Disclaimer: You will find the first part of the article here . File written by Romain who also works on Modissimo.
Now that you know the basic vocabulary for talking about leather, the next step is to gauge the quality of the leather. That said, let's remain cautious: even if we agree on the fact that split leather is a very poor quality compared to aniline, it is not necessarily relevant to rank the leathers among them.
It is above all according to your tastes and aspirations that you will find the leather that you like... In fact, if we allow ourselves a little lyrical prank, let's say that you will have to have a "feeling" with your leather to be sure that it 's the right one (how romantic).
As a general rule, common sense will definitely guide your choice: if you are a daredevil, avoid dipped leathers or suedes, all of which are very sensitive to stains. Finally, last essential thing: ALWAYS (always) read the labels, if only to know what leather it is. But treat yourself: leather is a noble and personal material, so the main thing is not to rationalize it too much .
How to recognize real good leather? Although this question does not have a standard answer, we can nevertheless give you some small clues starting from the base: your senses. Sight, touch and smell will awaken your Bonne Gueule instinct to make the right choice!
Once again, thank you to all the specialists (pelusers, salespeople) in France and the Belgian neighbor (Marc from pelsland.be) who graciously gave me the benefit of their know-how and experience.
Sight to assess the quality of leather
This is one of the most important aspects in choosing leather, beyond the cut. Imperfections, grain, look: use your eyes to spot the advantages and defects of your leather.
Leather imperfections
Let's start with the imperfections common to the most common leathers (lamb, buffalo, cowhide, sheep, etc.). Please note that some are not really visible anyway and depend on the quality of the food and the products used for tanning.
On the other hand, what is easily spotted on skin are pits or coarse veins : the first form a blister, or a small halo around a small point, the second draw a fine irregular furrow over a few centimeters (not to be not to be confused with a fold!).
Example of leather grain:
nothing serious but you might as well avoid it .
Warning : even if it is not aesthetic, the presence of imperfections should not be prohibitive, unless they are too present and too marked. Only a few very rare houses like Hermès can offer absolutely perfect leathers!
Rick Owens has made a name for himself when it comes to his leather work.
The texture of the skin
This is the “drawing” on the surface of the skin, more or less visible depending on the type of leather, and which is most clearly manifested in the shape of small…grains!
For leathers such as calfskin, buffalo, cowhide , the rule is that the more regular the grain, the better the quality of the leather , and it is even better if there are no imperfections. The grain will be more apparent if the leather is tumbled, which is common unless it is aged or patinated; the dye must also be homogeneous.
For aniline lamb or even in corrected grain ( note: the corrected grain is the layer below, significantly less resistant, and which has been tanned many times to give it a smooth leather appearance ), the grain is often of a extremely fine, which means that when purchased it will be barely visible.
What your eyes should see is an almost silk-like texture, which naturally reflects light. If your lamb jacket is already aged and patinated, or coated, then the leather will undoubtedly be shinier in certain places and less homogeneous, but again it must retain a certain homogeneity. Otherwise, the risk is to have a garment made of patched pieces which are nothing other than “scraps” of leather.
Note: Compare and observe numerous leathers, in different ranges, to understand what we are talking about here.
Very regular leather on this Gucci backpack, which must cost a fortune.
Suede leathers (chamois, goatskin) and shearlings will not show any grain, due to sanding or the skin being turned inside out (fur inside). They only become shiny in certain places, when the leather has been worn a lot and is almost "polished" by use, unless specially coated.
The imperfections mentioned (pitting), if any remain, will be seen immediately upon purchase, and may even become more pronounced with use.
Finally, this type of leather must be particularly textured, and especially for shearling sheep, have the appearance of velvet: the light must reflect in certain places more than in others. To test this, run a finger over the leather: this should make a clear mark, which disappears as soon as you pass your hand over it again.
On high quality suede leather,
you can actually draw with your fingers on the skin.
The general appearance of the leather
Beyond the detail, it is important to take a step back from the garment in the literal sense of the term to appreciate its general appearance: leather with small irregularities seen up close can easily pass for leather with character and experience when seen from further away.
As we have said, the shinier the leather, the more treatment and coating it has undergone, the more a priori its quality is poor in the first place. This is not a general truth, because for example Givenchy often uses black lambskin that the brand wants to make shiny.
But leather with a lacquered appearance, especially at a fairly low price, is very clearly leather that has undergone tons of treatment and is probably close to a lethal dose of radioactivity. Rely on your “sense of beauty”: by putting several leathers of the same material side by side in the store: you should more easily realize their specificities.
