Fall 2009 Men's Jackets Guide

I've decided that, when it comes to fashion, men seem to be creatures of habit. If they have a good leather jacket that has served them well for years (never mind that it's a long trench coat that is battered and worn and causes everyone in Colorado to freak out), they'll keep on wearing it. No matter what the latest trends are.

If you're a man with the good taste to be looking for a great jacket in 2009's hottest Fall trends, I applaud you. Otherwise, I have a feeling I'm talking to women like myself who will be snagging one of these great styles in the hopes of getting their significant other out of the raggy old thing they're currently set to wear.

Either way, this Fall's Jacket Fashions are really hot, reflecting some of the best in design concepts.

A-Symmetrical Lines

Men's jackets this Fall are really hot with off-center zippers and lines that go across the chest instead of the boring, normal horizontal look. These lines are often accented with large, fold-down collars that really add breadth to the chest and makes for an overall straighter, slimmer line to the profile.

When we're talking a-symmetrical, don't go overboard. Men's jackets for Fall 2009 are dramatic in a subtle way. The off-center zipper blends cleanly into the usually-black background, and at most 2 extra accents are included in the jacket design for visual appeal. What these jackets really do is highlight the lines of a man's body, the breadth of his shoulders, and create a really sharp, ultra-modern style.

Nordstrom has the perfect example of the a-symmetrical jacket for men. Theory's Axel leather jacket has the oversized fold down collars that soften an otherwise biker-edge look, and the zip cuffs keep the arms tight at the hands to really keep visual interest up high. So sport a daring new 'do and flash a big smile - the women are going to notice.

Biker Inspired Denim

Black is definitely back in men's jackets this fall, and even more is the biker-inspired look. Nearly all of the hottest jackets you'll see for men in Fall 2009 have a distinctly biker feel, regardless of the material they're made in.

Another thing that has come back in a big way for men this Fall is denim. The classic denim jacket has received a serious update, though, featuring diagonal or off-center zippers and the lines of a classic biker jacket. And, with denim, you can get away with some real contrast between the zippers and buttons against your jacket's color.

Created by Jafrum, Amazon is offering one of the best denim motorcycle jackets currently available this Fall. Vented, with zip-out liner and side laces, your old denim jacket never featured things like a cell phone pocket or removable shoulder and elbow armor. Jafrum's reincarnation of the denim jacket offers all that and more, though, making it a truly stunning example of what men can look forward to in the denim and biker-inspired category of jackets this Fall.

Black, Black, and that Biker Look Again

Seriously, if you're sporting anything that doesn't have that cutting edge biker appeal to it, your jacket is totally out of style this Fall. And did I mention that black is super important? Yeah, I thought so, but it's worth mentioning again because black is all over Fall 2009's fashion world.

In the men's jacket category, Fall 2009 Men's Jacket Trends can be summed up like this:

- Go for black. Pure black, not charcoal or distressed, but super deep and clean black.

- Look for zipper closures that are off-center or slightly diagonal.

- If you're going with leather, all the hardware should blend in to the black background.

- Any material other than leather, high contrast between the zippers and other hardware is perfect against the jacket.

- Find fold-over, oversized, or multi-position collars. They're just plain "in".

To really sink the idea home, you can find this great cotton-blend (yup, cotton ... and so so soft!) biker asymmetric jacket by John Varvatos at Zappos. This jacket shows off every single thing that is hot about men's jackets this Fall, from the contrasting zippers to the black fabric to the shoulder shields that really add a great, "manly" effect.