EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN

LEATHER ACADEMY

Eight lessons on how leather is made, judged, worn, cleaned and kept. Read this before you spend money on a hide.

01 Genuine vs synthetic  ·  02 Leather types  ·  03 Judging quality  ·  04 Care

LESSON 01

Genuine leather vs synthetic leather

Genuine leather is skin: an irregular, living surface with pores, grain and a natural smell. Synthetic leather (PU or PVC) is a plastic coating on a fabric base — uniform, glossy and odourless. Press your thumb into the surface: real hide creases and slowly recovers, plastic stays flat. Look at the cut edge: hide is fibrous all the way through, synthetic shows a textile backing. Genuine leather warms quickly to the touch and ages into a patina; synthetics crack where they fold. Bonded leather sits in between — shredded leather fibres glued and rolled into sheets with a plastic top layer. It is sold as “leather”, but it is a compromise, not a hide.

LESSON 02

Understanding different leather types

Full-grain: the outermost layer untouched, strongest and most expensive, develops the best patina. Top-grain: the surface is lightly sanded to remove imperfections, still durable but less breathable. Corrected grain: heavily sanded and embossed with a printed pattern. Nubuck: buffed on the outside for a velvety touch, sensitive to water. Suede: buffed on the inside, soft but fragile. Oily or waxed pull-up leather: stuffed with waxes and oils that shift when stretched, giving a distressed look. Vegetable-tanned: tanned with tree bark over weeks, firm and rich, ideal for belts, wallets and straps. Chrome-tanned: fast and soft, the standard for garments. None is automatically “better” — each is a tool for a different job.

LESSON 03

How to identify leather quality

Judge the hide, then the construction. On the hide: even grain without plastic sheen, no filled scars, a supple hand-feel that springs back. On the build: tight, even stitching at 7–9 stitches per inch, clean seam edges, metal hardware that feels cold and heavy, lining that is not glued in place, and zips that run without snagging. The price of a leather jacket is mostly the hide and the hours — if a jacket is cheap, one of those two was cut.

LESSON 04

Leather care and maintenance

Wipe dust with a dry microfibre cloth after wearing. Every three to six months, clean with a pH-neutral leather soap, let it dry away from direct heat, then work in a thin layer of conditioner with your fingers. Never soak leather, never use alcohol or household cleaners, never dry it on a radiator. Rain is not fatal: blot it, stuff the piece with paper, dry at room temperature. Suede needs a brush and a protective spray, not conditioner.

LESSON 05

How to choose the correct size

Measure, do not guess. Take your chest circumference at the widest point, your shoulder width from seam to seam on a jacket that already fits, and your sleeve length from shoulder to wrist. Compare these numbers with the garment’s flat measurements — not with a generic size letter. Leather does not stretch much, so a jacket should fit from day one: you should be able to cross your arms without the seams pulling, and wear one thin layer underneath. Coats can carry slightly more room. If you sit between two sizes, size up and let the atelier adjust.

LESSON 06

How to store leather products

Hang jackets on broad wooden hangers so the shoulders keep their shape. Use breathable cotton garment bags, never sealed plastic — leather must breathe. Keep pieces out of direct sunlight, away from radiators and at stable humidity. Stuff bags and boots with acid-free paper to hold their form. Do not fold leather for months at a time along the same line; rotate the fold or store flat.

LESSON 07

How to extend the lifetime of leather garments

Rotate your pieces instead of wearing one daily. Rest a jacket for a day between wears so moisture can leave the hide. Fix small problems early: a loose stitch, a worn zip pull, a scuffed corner. Condition before the leather feels dry, not after it cracks. Avoid carrying heavy loads in the same pocket every day. And when something finally fails, repair it — a good leather piece should be resoleable, relineable and patchable for decades.

LESSON 08

How custom leather production works

Custom begins with a conversation, not a checkout. You describe the piece, the hide, the colour and the reference; the atelier answers with feasibility, a price and a timeline. Then come measurements and a paper pattern, a first fitting or a toile, the cutting of the hide, the stitching, and the finishing of edges and hardware. Expect several weeks, expect a deposit, and expect a piece that fits nobody else. Everything starts with a special request.

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

Ask the atelier directly — about a hide, a fit, a repair or a custom build.