You may have a big problem threatening your sanity this Hump Day morning. As such, let us help you forget about the problem for a second by unloading one of our problems on you. A frivolous and unimportant problem, but a problem nonetheless: how much is too much to spend on a leather jacket?

Think about it. You want one made of good leather because stiff, plastic-y leather jackets are just plain uncomfortable. If you can’t lift your arms properly in your jacket, it’s gone. You are not the Tin Man. You deserve better. Good leather typically points to real leather or very well-made faux leather, so that’s the first hike in the price tag.

But! Leather jackets, like leather anything, require a lot of TLC. Too humid and they become breeding ground for mould. Too dry and they crack. Once the mould and cracking starts setting in – because misery likes company – you’re past the point of no return. That jacket is doomed. That jacket is dead. RIP jacket. Obviously, the pricier jackets are made of sturdier, thicker leather. But one slip up in the maintenance department and it’s all downhill from there.

Then, there are the accoutrements. We love a classic 1960s-style jacket with the little pockets, silver hardware and a belt. Think Marlon Brando in The Wild One. This breed isn’t hard to come by, but a good cut made from good leather that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? One in…ten? (If you’ve got the urge to splurge, Saint Laurent and Acne Studios know how to make a mean classic biker jacket. Why does it feel like we’re talking about steak?) Add Gucci-esque embroidery and hand-painted embellishments to the jacket and it is a whole other thang.

So, again – how much is too much to spend on a leather jacket, what with the risk of it breaking your heart when it starts breaking down into tiny leather bits? Or do you say “screw you, humidity”, buy the pricey one and pretend that Alessandro Michele or Demna Gvasalia is giving you a hug as you wear it? Thoughts, below.

Yoyo wears an embellished leather jacket by Mira Mikati in the cover image, photo by PJ Lam for Hashtag Legend.