Q&A for How to Care For a Leather Jacket

Try steaming it in the shower: After taking a hot shower, hang the jacket in the shower but don't let it touch any water. The steam from the shower should help get rid of the wrinkles.

If it is the A2 type, like I have, use neatsfoot oil for moisture. Treat it like a baseball glove. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy. Keep it on a padded hanger, and only take it to a cleaner that specializes in leather of that kind. That jacket, depending on the patch work and provenance, could be worth thousands.

That depends on what you're trying to stretch. For example, shoes can usually be stretched by stuffing them with damp (not soggy) newspaper and leaving them overnight. For more specific instructions, look up how to stretch a particular leather item (like a jacket or a pair of pants).

First, wipe it down with a slightly damp cloth and dry it completely with a towel so the leather doesn't warp. After that, you can use leather polish or shoe polish in light amounts to help your jacket look better.

You can use an iron and sandpaper. Start by sanding down all the dirt and imperfections and then use the iron to seal the leather so it's protected.

Hang it close to a heat source, such as a heater in the winter, or in the sunshine in the summer.

"Aging" is just accumulation of damage over time, so you can't really age a jacket without doing some damage to it. The best way to achieve that is to be patient and wear the jacket a lot. Or, you can help the process along for a more "Mad Max" look. Try vigorously rubbing it against itself along the places that see use (elbows, shoulders, hem). Then, roll the jacket in the dust, wash it off, and let it dry. Generally, let it experience in a week what another jacket would see over years. Just make sure you're using a genuine leather one (fake leather won't stand up to the abuse), and don't get carried away and risk damaging it too much or making the wear look too fake.

Blacken it with leather jacket or bag polish. Avoid using shoe polish on your jacket; most shoe polishes contain alcohol, and alcohol will dry out the leather.