How to Get Wrinkles and Creases Out of a Leather Jacket

A leather jacket that has been folded in a suitcase, squashed at the back of a wardrobe, or worn hard at the elbows will pick up wrinkles and creases. The good news is that leather is forgiving: because it is a natural material with some give, most wrinkles relax out with a little patience and gentle heat. The important word is gentle — leather is easy to damage with an iron that is too hot or steam held too close. This guide walks through the safe methods, in order of how gentle they are, plus what never to do.

First, know which creases will actually come out

Two kinds of lines show up on leather. Wrinkles and soft creases from storage, packing, or hanging badly will usually relax completely. Hard fold lines — where the leather was pressed flat under weight for a long time, or a sharp crease set into a dry hide — may soften a lot but never disappear entirely, and that is normal. Natural creasing at the elbows and cuffs from wearing the jacket is not a flaw at all; it is the leather moulding to you, the same character people pay extra for in a broken-in jacket.

Start with the gentlest method and only move up if you need to. Most jackets never need more than the first two.

Method 1: Hang it and let time do the work

The safest fix is also the easiest. Hang the jacket on a wide, padded or wooden hanger (never a thin wire one, which adds its own dents) in a room at normal temperature. Do up the front so it holds its shape. Give it 24 to 72 hours. Gravity gradually pulls the panels straight and the leather’s natural oils let the fibres settle back. Light wrinkles from a suitcase often vanish on their own this way. A slightly humid room — not damp — helps the leather stay supple while it relaxes.

Method 2: Steam, from a safe distance

Steam is the most effective safe method for stubborn wrinkles because gentle warmth and moisture let the fibres relax and reset. There are two ways to do it:

• Handheld garment steamer: hang the jacket, then pass the steamer 15–20 cm (6–8 inches) away from the surface — never touching it. Let the warm steam pass over the wrinkled area, then smooth it gently with your hand. Work in short passes and let each section cool.
• Bathroom steam: hang the jacket in the bathroom (away from direct water), run a hot shower to build up steam, and leave it 15–20 minutes. The indirect humidity does the same job with no risk of over-heating one spot.

After steaming, hang the jacket to cool and dry fully before wearing or storing. If the leather feels a touch dry afterwards, follow up with conditioner (see below).

Method 3: Wear it, or use body heat

For light creasing, simply wearing the jacket works surprisingly well. Your body heat warms the leather and your movement flexes the creases out over a few wears. For a specific crease, you can warm the area gently with your hands and work it with your fingers. It is slow, but it is completely safe and it is how a jacket naturally loses its packing lines in the first week of wear.

Method 4: Condition to relax dry, stiff creases

Wrinkles set harder in leather that has dried out, because dry fibres lose their flexibility. Applying a leather conditioner restores the oils that let the fibres move, which softens creases and helps them relax — especially on older or neglected jackets. Work a small amount in with a soft cloth, let it absorb, and often the creases ease as the leather becomes supple again. Our guide on how to condition leather covers the technique and how much to use.

Method 5: A low iron, only as a last resort

Ironing leather is risky and should be your final option, used only for a flat panel with a stubborn crease. If you attempt it:

• Set the iron to its lowest heat with no steam.
• Lay the jacket flat and cover the area completely with a thick cotton cloth or a brown paper bag — the iron must never touch the leather directly.
• Press for just a few seconds at a time, lift, check, and repeat. Keep the iron moving; do not let it rest.

Test on a hidden area first (an inside hem). If in doubt, don’t — steam is safer and nearly always enough.

What never to do

• Never put a hot iron directly on leather — it scorches, shines, and melts finishes instantly and permanently.
• Never use a hairdryer up close on high heat — concentrated hot air dries and cracks the surface.
• Never machine wash or soak the jacket to “relax” it — water saturation stiffens and warps leather as it dries.
• Don’t force a hard fold flat by weighting it down; that sets the crease deeper.

Stop wrinkles before they start

Most creasing is a storage problem. Hang the jacket on a broad padded hanger with room to breathe rather than folding it or cramming it between clothes, and keep it out of a tightly packed suitcase where possible. Our guide on how to store a leather jacket covers seasonal and travel storage in full, and the essential leather care guide explains how regular conditioning keeps the leather supple enough to resist creasing in the first place.

The short version

• Hang it on a padded hanger for a day or two — fixes most wrinkles.
• Steam from 15–20 cm away, or use bathroom steam, for stubborn ones.
• Wear it — body heat and movement smooth light creases naturally.
• Condition dry, stiff leather so creases can relax.
• Iron only on low, through a cloth, as a last resort — never directly.
• Store it hung and conditioned to stop wrinkles returning.

Treated gently, a wrinkled leather jacket almost always comes back. And the soft creases that stay at your elbows? Those are the marks of a jacket that is truly yours. If you’re still choosing one, our guide on how to choose the perfect leather jacket is a good next read, or see how different cuts hang across our men’s biker leather jackets and plus size leather jackets.