For exotic leathers …
It is more difficult to give advice for this type of leather, as they are precious and very particular. Generally, if you have €10,000 to spend on a python or alligator jacket, the seller will be able to give you advice. But if you want to lead the way, here are some ideas.
The type of crocodile is often revealing, knowing that the alligator and the porosus are of excellent quality and that the first choice skins of these charming creatures are taken from the belly, where the leather will be supple and preserved. The alligator will often be duller in appearance than the crocodile. If the leather is shiny, almost patent-looking, and seems inexpensive to you, it may be embossed leather (often calfskin, on which a metal plate is pressed to print patterns). similar to scales). Embossed leather imitates crocodile patterns very well while being less expensive. Ostrich is a very resistant and quite thick leather. It is recognizable by its “buttons”, which are in fact the locations of (late) its plumage.
For snakes such as the python, a homogeneous appearance and a certain regularity of the scales indicates a good raw material. It is likely that the ends of some scales will come off slightly, but this should not be too pronounced, as if the leather had been rubbed in the wrong direction, in which case the scales could bend or worse, tear off. . Mostly used in leather goods, it will almost certainly have a shiny appearance due to its natural texture and the treatments it receives.
Beyond the skin: the seams and finishes, often correlated to the quality of the leather.
You see that you can make things with leather!
Please note: it is not because you have good finishes that the leather used is of quality , but the quality of the assembly is often indicative of the care given to the garment. A silk lining for summer leather, woolen lining for winter leather (even if it is quite rare), regularity of seams and joints... everything that seems well done to you will help to make you think that you are facing to a beautiful product.
When you put the leather on you, close it and make sure that there are no places where the skin is pulling (especially at the armholes and collar). Details that even seem superfluous to you (patterns on a lining, leather-trimmed interior pocket edges) often reveal the state of mind in which a brand works, and the attention it pays to its products.
In terms of strength, be aware that the use of triple stitching is a guarantee of durability: it is, for example, a recurring technique on biker jackets and saddlery activities. That said, double stitching should offer you a sufficient level of strength for “urban” use.
Leather quality: confirm with touch
It’s a sense that rarely deceives and can instantly trigger a crush! It is difficult to buy leather on the internet precisely because touch often allows you to confirm or deny what you have seen. Touch is essential to assess the quality of the leather.
For finishes, there is clearly a hierarchy between aniline, corrected grain and pigmented leather . Aniline/plunge offers an inimitable very soft and natural touch, while pigmented will often be smoother, colder, more... artificial (basically if you feel like you're touching plastic, it's because leather is mummified in the pigments and protections, and that it's probably not good stuff). Corrected flower is in between and is less expensive than aniline.
Then, beyond the finishes, the feel is of course determined by the type of leather.
Starting with the lamb . It is a leather that is often very soft due to the fineness of the grain, whatever the finish. If you are faced with a lambskin (aniline leather), you should be amazed when you touch the garment by its softness.
You could even say that it reminds of baby skin (sorry for the image!).
That said, we can also find this feel on corrected grain leathers, and even on pigmented ones. How to find your way then? He is a specialist who enlightens us on the subject: “ The most important difference, in my opinion, is that we feel a certain sensuality of the leather to the touch of aniline leather. A naturalness that you don’t feel with other finishes.”
This is what the best quality lamb lamb looks like up close, here from Versace. The grain is absolutely impeccable and the softness of the material even shines through the image.
To recognize real aniline leather, poorly protected and therefore synonymous with a very beautiful raw material, a simple test: place a drop of CLEAN water on an inconspicuous area of the leather and see if it is absorbed: correction or pigmentation of a skin will slow down or even prevent water absorption.
Veal is a little less precious than lamb, but it is quite versatile: it can be grained, smooth boxcalf style or mast, as here.
Calfskin is also a fine leather to the touch, the closest to lamb. Here again let yourself feel the softness of this leather, which again will be colder and less natural if the skin has received a lot of treatment. If it is pounded it will of course be grainy, but still very pleasant to the touch. The cow will be crushed more often, because being an adult animal, its experience means that its skin will in any case be less beautiful than that of its immaculate calf.
Buffalo leather has a fairly raw texture, and will be noticed by its thickness. If it is of quality, despite its good thickness it will remain flexible!
Buffalo leather is a leather with a thick and rigid base. To be sure that it does not crack, it is important to assess its thickness. If you touch it with a rigid material, like cardboard, you will have leather that will inevitably crack... and we don't live in Texas, so we don't like it! The ideal is to have a minimum of flexibility, even if the folds and comfort will hardly match those of a lamb.
