One of the Fall/Winter trends that a lot of people struggle with is faux leather. It can give you a sexy or edgy look to an outfit while also keeping you on-trend and put together. Edgy can go from classy to trashy real fast. Here’s the trick- if you want to go for an edgy or sexy yet still classy look you really have to pick your fabrics.
One of my favorite textiles to use to achieve the look is actual leather. I love the way it looks and smells but I also love the little cow they are going to slaughter for it. So because I don’t want to kill any cows, I opt for the faux-leather or the leather-look.
Let’s break it down:
Bad: Super sheen, super thin and plastic-y pleather. Torrid is a mega offender here. I’ve seen Asos and a few others commit the crime once or twice too.
If it wrinkles like a trash bag, let it go. The fact is that getting a good quality leather look is more expensive so in the fast fashion market companies are going with the cheaper materials. You can tell. It looks cheap. Not to mention, when the material is too shiny, the light will reflect off the highest points- so if you have any “flaws” or dimples they will be on full display.
There is an exception here- if you are going for more of a latex look (or “wet”, or “disco” look), then super shine is perfectly fine. Just keep in mind that you want it to look thicker and high quality.
Better: One step above the super sheen is vegan leather. Most often it looks like suede but it’s quite soft and can come with a little more stretch. If you can’t afford to splurge on the best, then save just a little longer instead of going out for just the bad version.
Best: is a coated material- usually denim. The wax coating instead of plastic gives you a little more quality look. Real leather does have a tiny bit of a glow to it- so you get to keep that without going too far here.
You get the matte look, the slightest bit of sheen, and the thicker fabric to keep everything smooth. It is not an exact dupe for leather- you’ll never get the real thing but this gives you almost an even better effect.
How to wear faux leather
So now you know what kind of faux leather you need to buy- but how on Earth are you going to wear it? As added texture. Sure, you can go crazy and do head to toe leather- it has been done well when the cut of the items are classic and structured. If you’re a leather look newbie, I suggest one item at a time.
Try it as a cool moto jacket, a great leather pant or skirt with a more subdued top or as an accent as you just get into it. Just have a little fun trying it out for a girls night out or date night!
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