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April 28, 2021 7 min read

by Sarah Makhluf

Sarah is a freelance content writer from Boston, MA. She loves traveling, fashion, and the beach.


Are you looking for a new leather jacket? If you're from the West, Overland is probably already a household name. The brand has been keeping your half of the country warm for over 45 years.

The closest Overland storefront to the North is in Chicago, Illinois. Overland clothing encompasses that all-American, rugged style that stands the test of time. Overland jackets and coats are crafted from the finest leather, sheepskin, and wool, making sure you get the best experience with their products. 

Overland Jackets - A Brief History

Overland Sheepskin Co. is well-known for its quality shearling sheepskin coats, leather jackets, leather bags, and a whole lot of sheepskin accessories. We're talking about everything from sheepskin boots, sheepskin slippers, sheepskin rugs, to sheepskin car seat covers. The brand's crafted outerwear, clothing, and home accents are all inspired by the American West.

The company was founded in 1973 in Taos, New Mexico, by the Leahy Family. This family-run company got its start with a bale of sheepskins and a sewing machine. The first-ever Overland item made was a sheepskin coat. The first Overland store was a small adobe shop between the Sangre de Cristo range and the Rio Grande Valley. They sold a limited collection of coats, hats, and mittens. The entire family would pitch in with managing the growing demand.

In 1975, Overland opened another location and released its first catalog. The rest is history. The wildly successful catalog featured photos of the Leahy's family and friends. Soon enough, buyers could find Overland stores in travel destinations across the American West. Today, Overland operates 16 brick and mortar stores and a massive online storefront. They now have over 1,000 styles of quality sheepskin, leather, and fur products.

You can actually still order the famous catalog today. Follow the link here to sign up. Overland will mail the 2020-2021 catalog for free!

General Brand / Website Review

The Brand:

Overland has this relaxed vintage vibe to it that you don't see much today. A lot of their clothing looks like it's inspired by the styles of the '70s with a modern twist—the combination of new & old works flawlessly together. Overland has a massive selection of clothing, shoes, and accessories for both men & women. The prices do tend to run on the more luxurious side. Overland uses many natural materials like fox fur, rabbit fur, sheepskin, and leather - often, these materials tend to cost more than their synthetic alternatives.

 

The Website:

Overland.com is generally very easy and simple to use. There's a dropdown menu for each category to quickly find what you're looking for at the top of the page. The checkout process is the same as any other e-commerce site. Just add your items to your cart, add your shipping and billing information, and you're good to go. Overland doesn't require customers to register to the site to make a purchase, but you have to submit your email. If you're not a big fan of marketing emails, be sure to uncheck the box asking if you'd like to receive exclusive news and offers, that's code for promotional emails. Keep in mind you may get some good coupons or deals if you do sign up!

As far as customer service options, Overland offers a live chat option, which is usually a fast and convenient way to get the answers you want quickly. Customers can also call or send the company an email for assistance. They also offer full refunds or exchanges for any items a customer is unsatisfied with. One really unique thing about Overland.com is that they have tons of interesting and informative articles in their BUYING GUIDE. You find posts like 4 Tips on Buying a High-Quality Leather Jacket, Leather Types & Grades – The Ultimate Guide, and even some Q & A posts.

Men's Overland Leather Jackets

Currently, Overland features 75 jackets listed under the men's leather jacket dropdown menu. These 75 jackets range from goatskin, lambskin, and cowskin and come in just about every style you can imagine. You can even get a bison leather vest if you're in the market for that sort of thing.

There's also quite a big difference in the prices of Overland leather jackets. The minimum price for a jacket currently listed online is on sale for $169 (down from $329), and the most expensive is $3,355 for a leather jacket with Spanish Merino Sherling. One notable thing to mention here is the discrepancy in the prices for various sizes of the EXACT same jacket. The Overland Jack Frost Spanish Merino Sherling jacket ranges in price from $2,795 for the standard or 'average' sizes and gets more expensive the larger the sizes go up. It does seem somewhat questionable that a guy buying the big & tall size has to shell out an extra $560 for a jacket that fits. While it's understandable Overland needs to use more resources and materials to make a larger jacket, the price difference doesn't feel exactly fair.

