7 Things You Should Do After Buying a Leather Jacket

7 Things You Should Do After Buying a Leather Jacket

Congratulations on your decision to buy a leather jacket. It’s a smart investment that will pay off in the form of superior comfort and style. To get the most use, as well as value, out of your leather jacket, however, there are a few things you should do after buying it. By following these seven tips, your leather jacket will last longer while offering a higher level of utility in the process. #1) Break It In It’s recommended that you wear your new leather jacket for a few days to break it in. New leather jackets are somewhat stiff, and if you don’t break it in, it won’t offer the highest level of comfort possible. So, how do you break it in a new leather jacket? The easiest way is to simply wear it around your house for a few days. Like with other garments, the more you wear a leather jacket, the softer it will become. After wearing your new leather jacket for three or four days around the house, it should be broken in. #2) Condition It Don’t forget to condition your leather jacket. When leather jackets are first produced, they typically aren’t conditioned. Why does this matter exactly? Well, conditioning refers to the process of hydrating leather with a conditioning product, the most common of which being saddle soap. In its natural state, leather is porous, so it’s capable of absorbing or releasing moisture. If your leather jacket releases too much moisture — a common problem in dry climates with a low relative humidity level — it will feel rough and may even crack open. Conditioning...
Cowhide vs Sheepskin Leather Jackets: Which Is Best?

Cowhide vs Sheepskin Leather Jackets: Which Is Best?

If you’re looking to invest in a new leather jacket, you’ll need to consider the type of leather from which it’s made. All leather jackets are made of animal hide that’s been dried, tanned and processed. But different types of animal hide are used to make leather, each of which offers unique properties and characteristics. While you can find leather jackets made of a variety of animal hides, the two most common are cowhide and sheepskin. So, what’s the difference between a cowhide and sheepskin leather jacket, and which one should you should choose? The Grain Although there are exceptions, most jackets made of sheepskin leather have a finer grain than those made of cowhide leather. Cowhide naturally has a coarser grain than sheepskin. If you ever get the opportunity to perform a side-by-side comparison of a cowhide and sheepskin leather jacket, you can feel the difference with your own hands. The finer grain of sheepskin leather jackets feels silky smooth, whereas the coarser grain of cowhide leather jackets feels more rough. But this is just one of several nuances between cowhide and sheepskin leather jackets. Weight Sheepskin leather jackets are significantly lighter than cowhide leather jackets. This is because sheepskin is naturally thinner with a smaller, finer grain than its cowhide counterpart, making it particularly lightweight. If you’re planning to wear your leather jacket during the spring or summer, the lightweight properties of a sheepskin leather jacket make it well worth the investment. It won’t weigh you down as much as a cowhide leather jacket, nor will it leave you feeling uncomfortably hot. Softness Because they have finer...
How to Wear a Leather Jacket in Warm Weather

How to Wear a Leather Jacket in Warm Weather

Who says you can’t wear a leather jacket in warm weather? Because of their thick, heavily insulated construction, some people assume that leather jackets should only be worn during the late fall and winter months. While you can certainly wear a leather jacket in cold weather, you can also wear one in warm weather — it just requires a little extra planning. So, if you’re planning to wear a leather jacket when the temperature begins to rise, you should check out the following tips. Below are several tips on how to comfortably wear a leather jacket in warm weather while looking great in the process. Choose a Non-Quilted Leather Jacket Conventional wisdom should tell you that it’s best to wear a non-quilted leather jacket in warm weather. Quilted leather jackets are perfect to wear in cold weather because they are designed with a soft, quilted interior, which acts as additional insulation to trap your body heat and, therefore, keep you warm. But if it’s already warm — or even hot — outside, you won’t need the extra insulation. In fact, a quilted interior could make you uncomfortably hot. For the highest level of comfort, stick with a non-quilted leather jacket in warm weather. When the temperature begins to drop, you can then trade it in for a quilted leather jacket. Choose a Light Color You can also stay cool and comfortable in otherwise hot weather by wearing a leather jacket in a light color. Generally speaking, light-colored clothes feel cooler when worn than black and other dark-colored clothes — and leather jackets are no exception. How does the brightness...
Genuine vs Faux Leather Jacket: Which Should I Choose?

Genuine vs Faux Leather Jacket: Which Should I Choose?

If you’re looking to buy a new leather jacket, you might be wondering to choose a jacket made of genuine leather or faux leather. While they share a similar appearance — though not necessarily the same — they vary in terms of performance or comfort. You can see for yourself by trying on a genuine leather jacket and comparing it to a faux leather jacket. Below, however, you’ll find several key differences between genuine and faux leather jackets, revealing which type of jacket comes out on top. What Is a Faux Leather Jacket? To better understand the differences between genuine and faux leather jackets, you should familiarize yourself with the basic properties of faux leather. Although it’s called leather, faux leather isn’t really leather. Rather, it’s a synthetic material that’s designed to look like real leather. There are other terms used to describe faux leather, such as fake leather or artificial leather, but they all refer to the same synthetic material. Of course, genuine leather is completely different because it’s made using animal hide — a natural, non-synthetic material. Texture You’ll probably discover that genuine leather jackets offer a softer texture than faux leather jackets. Whether it’s made of a cowhide or sheepskin leather, genuine leather jackets are incredibly soft. Faux leather jackets, on the other hand, have a harder and stiffer texture than their genuine counterparts. If you rub your hand across the surface of a genuine leather jacket and a faux leather jacket, you can feel just how much harder faux leather is. Comfort Because they have a softer texture, genuine leather jackets are more comfortable to...
10 Things to Consider When Choosing a Leather Dress

10 Things to Consider When Choosing a Leather Dress

Are you thinking about purchasing a leather dress? Well, you aren’t alone. In recent years, leather skirts have become a hot fashion trend. They are stylish, comfortable and incredibly durable — a combination of characteristics you won’t find in conventional dresses made of other materials. To take advantage of these benefits, though, you need to choose the right leather dress. Below are 10 important things to consider when choosing a leather jacket. #1) Length Leather dresses are available in a variety of lengths. Generally speaking, the length of a leather dress can be classified in one of three ways: mini, midi or maxi. Mini leather dresses are the shortest; midi leather dresses are somewhere in the middle; and maxi leather dresses are the longest. #2) Color Not surprisingly, leather dresses are available in a variety of colors as well. You can find them in traditional colors like black and brown as well as more modern colors like tangerine, lavender and olive. There’s no wrong color for a leather dress. Rather, you should choose a color that corresponds with your personal style as well as the garments and accessories with which you plant to wear it. #3) Type of Leather Don’t assume that all leather dresses are made of the same type of leather. By definition, leather is simply animal hide that’s been tanned and processed into a textile material. Some types of leather, however, are better than others. Nappa leather, for example, is regarded as having a superior quality to over types of leather. It’s incredibly soft though still strong and durable. You can expect to pay more for...