Black Leather Reefer Coat

Men’s Black Leather Reefer Coat

A double breasted black leather coat with a notch collar, flap pockets and a half belt across the back. It is the reefer, the old naval coat, made in leather and cut to finish below the hip.

What a reefer is

A reefer is a short double breasted coat that started life on ships, where sailors needed something warm that did not tangle in the rigging. The overlapping front is what keeps the wind out. People search for leather reefer jackets and a black reefer jacket, and this is it.

Reefer, pea coat or car coat?

Close cousins. A pea coat is the wool version of the same shape. A car coat is similar in length but single breasted. The reefer is the double breasted one, and in leather it is both smarter and tougher than wool.

What it is made of

Real leather outside with a satin lining inside, so it slides on over a jacket or a heavy knit without catching.

Buttons, collar and pockets

Two rows of buttons down the front, a notch collar and a chest pocket. Two flap pockets sit at the sides and there is another inside. A half belt at the back gives the coat its shape.

Length

It finishes below the hip, long enough to cover a suit jacket and short enough to drive in.

Sizing

This is an over layer. Measure round the fullest part of your chest over whatever you plan to wear underneath and check the table. Sizes run XS to 3XL.

Looking after it

Wipe it with a damp cloth. Condition the leather once a year. Hang it on a broad hanger so the shoulders keep their line, and keep it off radiators.

More in our black leather jackets, and the wider men’s leather jackets range.