Black Rain · Bella J 1980s Suede Fringe Biker Jacket
Supple black suede with allover fringe · batwing sleeves · adjustable buckle waist · Bella J, Australia · 1980s · 59cm long, 58cm bust at batwing · tagged a vintage M
This is the softest, thickest suede in the archive, the kind that moves like fabric rather than hide, and every inch of movement sets the fringe swinging a half second behind the body, black rain that never quite catches up.
Bella J Leather Fashion made this in Australia sometime in the 1980s, a label that has left little trace beyond the garments themselves, the way small leather houses often do. What she did leave is real craft: batwing sleeves cut deep and dramatic, structured shoulder pads built in but never obvious once worn, and a waist that adjusts two ways at once, back fitting zippers doing the close work and a wide buckle belt doing the visible work on top.
Two pockets sit at the side waist, and up front there are two more, one decorative and one genuinely useful, easy to tell apart once you know which is which. The front zip runs 38cm down from a 15cm neck drop when fully closed, and the fringe falls 10.5cm at the sleeve edges, cut sharp and even. Every zipper still runs smooth, and the nap has been aired and brushed back to its original softness.
Material
Suede leather, fully lined
Care
Leather clean or professional suede clean only. Brush the nap gently with a suede brush to lift the pile if it flattens with wear, and keep away from water and direct heat.
More on looking after vintage pieces in our care guide.
Size
Measured flat: Measured flat, she runs 59cm long with a 52cm shoulder width. The bust measures 58cm at the point the batwing sleeves begin, and the waist adjusts to 44cm buckled, with further ease available through the back fitting zippers. Sleeves run 70cm from collar to cuff, 27cm across the batwing and narrowing to a 15cm cuff. Tagged a vintage M. Translates to a modern AU 12 to 14, international size M.
Our size guide explains how vintage sizing is read here.
Condition
Excellent. No flaws throughout: the suede nap is clean, soft and unmarked, the fringe is cut sharp with no fraying, every zipper runs smoothly, and there is no odour of any kind. The jacket has been aired and gently brushed to restore the nap to full softness. About as close to deadstock condition as 1980s suede gets.
Our condition lexicon explains the grades we use.
Before it reaches you
Someone loved this before you did, and I try to honour that properly. Each piece is hand washed, or cleaned in the way that the fabric permits, then steamed until it softens and straightens and feels newly attended to. Wherever a button was missing, it has been replaced with a vintage one from my long-kept collection. Wherever a hem had given way, I fix it by hand. By the time it leaves this room it is genuinely clean, pressed, whole, and looked over one final time before I let myself believe it is ready. Not restored. Not made new. Just returned to a state where it can be loved again, by someone who was not there the first time.
She keeps two different silhouettes folded into the one jacket, batwing and cinched, and switches between them with a belt buckle rather than an apology. The fringe has never once tangled, which either means it behaves better than most things or that it simply has not been given the chance yet. Zip her fully closed and she reads as armour. Loosen the belt and she remembers she was built to move.