evoked the physical presence of Mishima in the late 1960s, as captured in Photograph.
Strictly speaking, my own knowledge of Mishima Yukio’s fashion is rather lacking, so perhaps few people would form such an image. As for Mishima’s own books, I recall reading The Sound of Waves(Shiosai) in my youth, though I remember almost nothing of its content. Looking back, it’s a sorry state of affairs that in my memory, Dazai Osamu’s The Setting Sun(Syayou) overlaps with The Sound of Waves. I do hope to revisit them when the opportunity arises.
My image of Mishima Yukio is, if anything, strongly shaped by his debates with the All-Japan Student Struggle Council. In my mind, I’ve arbitrarily constructed an image of him as a profoundly principled individual who believed in his ideals and possessed remarkable mental fortitude.
Whilst I myself wear white or beige trousers without conjuring any image of Yukio Mishima, the post-war Japanese figure I recall most vividly for projecting a physical presence through fashion is Mishima. The image preserved in photographs of him was precisely that of white trousers and a polo shirt. This is why, whenever I see beige or white trousers, I associate them with Mishima.
Wear Example: Visvim 5-Pocket Straight
Details.
- Mouton
- Double-cursor zip fastening with diagonal placement
- Lapel collar
- Zipped pocket at top
- Zipped pocket at bottom
- Flap ticket pocket
- Cuff fastening with zip
- Shearling lining
- Made in Italy
Combinations.
- Biker jacket: Brunello Cucinelli shearling biker jacket
- Knit (grey): Brunello Cucinelli sweatshirt-style cashmere knit
- Cashmere stole: Brunello Cucinelli
- Western shirt: Brunello Cucinelli
- Denim: Levi’s 501XX 1954 model
- Denim: Dior Slim Fit Denim
- 5-Pocket Cotton Trousers: Visvim
- Casquette: Real McCoy’s
- Knitted Hat (Grey): LEUCHTFEUE
- Watch: Rolex Day Date (1803 1969)
- Sunglasses: Tom Ford
- Belt: Hender Scheme
- Footwear Mountain Boots: Brunello Cucinelli
Conclusion.
This shearling biker jacket was purchased on recommendation at a bespoke event I attended to select winter items for my wife. As I don’t wear leather items particularly often, it’s something I likely wouldn’t have chosen had I been selecting for myself alone.
It’s often the case with clothing that items which don’t particularly catch your eye on the hanger turn out unexpectedly good when actually worn. This shearling biker jacket is precisely that pattern.
It’s a leather item with a very interesting concept, designed to be worn over creased trousers as an alternative to a blazer. Despite being leather, it features a tailored jacket-like construction. While it could be paired with trousers from other brands, as I’ve done, pairing it with trousers from Brunello Cucinelli’s own range allows one to fully appreciate the Brunello Cucinelli aesthetic.
As touched upon with the previous Dior peacoat, Brunello Cucinelli pieces possess a certain tolerance, allowing combinations with other brands or items of entirely different concepts (such as vintage or more contemporary pieces). They lend a quality and refinement to items of differing concepts. (Though this assumes basic items)
The shearling biker jacket is an absolutely superb piece, yet I’d only worn it a handful of times since purchasing it. This shoot allowed me to experiment with various combinations beyond its traditional pairing with vintage denim, revealing its versatility. It paired particularly well with bottoms offering a slimmer silhouette than vintage denim, so I intend to actively pursue this style going forward.
Clothes that, years after purchase, elevate one’s own standards of value are truly rare. Providing this kind of value is the very essence of Brunello Cucinelli.
The Order Event was also an absolutely splendid experience. We are deeply grateful to Mr Hikino, known as Mr Brunello Cucinelli, who possesses such profound knowledge of the brand, for selecting the finest items for us as a couple.
His discernment in selecting items based on observing the wearer is a skill born of his keen powers of observation and listening, coupled with a profound professional awareness that contemplates both the outer and inner aspects of the wearer. The other staff members share Mr Hikino’s high level of sensitivity and professional awareness. Consequently, both my wife and I have absolute confidence that the items purchased from Brunello Cucinelli are without fault.
I believe this sentiment is shared not only by myself but also by other customers who cherish Brunello Cucinelli.
The shearling biker jacket featured this time is a piece with a distinct character; it may not suit everyone. However, Brunello Cucinelli’s shearling range includes items inspired by flight jackets, and colours extend beyond black to include natural shades.
They also offer shearing pieces that are less distinctive than this biker jacket and easier to combine with other items, so why not try one on? Shearing is an excellent outerwear material, offering a soft texture, lightness, and warmth. Combined with Brunello Cucinelli’s inherent versatility in styling, it naturally lends quality and refinement to a wide range of looks.
Shop
My Brunello Cucinelli items are purchased at the Brunello Cucinelli Ginza store.
As I mentioned in my article on field jackets, it is a wonderful store not only for its products and stores, but also for the people involved.
For more information about the store, please refer to article on Field Jacket.
