Leather Coat

One item of clothing you will see gay men wearing above all else, it seems, is a leather jacket.  It doesn't matter what else they are wearing, a leather jacket has moved far beyond The Wild One and now inhabits a place in modern iconography that says something more than I own a motorcycle.  Of course, to complete the image you'd need those other accoutrement: boots, jeans, a white t-shirt, mirrored sunglasses, a high-and-tight haircut, a helmet (preferably black with no striping) and a hawg or some other appropriate motor-cycle.

When the jacket is removed from this environment it says something completely different, but it often screams, "I am a victim of fashion!"  I remember a friend being so proud of his new leather jacket that he wore it constantly, until he developed a rash and sore on the second day from the edge of the coat rubbing against his torso.  As with all things, moderation is key.  

I held off owning a leather motorcycle jacket for years until one day, upon walking to the Vogue nightclub in Seattle, a friend and I met a man who was selling his jacket on the street.  He was on a cross-country trip, having driven from the east coast on a motorcycle, and now was heading into the mountains to hike.  Not wanting to carry such a heavy piece of clothing he was willing to part with it for a reasonable sum.  I adored that jacket, not only because it fit me well, but because it had many stories to tell.