Belstaff Broughton leather jacket black

One one level the Belstaff Broughton is a very simple leather jacket; and perhaps that's the wrong thing to say about a jacket that costs over £500; but sometimes less is more, and although the Broughton doesn't come with lots of fancy bells and whistles, it is both super-stylish and lovely to wear.

 

The chassis of the jacket is calfskin.

 

Now calfskin, as it sounds, is the hide of a younger cow; normally a cow that's under three years' old. It is incredibly soft, yet very durable, being characterised by a very fine grain. It's the leather of choice for the finest shoes, the best wallets and traditional bookbinding.

 

The leather on the Broughton is what is known as a 'stamped' leather where a pattern is pressed onto the surface of the leather. And often this is done to conceal blemishes in the hide. But even if that's the case it does not detract from the fact that this leather is about as soft and supple as it gets in the world of motorcycling. Yet the leather is still strong and abrasion resistant enough to earn the Broughton an AA rating under EN17092.

 

The armour is D3O's highly vented, shaped armour; and we have to admit that in a leather jacket we would always prefer shaped armour to something like Ghost. I really think this is the right armour for the job, although if you were particularly cautious you could upgrade to Level 2, Diablo armour. You would get better impact protection, yet ironically increase comfort because the Diablo is actually lighter than the armour in this jacket, even though it's more protective! The Broughton has a pocket for a back protector. To avoid creating an outline, you should go for a Level 1, D30 protector. If you want more protection we'd recommend a Level 2 Rheon protector.

 

In terms of detailing you get corduroy in the collar in the way that you do with a lot of Barbour and Belstaff jackets. Belstaff insists on claiming that it's there for its oil-resistant properties. But that's nonsense. It's there because it's comfortable against the skin, and because it's absorbent of both the rain and sweat!

 

The neck fastens by means of a popper, and there's a leather loop that enables the strap to be pinned back to stop it flying about at speed. There are two zip pockets up top, and two poppered ones below. There's another zipped one on the inside. The lining is a quilted taffeta of some description.

 

There's a chunky, black, anodised zip that runs up the front of the jacket. There's a leather flap behind it to prevent cold air finding its way to the inside. There are zips at the ends of the cuffs to aid ingress and egress.

 

There's a drop tail on the jacket, which is something we always like to see on a biking jacket, because otherwise there can be a gap between the hem of the jacket and your jeans. It's amazing how many brands create leather jackets that seem more designed for the street than the bike. But Belstaff has got this right; and that might just be because they have copied a style from their archive. Either way, we approve.

 

The only other details worthy of mention are a set of poppered adjusters to cinch the waist in, and a flap to cover the base of the zip to prevent scratches to the tank of your bike. This flap fastens with a rubber-covered, Belstaff button. Lastly, there are some elasticated loops that enable you to secure the jacket to a belt.

 

The Broughton is just a lovely jacket. It's as soft, as pliable and as comfortable as anything that you might pick up on Bond Street or Sloane Street. That it's also a properly protective jacket at the same time is little short of amazing, as it certainly doesn't feel like a biking jacket. Certainly one of the best Belstaff leather motorcycle jackets we have seen in recent years. 

 

Of course, Belstaff has brought its design skills to the Broughton, as a result of which it's a looker too. If the Broughton fits you, and of course it won't fit everyone, then we think it's got everything you could ever expect of a leather jacket. It really is lovely!