Just WAG, but dosen’t the rugged, individualistic leather-wearing American go all the way back to James Fenimore Cooper?
No no no, that’s “Aaaaaaaayyyy!”
In my early teen years, the ‘motorcycle’ jacket…black leather, half a dozen zippered pockets, a belt at the waist, always worn unzipped, maybe a rabbits foot hanging somewhere…was part of the uniform which also consisted of ‘motorcycle’ boots…with a 2 inch heel and a buckled strap, a ‘garrison’ belt, and no sign of a motorcycyle. Permanent sneer was optional.
My parents forbid me from hanging around with these ‘hoods’.
Yuh…like I listened to them at that age.
Your teen years being . . . when?
Late fifties, early sixties.
I wanted a leather since Jr. High in the 70s when I first heard the Ramones. As soon as I got my first job in the 80s I got a one.
I’m 40 years old and I still wear a leather because, well, I still want to be like a Ramone… only alive 
I don’t spray paint anarchy symbols on 'em anymore though. Hey, you gotta grow up sometime, right?