I feel better in leather. Part of that is just because it looks better, but the feel of a heavy leather jacket is definitely reassuring.
That said, I break out the textiles for commuting in summer. I can deal with the heat during fun stuff, but labouring through summer traffic in cowhide is just hell (although I'm sure they have it far worse in the north). If you're only going to buy one jacket, I suppose a
good textile jacket will be versatile enough to cover most of your needs.
T-MaKK wrote:it has been passed down to me (allegedly origination from multiple peter stevens staff) that leather will die in the rain.... my parents defs rode in leather all their lives, the first part anyway. wtf <--?
Getting soaked will ruin leather eventually, but there's a bunch of treatments that you can use to make it less so. Dubbin, Sno-Seal, the Dainese-branded stuff, take your pick. It's not perfect but it'll get you through a surprise shower. A proper all-weather textile jacket is still the best choice for keeping you dry.