Why do teachers have leather patches on tweed jackets?
Leather patches on sport coats is not limited to only teachers . If you look at some vintage tv ( leave it to beaver)you will find that fathers in those days wore that type of jacket . The patch was not limited to leather as other materials were also used . The reason for the patch was so the jacket did not fray or wear out because we humans have a tendancy to use our elbows for resting our heads on our hands and many other things. Look at an older person’s elbows and many will have what is called elephant skin on our elbows and also on the back of our heels. So these patches help the jacket last many years more than a jacket without a patch.
