From Screen to Street: Wearing the Captain America Leather Jacket

Few jackets are tied to one film as closely as the black leather jacket worn by Peter Fonda in Easy Rider. The Easy Rider Leather Jacket Captain America is a screen replica of that look, and it is often searched for as a Captain America jacket because Fonda's character, Wyatt, goes by that nickname in the film.

Where the Look Comes From

Easy Rider was released in 1969 and directed by Dennis Hopper. Peter Fonda plays Wyatt, nicknamed Captain America, who rides a custom chopper with an American flag theme on the fuel tank; his leather jacket carries a flag design on the back (Wikipedia: Easy Rider). The character became a symbol of 1960s counterculture, and the clothing shaped how a generation pictured the open-road biker.

The superhero of the same name is a separate character, which is why searches for this jacket often mix the two. This piece follows the film costume, not the Marvel costume.

Materials, Details and Features

The listing describes the jacket as made from 0.8-0.9 mm soft sheepskin with a plain finish in black. Details include:

• Hardware: a YKK original zipper and snap buttons, both in a silver brass finish.
• Pockets: three external pockets (one chest zipper pocket and two front pockets) and two interior pockets, one with a snap and one with a zipper.
• Collar and sleeves: a clean collar profile and a sleeve stripe detail that follows the film styling.
• Lining: no lining, a regular satin lining or a sublimated lining, with the option to upload a custom lining design.

The jacket is made to measure and hand-stitched, so it can be adjusted to the wearer rather than taken off a fixed size run. The related film-jacket range is gathered in the Film Jackets collection.

Wearing It: Styling and Practical Notes

A black sheepskin jacket with a stripe and plain collar works with jeans, a plain tee and boots, and layers over a knit in cooler weather. Lighter sheepskin suits casual wear and costume events more than a heavy riding season, and the lining options let the wearer choose between a light unlined jacket and a lined one.

Other screen-inspired jackets follow the same approach: the Batman biker leather jacket and the Beat It red leather jacket are styled after a character or video rather than a rider.

Is It a Motorcycle Jacket?

No. A screen replica is designed for the look of the film. Riding garments are assessed under EN 17092, which sorts garments into classes AAA, AA, A, B and C, with AAA the highest abrasion class, and the armour inserts fitted to them are tested under EN 1621-1 (SATRA). A film jacket in 0.8-0.9 mm sheepskin without armour does not match that kind of protective garment. Riders looking for armour and weather protection can compare a jacket such as the CE armour waterproof leather jacket , or browse the leather racing jackets .

Written by the Leather Collection Editorial Team.