The leather bomber, explained properly
What actually makes a jacket a bomber, how it should sit on your body, what length to buy, and how to wear it once it arrives — for men and women.
100% real lambskin
A bomber jacket is a short, hip-length jacket with a rib-knit collar, rib-knit cuffs and a rib-knit hem, a full front zip, and enough room through the body to blouse slightly above the waistband. The ribbing is the tell — take it away and you have a different jacket.
Five things that make a bomber a bomber
It started as flight kit and never left, because the shape solves a real problem: closed at three points, free everywhere in between.
Rib-knit collar
A knit band, not a lapel and not a leather stand collar. It closes the neck without adding bulk.
Straight front zip
One clean vertical line up the centre. No asymmetric zip, no belt — which is what makes it easy open or closed.
Rib-knit cuffs
They grip the wrist so the sleeve can stay roomy above it, and stop wind travelling up the arm.
Rib-knit hem
Sits at the hip and pulls the body in, which is what creates the blouson shape above it.
A body with real ease
Visible room through the chest and middle. Take the ease away and it stops being a bomber.
Why the bomber jacket is still in style
The case for a cut that has outlasted every trend cycle it has been dropped into.
Streetwear meets heritage: modernising the classic bomber
How the flight-jacket shape got reworked for the way people actually dress now.
Harrington vs bomber: which one should you buy?
Two short jackets, two different collars — and a clear answer on which suits you.
How a bomber should actually sit
Snug at the three rib points, roomy in between. Get those two right and everything else follows.
Go deeper: the full breakdown, with measurements and the common mistakes, is in the ultimate bomber jacket fit guide. Short on time? Run the 30-second bomber jacket fit check in front of a mirror. Stuck between two sizes? Read whether bomber jackets run small or large before you order.
Decrum sizing: our bombers run true to chest measurement across XS–XXXL. If you plan to layer a hoodie or a wool knit underneath, take one size up. Measure once against the size & fit guide → rather than guessing from another brand's label.
The one measurement people get wrong
Length is what separates a bomber that looks intentional from one that looks borrowed — and it is the thing you cannot alter after the fact.
The hem should land on the dashed line or a touch above it. Never below.
Men
- Standing straight, the hem sits level with your belt line or just over it
- You should see a sliver of trouser or waistband — never a covered seat
- Tall or long-torso? Size for torso length before chest, or the hem rides up every time you lift your arms
Women
- The hem lands at the narrowest part of the waist or slightly below
- Cropping higher works with a high-rise trouser and lengthens the leg line
- Shorter or petite? Take the shortest hem you can find — a longer one cuts you at the widest point
Everything you need to know about bomber jacket length
Hem positions, torso length, and exactly how cropped is too cropped.
The ultimate bomber jacket fit guide
Every measurement that matters, and how it should look on the body.
Do bomber jackets run small or large?
What to do when you land between two sizes.
Four ways to wear it
Same jacket, four settings. A bomber changes register with what you put under it, not with what you buy.
Everyday
MenPlain tee or fine knit, straight jeans, low-profile trainers or a Chelsea boot. Jacket open.
WomenRibbed top, high-rise straight jeans, ankle boots. Let the hem sit on the waistband.
Smart-casual
MenCollared shirt or merino crew, dark tailored trousers, leather boots. Keep the jacket black or deep brown.
WomenSilk shirt or fine knit, wide-leg trouser, a low heel or loafer.
Over a hoodie
MenSlim hood, thin fleece, and a bomber sized to take it. A bulky hood pushes the jacket off your shoulders.
WomenKeep the hoodie shorter than the jacket hem so you get one clean line at the waist.
Evening
BothGo monochrome and let the leather be the only texture doing anything. Black bomber, black base layer, dark trouser, clean boot.
WhyThe rib collar stops it reading as a suit-jacket substitute — which is exactly what you want after dark.
More outfits: a full set of looks for both ranges is in bomber jacket outfit ideas for men and women →
The same jacket, cut two different ways
Bombers get called unisex. The pattern underneath says otherwise — which is why a men's small rarely works as a women's medium.
Men's bombers
- Straighter through the waist, with volume across the chest and back
- Wider shoulder and longer sleeve for the same chest measurement
- Hem sits at the belt line, with the blouson effect above it
- Deeper ribbing, which holds a heavier layer underneath
Women's bombers
- Shaped through the waist and shorter in the body, often noticeably cropped
- Narrower shoulder and slimmer sleeve, cut for a smaller armhole
- Hem lands at or above the natural waist to work with a high rise
- Finer ribbing, so it keeps its shape without adding bulk
Shopping the other range for the cut rather than the label? Check the shoulder seam and the hem first — those two are where the patterns diverge most. Everything else can be sized around.
Decrum bombers, men's and women's
All 100% real lambskin, rib collar, cuffs and hem, front zip. Built to break in and last for years.
Why the material decides whether the shape survives
A bomber depends on drape more than almost any other cut. The rib panels pull inward at collar, cuff and hem, and the material in between has to have enough weight to fall rather than crumple. Faux leather and PU have no fibre structure to fall back on — they hold the shape while they are new, then crease permanently at the elbows and go flat across the back. Real lambskin does the opposite: it starts with body, softens where you bend it, and keeps the blouson line while it does.
Every Decrum bomber is cut from 100% real lambskin, with rib-knit collar, cuffs and hem, a front zip and a lining you can wear against a shirt — men's and women's. No faux. No PU. No compromises.
Weighing the bomber against another short jacket, or against a different material? These two settle it: the best material for a bomber jacket, pros and cons, and Harrington vs bomber: which one should you buy.
Get the fit right with the size & fit guide →, then choose your range.
Bomber jacket FAQ
What is a leather bomber jacket?
A short, hip-length leather jacket with a rib-knit collar, rib-knit cuffs and a rib-knit hem, closed by a straight front zip. The ribbing is what defines it — it grips at neck, wrist and waist so the body of the jacket can stay loose and blouse slightly above the waistband.
How should a bomber jacket fit?
Snug at the three rib points, roomy in between. The shoulder seam should sit on your shoulder bone, you want about a flat palm of space at the chest when zipped, and the hem should grip lightly at the hip. If the leather creases horizontally across the stomach, size up.
The full breakdown is in the ultimate bomber jacket fit guide.
How long should a bomber jacket be?
The hem should finish at the top of the hip bone or slightly above it, never over the seat. On women's cuts it usually sits at or just above the natural waist so it works with a high-rise trouser.
More on hem positions and torso length in everything you need to know about bomber jacket length.
Do bomber jackets run small or large?
It varies by brand, which is why cross-brand sizing is unreliable. Decrum bombers run true to chest measurement across XS–XXXL — measure yourself against the size & fit guide rather than copying a size from another label. Layering a hoodie underneath? Take one size up.
If you are between sizes, this guide covers which way to go.
Are leather bomber jackets still in style?
Yes. The shape has stayed in rotation for decades because it is functional rather than decorative — the ribbing and the cropped body solve a real problem, so it never fully dates. A plain black or brown lambskin bomber is one of the safest long-term buys in outerwear.
The longer argument is in why the bomber jacket is still in style.