Someone Finally Reimagined Levi’s Iconic Work Jacket into an All-Leather Masterpiece

An unsung Nashville brand teams up with an iconic New York brand to perfect the Type II jacket.

Close-up of a black leather jacket pocket with a gold button and visible stitching.

Published 3 hours ago

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Imogene and Willie is a Nashville-based brand dedicated to producing all of its items in the United States.

This was relatively easy when the brand started out making jeans in 2009, but it is far more impressive when looking at a fully fleshed-out clothing line. Founders Matt and Carrie Eddmenson built a robust catalog with a cohesive vision by partnering with apparel manufacturers nationwide.

Black leather jacket with snap buttons worn over a light blue denim shirt and black jeans. — Imogene and Willie turned to Schott for a leather trucker jacket.

For Imogene and Willie’s newest leather jacket, the brand turned to Schott, the most storied American-made brand in the genre. The collaborators amplified the “Made in USA” aspect by producing one of the country’s most iconic jacket designs.

The Imogene and Willie x Schott NYC Cowhide Trucker Jacket is a beefed-up — pun intended — Type II jacket. While countless brands now produce the style, it was invented by Levi’s in 1953 as the 507xx.

Person wearing a black leather jacket with arms crossed, showing a silver wristwatch with a black strap. — The Cowhide Trucker Jacket is produced in Schott’s New Jersey factory.

Schott manufactures the Cowhide Trucker Jacket in its Union, New Jersey factory. Despite maintaining its New York City roots, where it was founded in Brooklyn in 1913, the brand is a longtime resident of the Garden State.

American providence aside, the Cowhide Trucker Jacket is the type of top-shelf leather jacket I would expect to come from a luxury European label at triple or quadruple the $1,200 price.

Just my type

The Cowhide Trucker Jacket uses the same full-grain cowhide leather found throughout Schott’s Perfecto line, and it is even labeled with a Perfecto tag on the inside collar.

It has an oily finish and a faint pebble grain texture that can deepen with age, depending on how much the leather is pampered or beaten up.

Close-up of black textured leather jacket with flap pocket and cuff, featuring metal buttons with embossed cross design. — The rivet buttons are the same as those on Imogene and Willie denim.

The collaborators are faithful to Levi’s original Type II pattern in every regard except for fit. Defining details like the double-pleated front and twin button-flap pockets are all there.

Levi’s notably eliminated the back cinch with the Type II, replacing it with the adjustable waist tabs used on most trucker jackets to this day, including this version.

Just like jeans from Levi’s or Imogene and Willie, the pockets are reinforced with metal rivets on the corners.

Black leather jacket with front button closure and two flap pockets with buttons. — The Cowhide Trucker Jacket features the Type II’s distinctive double pleated front and twin button flap pockets.

The copper-toned river buttons found throughout the jacket are the same as those used on Imogene and Willie’s denim, providing another link to the Type II jacket’s heritage.

While the Type II jacket was historically produced in a boxy cut, the Cowhide Trucker Jacket has a slim fit that is more stylish and modern. It creates a cool 1960s vibe reminiscent of jackets from brands like Saint Laurent and Celine.

Black and blue

Schott typically uses ornate lining fabrics on Perfecto jackets, ranging from paisley satin to tartan flannel, but this Imogene and Willie collaboration utilized a special textile tied to denim production.

Black leather jacket with button front and two flap pockets laid flat on a textured concrete surface. — Compared to traditional Type II jackets, the Cowhide Trucker Jacket has a longer body that sits below the waist.

The Cowhide Trucker Jacket is lined with Japanese indigo-dyed satin, made from a blend of 70 percent cotton and 30 percent rayon. Its vibrant blue tone peeks out from inside the chest panels and from under the collar.

Just like indigo denim, the satin is designed to fade and patina. Imogene and Willie even provide a disclaimer on the product page warning against indigo pigment transferring onto clothing during the first few wears.

The Cowhide Trucker Jacket is lined with a Japanese indigo-dyed satin.

Imogene and Willie

Imogene and Willie found the perfect partner in Schott to reimagine a foundational piece of American workwear with an ultra-stylish, modern edge. The Nashville clothing brand maintains one of the most respectable assortments in the industry, but this is a new high-water mark.

Availability and price

The Imogene and Willie x Schott NYC Cowhide Trucker Jacket is available now from Imogene and Willie for $1,200.

This collaboration also features a women’s jacket that is a brown roughout version of Schott’s Perfecto motorcycle jacket.

Black leather jacket with snap buttons and flap pockets worn over a blue denim shirt.

Imogene and Willie x Schott NYC Cowhide Trucker Jacket

$1,200 at Imogene and Willie

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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