Steal some Supernatural style with Dean Winchester's leather car coat

The eldest Winchester rocks vintage leather in the horror TV show.

There are some things that Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) doesn’t like to go without when facing off against demons in horror drama series, Supernatural. He’s pretty fond of his 1967 Chevy Impala (a gift from his late father, John played by Watchmen’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan), while his chromed Colt 1911 sure comes in handy. And his younger brother and partner in crime, Sam (Jared Padalecki)? Yeah, he also has his moments.

Living on the road, Dean and Sam like to travel light with just a few key clothing items (hitting the mall to snap up this season’s trends isn’t high on their agenda, think Lucifer’s plans for world domination will wait while they try on check shirts?). Making the grade are Dean’s metal amulet (a treasured gift from Sammy), his MTM-Special Ops wristwatch, silver ring (seen on the ring finger of his right hand) and his leather car coat.

Let’s face it – leather jackets are never not cool, with so many types available they cleverly hook up with any style be it biker, military, metal head or retro punk. They’re a safe wardrobe staple, almost like a sound investment, where you can wear it and rest assured that it’ll still look good next year and the year after that and the year after that. And if it starts to seem a little battered and beaten about, all the better. This is durable and hard-wearing leather we’re talking about, not some squeaky clean white Adidas, it’s supposed to weather life’s little storms.

While the car coat isn’t limited to just leather, it also works well in wool in tweed, it sure looks great when worked in this way and makes a perfect choice for Dean. As so cryptically suggested by its name, the car coat was originally designed to wear when driving. Its A-line shape provides room around the hips for movement, its flat front prevents bunching and its thigh-length means your legs don’t get caught in folds of fabric when hitting the gas. The heavy fabric keeps you warm, while the deep pockets give you somewhere safe to keep your keys in-between journeys – all together a great package for someone constantly on the go like Dean.

Not that living from motel to motel is a condition for wanting a car coat like Dean’s, we don’t imagine that its masses of fans are regulars at Motel 6. And it does have masses of fans. Cyberspace is littered with requests for info on Dean’s car coat with forum threads poring over each and every detail of its styling, from the welted button holes to the distressed finish. And as fans search frantically to find out more on Dean’s and where they can pick one up, we’ve done a little detective work of our own.

Diane Widas, the costume designer for Supernatural has confirmed that Dean’s coat is courtesy of Wilson’s Leather, a brand that began life over 110 years ago as Berman’s Leather and has since established a sound reputation over the generations. However, before you quickly head over to Wilson’s website, she’s also warned that they’ve now discontinued the exact type and that the onscreen original has also bitten the dust. Battling supernatural enemies is a dangerous and messy business and as such Jensen has worked through a number of replacement jackets during his time on the show, leaving Widas to routinely commission knockoffs to step in.

With Wilson’s discontinuing the jacket, it can make finding a genuine a pretty tough challenge. For those patient enough to continue the commitment to the cause by scouring second-hand stores and online auctions, good luck! Yet, if you’re happy with a replica styled to exactly copy the TV version in each and every detail, we’ve got just the thing. Or should we say Soul Revolver does. The website specialises in selling vintage-style leather jackets and has recently added the Dean Winchester Supernatural jacket to its impressive list of those inspired by movies and TV.

Or if it’s just a taste of Supernatural style that you want, we’ve got some further suggestions that all work the classic leather car coat look. Now we just have to get that old muscle car…