Overland leather jacket

Behind The Scenes

We're covering one of Overland's Memphis Lambskin Leather Bomber Moto Jacket, which is ranked #1 for popularity in the site's leather jacket section. This jacket is made with a soft removable collar and bib so you can adjust the level of warmth you need to the current weather situation. Keep in mind this is marketed as a winter jacket that's made to help keep you warm. This isn't a light summer leather jacket. The genuine lambskin is slightly waxed to give a subtle sheen to the garment. The Overland Memphis jacket features a high collar with a strap and buckle closure, two chest pockets with zippers, two hand pockets, and three interior ones. The Memphis is genuinely one of those never-goes-out-of-style jackets that you'll probably be wearing for the next 10 years - at least!

Origin: Made in India

Leather Type: Top grain hand-waxed lambskin leather

Lining: Upper lining is made from polyester, and the lower lining is made from wool

Fit: Slim

Color Options: Brick, Brown, Navy, Grey

Most guys say the jacket arrived super fast, and the shipping process was simple. There are over 100 stellar reviews from happy customers on Overland's website for the Memphis Jacket.

Overland even links to their own Leather Care recommendations on the product page to help keep your leather looking and feeling its best.

PHYSICAL - The Admiral Moto

PHYSICAL - The Suede Double Rider

PHYSICAL - The Technical Bomber

The Finished Product Review

How to Use:

While this may be a 'moto' style jacket, it's not indebted for motorcycling at all! That's likely due to the fact it's made out of lambskin. Usually, lambskin is too soft and delicate to protect a biker. If you're looking for a jacket to ride in, try looking for a sturdy cowhide moto jacket.

This jacket is solely made for aesthetic purposes. It's super easy to throw on over anything from a pair of jeans to sweatpants since in 2021, and most of us still haven't been fully dressed in almost a year.

Keep in mind this is a cold-weather jacket. It's made to be worn during the fall and winter months. If you wear this in spring or summer, it will likely be too warm.

 

The Fit & Feel:

This particular Overland jacket features a slim fit, meaning it will hug the body closely. There's no need to "size up" either. This jacket runs true to size and fits somewhat snug around the midsection like all slim fit jackets. If you're looking for a more baggy or loose-fitting jacket, try going with another style like the Italian Lambskin Leather Bomber Jacket.

This jacket feels ultra-luxurious. The lambskin leather is buttery soft, and there's really no need for a breaking in period. It conforms to the body after one or two wears and becomes like a second skin.

 

Pros & Cons:

Much like any other large purchase you're considering, there's always going to be positives and negatives to any buying decision. When it comes to the Memphis jacket, I do believe the pros greatly outweigh the cons. This jacket is stunning. It's a classic, slim fit that will look great on various body shapes, sizes, and heights. The minimum price point is very fair/average for a high-quality top-grain lambskin leather jacket. Lambskin is a bit pricier than cowhide because it tends to be softer, more flexible, and more comfortable.

One of the only cons is that this jacket doesn't come in black! I was actually quite surprised about it. Don't get me wrong, the colors it does come in are gorgeous; I guess I've just grown accustomed to black leather jackets. The Memphis jacket comes in sizes S-XXXL. They don't have any petite or big & tall options for the Memphis jacket, which some may consider a con.

 

Color Breakdown:

Not sure which color is best for you? If you're looking to break a habit of always gravitating toward black clothing, now's your chance. Let's break down each of the 4 color picks.

  1. Brick 2 - This a more reddish-brown. The lighter, warm shade works really well with various skin tones and styles.
  2. Antique Brown 2 - This is a more muddy-brown that has a worn-in look to it. This color comes pre-faded, which gives it a more vintage look.
  3. Navy - The navy color is a classic, rich, deep dark navy that almost looks black. It's one of those colors that you'll have to do a double-take to determine if it's blue or black.
  4. Grey - The grey color looks more like a very lightly faded brown rather than a true grey color.

Overland Conclusion

Overland is for anyone looking for those iconic American styles. The brand sticks to its hometown roots and values to this day. It's also worth mentioning that Overland has an easy return policy, excellent customer service, and international shipping options for anyone shopping outside of the US.

Buying the Memphis or any other jacket on Overland.com is a simple, seamless process. Shipping only takes a couple of days, and Overland offers free returns if you don't like your purchase or it doesn't fit. All in all, Overland is just one of those all-American, small-town companies that are becoming increasingly harder to find. It does appear that Overland outsources manufacturing overseas. If you're exclusively looking for a leather jacket made in the USA, we recommend Schott NYC or Los Angeles Apparel.

leather jacket review

Final Thoughts

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this rundown of the Overland brand as a whole. Have you ever tried Overland products before? If so, let us know what you think of them in the comments below. We love hearing our reader's opinions and thoughts on various leather brands!


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