More recently, those who wanted to get a stylish leather jacket could choose from only two options - genuine leather or its substitute, which for short is called leatherette. Genuine leather products are distinguished by their excellent appearance and excellent quality characteristics, but they are quite expensive. Leatherette jackets are much cheaper, but their appearance often leaves much to be desired, and they wear out very quickly.
A few years ago, another alternative to genuine leather appeared - an innovative material called “eco-leather”. Read about what it is and about the features of eco-leather jackets in this article.
What is ecoskin?
Faux leather, despite the name, has a very weak relationship with natural skin. This is a synthetic material that manufacturers have tried to give the qualities of real leather: a pleasant to the touch, warm surface, a high degree of thermal conductivity and wear resistance.
Ecoskin is a two-layer material consisting of a textile base and a polyurethane film. Thanks to a special production technology, eco-leather has a porous structure, so the body can breathe in clothes made of this material (which cannot be said about leatherette things).
Thanks to a special production technology, eco-leather has a porous structure, so the body can breathe in clothes made of this material (which cannot be said about leatherette things).
Patterns imitating the pattern of genuine leather can be applied to the starting material by embossing, so at first glance eco-leather products are difficult to distinguish from real leather things.
How is eco-leather different from leatherette?
Like leatherette, eco-leather is a synthetic material. But, if leatherette is 100% polyvinyl chloride, then eco-leather contains natural components: cotton, cellulose or even a thin layer of real leather, taken as a basis.
Outwardly, to the touch and according to some qualitative characteristics, eco-leather is more reminiscent of real leather than leatherette. Common to both materials is only complete waterproofness and good elasticity.
pros
Faux leather jackets have their advantages - both over genuine leather goods and over faux leather items. The following items can be included in the list of the main advantages of jackets from this material:
- wide range;
- large selection of colors;
- low price;
- ease of cutting and sewing;
- resemblance to genuine leather;
- ability to pass air;
- water tightness;
- hypoallergenic properties;
- pleasant tactile sensations.
In addition, for conservationists, the fact that raw materials of animal origin are usually not used in the production of eco-leather is of great importance.
Minuses
However, like any other synthetic material, eco-leather also has disadvantages. The most significant negative qualities of eco-leather include:
- lesser durability in comparison with genuine leather;
- the need to observe the basic rules of care;
- low hygroscopicity - such clothes absorb moisture worse than things made of real leather.
As you can see, the disadvantages of eco-leather jackets are much less than the advantages.
Models
Eco-leather is a material that lends itself very well to processing, so the assortment of stores has a wide selection of eco-leather jackets. Consider some of the most interesting styles of fashionable jackets from this material:
- black jacket - rocker-style jacket with asymmetric zipper and a large number of metal elements;
- pilot - short, wide jacket with elastic bands on the hem and on the cuffs, has a large collar and patch pockets;
- jacket - a shortened, slightly fitted jacket, similar to a jacket, usually has a turn-down collar and mortise pockets;
- motorcycle jacket - a semi-fitted jacket designed for bikers, it has special elements that enhance the protection of the most vulnerable places.
Warm jackets for the winter
Faux leather retains heat well and tolerates subzero temperatures, so it is quite suitable material for tailoring winter jackets. But by itself, it is not able to warm in the cold, so winter models of such jackets usually have a thick insulated lining or filler. Faux fur, synthetic winterizer, fluff, feather and other materials with high heat-insulating properties are used as insulation for winter clothing made of eco-leather.
Warm eco-leather jackets are usually longer than demi-season models. They may have a hood or fur collar; sleeves or sides of jackets can be trimmed with natural or faux fur.
Demi-season jackets
Autumn and spring models of eco-leather jackets are a lightweight version of outerwear. They usually have a very thin lining and can be very short, covering only part of the back.
The choice of demi-season models, as a rule, is very diverse. On the shop windows and on the pages of fashion catalogs are presented both light jacket-jackets and eco-leather parkas designed to protect from bad weather.
Jackets designed for the off-season can combine several different materials - for example, on sale you can find models with inserts of denim, thick knitwear, raincoat fabric, etc.
Popular colors
Faux leather lends itself perfectly to coloring, so the choice of colors of eco-leather jackets is incredibly large. Manufacturers have long learned to give shades inherent in natural materials to natural materials.You can easily pick up a jacket with imitation of snake, buffalo or regular pig skin.
Fans of bright colors will surely like multi-colored models. This season, you should pay attention to leather things of deep, muted shades - wine, navy blue, coniferous, etc.
What to wear?
The rules of combination with other things for eco-leather jackets will be the same as for genuine leather jackets. In fact, this means an almost complete absence of rules, because modern fashion allows you to combine leather clothes with things in a variety of styles.
A jacket, favorite jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers are a win-win casual outfit. More interesting is the combination of eco-leather jackets with feminine things - romantic dresses, long skirts, light blouses, etc.
Shoes can be anything from classic evening shoes to cowboy-style boots or “military” boots.
Reviews
Ecoskin appeared on the market not so long ago, but has already managed to win many supporters. In this material, buyers are primarily attracted by the affordable price and the outward resemblance to genuine leather. Of course, when buying a jacket made of eco-leather, you should not rely on the fact that by its qualities it will be similar to a real leather product. However, compared with things made of leatherette, all made of PVC, eco-leather clothing seems to be a very good option.
Care
In order for eco-leather products to retain their original appearance for as long as possible and serve you for several seasons, you must follow the simple rules for caring for this material:
- Contamination is easily removed with warm water and soap. If you have any difficulty, wipe the contaminated area with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
- Wash items from eco-leather is not recommended. Only dry cleaning is permissible for them.
- You do not need to try to quickly dry the eco-leather jacket soaked in the rain: hot air can damage the structure of the material. Just hang it on your shoulders and let it dry at room temperature.
