Saint Laurent Classic Biker Jacket review: worth it or skip?

What the Saint Laurent Classic Biker Jacket does well

The headline: slim lambskin biker jacket. The details: Leather: Lambskin; Lining: Cotton; Fit: Slim; Made in: Italy. In our list it is the pick for: rock icon. It usually sells for $5,800–$6,800 in the US.

A lifetime piece.

The trade-offs

Good: iconic, soft lambskin, slim. Not so good: very pricey, delicate. Read the skip-if line before you spend: skip it if you want relaxed.

What to buy instead

Instead, consider the Brunello Cucinelli Suede Jacket ($6,000–$8,000): suede jacket. Better if you want refined.

Instead, consider the The Row Leather Blazer ($5,000–$6,000): leather blazer with clean lines. Better if you want refined leather.

Instead, consider the Alaia Leather Jacket ($4,500–$5,500): sculpted leather jacket. Better if you want sculpted.

Before you buy

Leather: lambskin is soft and light but delicate; calf and goat are tougher. Fit: a leather jacket should be snug at first; leather relaxes about half a size with wear. Hardware: heavy zips that run smoothly and secure snaps last; cheap hardware fails first.

Buyer tip

Leather jackets are best bought in the shoulders: tailors can shorten sleeves, but shoulders cannot be fixed.

Buying in Europe: Italian (IT 38, 40, 42) and French (FR 36, 38, 40) clothing sizes are not the same; IT 40 is about a US 4 and an FR 36. Check each house’s chart, and keep returns in mind when you order from another country.

Luxury prices move in a different rhythm from everyday shopping. The great houses (Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Rolex) raise prices once or twice a year, often in January and in spring, and almost never discount their icons. Seasonal pieces, colors and many shoes, coats and knitwear drop 30–50% in the end-of-season sales in January and from late June. Watches from brands such as Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines and Breitling, and most fragrance, see the best prices around Prime Day and Black Friday. Judge any deal against the usual price we show.

Buy from the fashion house, an authorized retailer or a reseller that authenticates and guarantees every piece, and keep the receipt, the dust bag, the box and any warranty card: they matter for repairs and for resale. Swiss watches carry a 2- to 5-year international warranty when bought from an authorized dealer, and buyers in the EU and UK also have a legal guarantee of at least two years on new goods.