The grain of deer leather is absolutely stunning, and it's the most natural.
Deer leather, little known, is nevertheless absolutely superb. Its grain is natural (it is not printed), its texture is matte but above all it is surprisingly supple, light and soft. It is worked almost exclusively by luxury houses because it is a rare and noble material, although I was able to see it on a pair of shoes from the Heyraud brand.
Beware of scams, as Marc, from the Belgian Pelsland leather company, explains to us: “ I have already noticed that certain traders dare to offer leather clothing which is made from pork crust, but which has been vulcanized, which makes them gives an oiled nubuck appearance. These very low quality leathers are offered alongside buffalo leathers to generate confusion, but of course, the completely artificial layer they receive deteriorates very quickly and the pork crust itself is much more fragile than it appears at the time of purchase. The last time I saw this type of jacket they were offered at unbeatable prices (€80 to €130).”
We told you: the label, always the label, more label. Read !
Shearlings (with fur) are also very soft and tend towards a softness between cashmere and velvet. Lamb is often much more supple and lighter than sheep, which is thicker and necessarily more rigid. The finest qualities of shearlings are Spanish merinos or entrefinos. To find your way around, simply follow the 4 criteria that a leather worker trusts: flexibility , the weight of the material, the beauty of the velvet surface (exterior) and the beauty of the woolen surface (interior). The more the skin seems supple to the touch, soft and beautiful on the outside like pretty velvet, the higher the quality of the piece.
These woolen skins can be compared to skins worked with suede and nubuck finishes, which have a similar peach skin feel (lamb, goat, sheep). To judge here, we will rely on the lightness , flexibility and softness of the material. However, be careful that the feel is uniform: damaged suede leather will tarnish, on the one hand, but above all it will stiffen and lose all the softness linked to its texture.
Mast crocodile leathers are the most beautiful, the most precious. Note that the skin of the stomach is the most sought after: the scales are square, more regular and above all the skin is more supple.
For exotic leathers , touch is a less important sense... python is rarely a pleasant material to touch, except when ready to wear by certain designers (Roberto Cavalli). The crocodile is often “harder” and colder than the alligator, whose belly is particularly soft. Ostrich has a very irregular feel and is not particularly soft: what will strike you is the sensation of the little balls that characterize this skin. The ostrich leg (mainly used in shoes) will have an extremely smooth feel, almost like plastic.
All these leathers, as we have already said, have a lot of character and come from animals that are not necessarily very sociable (crocodiles) or which must be hunted (python). Consequently, even if a selection is made, these skins have “experience”: no two are alike, and it is better to trust your sense of aesthetics.
CCP has such treatment on its leathers that some stand up. He even has a kangaroo skin jacket that he sewed and assembled BEFORE tanning. It sends shivers down your spine.
The smell of leather
Very clearly the use of this meaning is rather anecdotal, but can confirm your impressions. Because when you buy new leather, the skin must have a particular smell that is not necessarily very pleasant, but which is not unbearable ! This smell of leather is natural and is linked to the life of leather which was once the skin of an animal.
The smells of leather depend on the animal from which it comes. Shearlings and goatskins tend to have a strong odor. While lambs, calves and reptiles are much more discreet or even odorless.
The finishes also play a role: highly pigmented and coated leather can give off a more “chemical” smell and, therefore, an annoying one . It's an odor that can be found with certain leather upholstery in new cars. There may be another nauseating odor, one that smells a bit like animals, or flesh: this is characteristic of leather that has not been sufficiently tanned.
Finally, in the case of imitation leather, it's very simple: there is no smell . It is therefore quite easy to recognize real leather by the smell (just like the quality of the tanning when it is real).
You are now an expert in identifying what makes leather quality! Skin that is pretty to look at, pleasant to touch, and which smells “real”: a good smell of leather!
Don't forget an extremely important indicator, and again often very revealing: the origin of the skin. The United Kingdom and Spain and South Africa, for example, produce fine lambs, as do France and Italy for many other leathers. Coming from these countries, the skins are often of very good quality and tanned with products that are much more respectful of health and the environment!
Last appointment : the most common cuts that you will find in stores.
Part 1 of the article - Part 3 of the article
Without forgetting our own jackets...
A big piece, it must last over time.
So we use thick sheets from wool manufacturer Jules Tournier, a 150-year-old Living Heritage Company located in Tarn, but also the latest textile innovations from technical weavers Schoeller, SympaTex and Polartec.
And that's not all: Kuroki selvedge denim jacket, Italian lamb jackets... we admit, we had fun!
