Recommended Song while reading: ‘Rebel Rebel’ by David Bowie
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘leather’? Rebellion? Kinky? Rock and Punk? Coolness and being a badass? Or motorcycles and street gangs? For me it’s the latter. When I think of leather, I see James Dean in ‘Rebel without a cause’ in his iconic red leather jacket, symbolising rebellion, coolness and the epitome of nonchalance style. But finding the perfect leather jacket or leather item is one of the hardest pieces of clothing to look for. For me, everyone needs to have the ideal leather jacket in their closet. It’s the one that fits you perfectly, looks like it was made specifically for you and makes you feel like James Dean: strong, independent and simply cool.
When you wear it, you should be able to go out, blast ‘Gimme Danger’ by The Stooges as loud as possible on your headphones and walk through the town like you own it.
However, when it comes to buying leather clothing, there’s one big question: Real or Fake? And to that question, you might already have an answer in mind: ‘I shouldn’t buy real leather, because of the animals getting killed in making-process’ or ‘Faux Leather doesn’t look as good as real leather and is not as durable and timeless.’ Some of your thoughts might be true though.
Price: 6990 HUF
Faux Leather is typically a much cheaper and affordable alternative, it’s highly versatile and can be polished in a way to have high gloss or matt finish. Additionally, it doesn’t crack easily, is stain and UV resistant and easy to work with when it comes to manufacturing and can be seamlessly stitched.
Price: 7990
And real leather? Real leather is extremely durable and resistant to tearing, stretching and bending, therefore making it able to withstand extreme temperatures. If you own a pair of DocMartin’s, you know the second advantage all too well: With wear, leather can become more flexible and sometimes softer, while maintaining shape and strength. Real leather matches its practical properties by its beauty, whatever color, leather type or product, it will always represent quality. Stand a leather handbag next to synthetic one and see the difference. Furthermore, the production of faux leather includes synthetic fibers which are chemically manufactured and even though some chemicals are used to treat the hides, this is much less than the industrial quantities used in synthetic manufacture, which contributes to air pollution. Also, leather is biodegradable.
These arguments aren’t stated here to convince you to use either this or that, but to give you a little help in your purchasing decision.
Price: 6990 HUF Price: 29990 HUF
If you do decide on buying a real leather piece of clothing, then why not buy something with a little history? The beauty of pre-owned items is the uncertainty of the previous owner(s). Maybe the jacket you are holding in your hand was once worn by an aspiring Rockstar or the now retired head of a motorcycle gang or just someone who loves unique leather jackets like me?
As you can see in our pictures, leather is extremely versatile. A cool bright leather skirt or pants can make every outfit exciting and you are ready for the next party, concert or generally a night out. It can look classy, cool or sexy depending on the cut, color and how you want to combine it.
We decided to show you some of our favorite leather pieces at one of Budapest’s Go-To-Thrift Stores - Szputnyik. As you can see, we combined them all with the same top to show how incredibly versatile leather clothing can be.
Price: 6990 HUF
Price: 8990 HUF
Price: 14990 HUF
We can only suggest you go hunting for the perfect leather piece by going to vintage shops. Not only can you get a piece that actually reflects the vibe of 70s, 80s, 90s or whatever time period fashion you prefer. Also, considering the sustainability side of producing clothes (article about that topic coming soon), you’d make a good decision.
So, don’t support the industry producing new pieces, but buy the ones that are already there, mystery included.
Price shorts: 6990 HUF
Price jacket: 14990 HUF
What was your favorite leather piece? Let us know on Instagram or in the comments below?
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