When Olivia Newton-John donned a biker jacket at the end of Grease in 1978, it was a considered decision by costume designer Albert Wolsky, who wanted to transform her shy Sandy character into a femme fatale. Out went the pretty pastels she had worn throughout film, in came the leather jacket and black spandex pants. Her style evolution was complete; she reeled in Danny Zuko too. The original jacket sold for over €210,000 in 2019.

Though he wore many memorable costumes throughout his career, for his Comeback Special of 1968, a lithe Elvis Presley was dressed head-to-toe in black leather. In that single hour of television, Elvis managed to redefine his image and forever claim his spot in rock history. Such is the transformative power of the black leather jacket. It’s also mood enhancing: whenever I’ve worn a biker jacket, I’ve just felt better.

Carine Roitfeld

If the style staple has played a central role on stage and screen, notably adorning Marlon Brando in The Wild One and Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis in Top Gun, its off-screen allure has also fascinated me. When I interviewed style icon Inès de la Fressange in Paris years ago, she was wearing a biker jacket – the epitome of chic, styled with a white shirt, black trousers and Roger Vivier pumps. Cindy Crawford regularly pops out to the shops or restaurants sporting a biker jacket over a sheath dress or with the classic jeans and T-shirt combo. The former editor of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld, prefers a high-low aesthetic, accessorising hers with Chanel jewellery (and a cigarette), actress Helen Mirren has worn one on the red carpet.

Helen Mirren

“This season they are back with a bang,” says Shelly Corkery, Fashion Buying Director at Brown Thomas Arnotts. “Playing into the 90s revival, designers have paired edgier biker jacket silhouettes with soft feminine dresses creating a contrast between pretty and tough fashion – a really strong look for the season ahead.” Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ collection called “Seduction, Stripped Down” present models wearing tailored biker jackets with satin miniskirts, a prim foil to the beaten-up leather. Miu Miu styles them with ultramini miniskirts. Richard Quinn studded his, Simone Rocha’s variations feature oversized shoulders and are worn with tulle skirts and stompy boots, likewise Sarah Burton’s Alexander McQueen versions are cinched, zipped and cropped, while the classic “Stooges” jacket, a signature of Rick Owens, is reworked with peaked shoulders. Hedi Slimane, who has refreshed the classic rock silhouette at Dior Homme, Saint Laurent and now Celine, called his SS22 collection “Baies des Anges” pairing shimmery sequin slip dresses with oversized leather jackets. The message is clear: the biker can be worn anytime, anywhere, anyhow.

Alexander McQueen SS22

But where did it all start? During World War I German pilots wore leather jackets. Then Americans adopted them as industrial workwear and in World War II, both sides wore leathers. In post-war America, the police wore black leather jackets as did frustrated ex-soldiers unable to assimilate into civilian life. These bikers roamed around on motorbikes and quickly became associated with drinking, brawling, and racing. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the black leather jacket conjured up every mother’s worst nightmare – heroin-addled punks, tattooed Hell’s Angels, heavy metallers. If the Rockers painted and patched their leathers, by the late 1970s punks spattered their jackets with spiked metal studs, slogans and badges, zippers and chains – all part of their nihilist uniform. By the 1980s, the shock factor of the black leather jacket had diminished. Designers put them on the catwalk, the high street copied, and they hit the mainstream.

Beverly Peele and Tyra Banks, 1993 for Vogue. From Captivate! Fashion Photography from the 90s, Claudia Schiffer, Prestel.

Lyst reports that global searches for biker jackets have increased by 60 per cent in the last two months, especially shorter cropped iterations (up 65 per cent). I have added to this tally: I rue the day I donated my last biker to a charity shop.

Experts advise taking a six-step approach before investing; evaluate the style (or silhouette), material (including different colours and textures), hardware (zippers, buckles, eyelets), lining, add-ons (like optional studs) and fit. You can’t go wrong with the time-tested designs of Acne Studios (go one size up for a nonchalant fit). Stella McCartney aces vegan leather iterations as do Stand and Staud for fun faux. I’m deliberating over Warehouse, All Saints and TheOutnet offerings. Fortunately, it’s a buyer’s market with bikers to suit all budgets, which means in the words of the iconic and dearly-missed Olivia Newton-John, I better shape up …