Vintage 1990s Chevignon Buffalo Leather Trucker Jacket

Chosen for its exceptional character and beautifully developed patina, this vintage Chevignon Original Leather jacket is a particularly handsome example of the substantial leather outerwear for which the French brand became known during the late twentieth century. Constructed from 100% buffalo leather, the exterior has aged through deep chocolate and rich brown tones, with warmer areas developing naturally around the seams, sleeves, edges and other high-contact areas.

Chevignon was founded in France at the end of the 1970s and built much of its identity around a romantic interpretation of vintage American clothing. Flight jackets, workwear, automobiles, motorcycles and collegiate style all became part of the company's visual language, with substantial leather jackets becoming particularly closely associated with the brand during the 1980s and 1990s.

That fascination with America belonged to a much wider cultural tradition. The leather jackets associated with figures such as James Dean and Steve McQueen, together with the idealised 1950s motorcycle and automotive culture later represented in popular culture by characters such as the Fonz, helped establish leather outerwear as a symbol of independence, youth and rebellion. Chevignon took many of those familiar American references and reinterpreted them through a distinctly European fashion perspective.

This particular jacket captures that approach especially well. Rather than reproducing a specific military or workwear garment, it combines elements drawn from several traditions: the substantial hides of early flying jackets, the practical pockets of workwear, the clean collar and panelled construction of American trucker jackets, and the heavily aged finish associated with well-worn motorcycle and garage clothing.

The buffalo leather is one of the outstanding features of this particular example. Considerably more substantial than the lightweight hides encountered on many later fashion jackets, it has a pronounced natural grain and remains strong, supple and beautifully structured. Decades of wear have developed considerable variation across the surface, with deep chocolate colouring giving way to warmer brown and tobacco tones around areas that have received greater movement and contact.

Rather than appearing uniformly coloured or heavily refinished, the individual leather panels retain their own grain, fine creasing and subtle differences in tone. The sleeves are particularly characterful, while the larger body and rear panels show the depth and variation of the original buffalo hide particularly clearly. This naturally developed surface was one of the principal reasons we selected the jacket.

A substantial point collar gives the jacket a clean, understated profile. Beneath it, a heavy metal zip closes the front and is fitted with its original leather pull, combining practicality with the rugged detailing characteristic of Chevignon's leatherwear from this period.

Across the upper front is a horizontal zipped chest pocket, while two angled hand pockets are incorporated lower into the body. Their relatively restrained construction prevents the jacket from becoming overly complicated, allowing the quality and ageing of the buffalo leather to remain the dominant visual feature.

The rear is equally well considered. A broad shoulder yoke introduces a distinctly American workwear and trucker influence before meeting the large leather panels below. A strong vertical centre seam divides the back, while button-adjustable leather tabs at either side of the waist allow the lower silhouette to be drawn in slightly.

The sleeves finish with buttoned leather cuffs rather than knitted ribbing, reinforcing the jacket's workwear character and giving it a cleaner appearance than a conventional bomber jacket. Together, the point collar, adjustable waist and cuff construction create a silhouette that sits somewhere between a traditional leather trucker, garage jacket and civilian flying jacket without attempting to reproduce any one historical military pattern.

Inside, the jacket becomes considerably more elaborate. The body is lined in brown 100% cotton, incorporating quilted sections and multiple internal utility pockets. Leather reinforcement and trim continue through the interior, while a vertical zipped internal pocket provides additional secure storage.

Dominating the interior is the large leather “Auto Body Custom Garage Service – Chevignon Inc. – 1957” patch. Its automotive graphics reinforce the American garage imagery running throughout the design. Importantly, the 1957 marking forms part of Chevignon's deliberately nostalgic branding and should not be interpreted as the year in which this jacket was manufactured.

The original Chevignon Original Leather branding remains present, together with the composition label confirming an outer shell of 100% buffalo leather and a 100% cotton body lining. The original size tab is also retained and is marked M.

This is a particularly characterful example of vintage Chevignon leatherwear, combining substantial buffalo hide with the American automotive, workwear and aviation influences that helped define the brand. More importantly, decades of genuine use have now given the leather the authentic depth, variation and individuality that the original design sought to evoke.

The result is a jacket whose history is now genuinely written into the hide.

Condition & Preservation

Very good vintage condition and particularly well preserved for a substantial buffalo leather jacket of this age.

The 100% buffalo leather remains strong, supple and structurally excellent throughout, retaining the substantial weight and character of the original hides. The body and sleeves remain well shaped, while years of wear have softened the leather beautifully without diminishing its strength.

The dark brown exterior carries extensive natural patina, including fine creasing, pronounced grain and areas of tonal variation. Warmer brown and tobacco colouring has developed particularly around the sleeves, seams, cuffs, edges and other high-contact areas, contrasting attractively with the deeper chocolate colouring retained elsewhere.

There are natural surface marks and variations in finish consistent with age and genuine use. These have developed into the overall character of the jacket rather than detracting from it and have deliberately been preserved rather than concealed beneath an artificially uniform refinishing treatment.

The brown cotton interior remains well presented, with the original Chevignon branding, composition labels and large “Auto Body Custom Garage Service – Chevignon Inc. – 1957” leather patch retained.

The main front zip, chest pocket zip and internal zip have been carefully refurbished, polished and lubricated in-house, helping restore smooth operation while retaining their original vintage appearance. The buttoned cuffs and adjustable rear waist tabs also remain present and in good order.

Restoration approach: the jacket has been specialist leather cleaned and conditioned in-house using our neutral leather conditioner. Particular care has been taken not to disturb or artificially alter the naturally developed patina, tonal variation and surface character of the buffalo hide. The intention has been to clean, nourish and support the leather while retaining the evidence of age and wear that gives this jacket its individuality.

No attempt has been made to recolour the leather or create an artificially uniform finish. The deep chocolate areas, warmer tobacco tones, natural grain, creasing and surface variation have all been deliberately retained.

Please study the detailed photographs, which show the natural surface wear, grain and tonal variation closely.

A beautifully aged and fully wearable example, sympathetically preserved in-house while retaining the exceptional character and naturally developed patina of its buffalo leather.

Key Identifying Features

• Vintage Chevignon Original Leather jacket
• Likely 1990s production
• French Chevignon design
• 100% buffalo leather exterior
• Substantial heavyweight leather construction
• Deep chocolate and rich brown colouring
• Warmer tobacco tonal variation
• Beautiful naturally developed patina
• Pronounced natural buffalo grain
• Classic point collar
• Heavy metal front zip with leather pull
• Horizontal zipped chest pocket
• Two angled lower hand pockets
• Broad workwear-style rear shoulder yoke
• Large panelled back construction
• Vertical centre-back seam
• Button-adjustable rear waist tabs
• Buttoned leather cuffs
• 100% cotton body lining
• Quilted interior sections
• Multiple internal utility pockets
• Zipped internal pocket
• Large “Auto Body Custom Garage Service” leather patch
• Chevignon Inc. “1957” heritage-style branding
• Original Chevignon Original Leather branding
• Original composition label
• Original size M label
• Zips refurbished, polished and lubricated in-house
• Specialist leather cleaned and conditioned in-house
• Original patina carefully preserved

Garment Measurements (Laid Flat)

• Chest (armpit to armpit): 22"
• Shoulders (seam to seam): 18.5"
• Sleeve length (shoulder to cuff): 25"
• Sleeve length (underarm to cuff): 18.5"
• Back length (collar seam to hem): 25.5"

Original size label M. Best suited to approximately a 42" chest for a slim fit. Please compare the measurements with a similar garment you own to ensure the best fit.