Dare you enter the wonderful world of the leather biker jacket? It doesn't matter if you've never been on a motorbike. Or wouldn't touch one with the proverbial barge pole. Leather biking jackets are massive this season, as they were last season, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. Apart from anything else they're a classic. The motorbike jacket has graced the backs of big hairy bikers since motorbikes were invented and they're not going anywhere. And yours will last a lifetime.

You see the maddest clothes on the catwalk. Most are unwearable. Some are downright silly. But the good things is, they provide inspiration for high street designers, who tend to tone things down a little for public consumption. So today's leather biker jacket is a whole different animal from the original black version. You can still buy a black jacket in leather that's so sturdy it's almost a centimetre thick. But there's high fashion versions too, some in the most wonderfully soft and supple speciality leathers that are a real delight to wear, even against bare skin if you dare!

Go for Amy Winehouse styling with a seriously cropped, sexy leather biker jacket in black. There's the high-collared jacket worn by Sienna Miller. Vanessa Hudgens caused a stir in her wonderfully worn and distressed version. Katie Holmes has been spotted sporting a gorgeous rich tan biker jacket. Lindsey Lohan loves her chunky black leather classic. And celebs of all sorts have been seen wearing their biker jackets with the sleeves rolled up Don Johnson style... a familiar sight if you can remember as far back as the 80s!

Take a tour of the internet and you'll discover fitted or semi-fitted versions. Distressed and generally knackered jackets are very popular. Vintage jackets are great, but can cost a bomb. In fact anything goes. Your normal staple colours are still high fashion, with classic black leather an enduring favourite. But if you're fed up with being safe and determined to make a real impression, vivid colour is just the thing, taking the bog standard biker jacket into a fresh new dimension. Choose from bright scarlet - brilliant with this season's bright red lipstick - and rich, deep burgundy, exciting tones of royal blue and deep purple. And blokes can do colour too. As well as black, grey, navy, white and cream there's tan, red, green and more colour ways, all designed to give your look a boost and help you stand out from the madding crowd.