What is it about leather handbags and shoes which make them so fascinating? For starters, they come in a huge variety of sizes, colors, and styles. Perhaps, it’s the unique soft material they have that’s hard to replicate. There’s also a fashion status attached to some good leather handbags and shoes. Many famous fashion conscious people carry them, making them more popular and sets the standard in terms of what the public perceives as elegant. A wonderful leather item that completes an outfit can give someone the much-needed confidence booster as they go about their daily grind.
Leather, in its most fundamental form, is created from the hide of an animal. First, they are cleaned to remove the hair and some other debris. Afterward, they are stretched and tanned through a chemical procedure. During this time, depending on the procedure and chemicals used, the kind of leather produced varies from one production to another – it can be from soft leather to suede, to hard rigid leather depending on how it’s treated.
Designer labels use leather to create many of their top of the line products, not only shoes and handbags. Additionally, there are belts, wallets, purses, bracelets, jackets, and even hats. Therefore, it’s safe to say that a whole ensemble can be created from leather alone. Nobody wants to have the wrong shoes with the right bag, or vice versa, which makes the consumers purchase more than a handful at a time.
Needless to say, leather is a really durable material that can withstand the daily use, wear and tear the typical person can put on it. It’s one reason leather is a popular material to use in clothing. There continue to be many vintage leather handbags on the market, and rarely do they go out of fashion. Hence, it explains the high price tag on your beloved shoes and handbags.
Simply put, leather is durable but you still need to take care of them in order for it to last for years. The best way is to keep them supple and fresh-looking is to have it inspected once in a while by a reputable store that caters leather restoration in the Philippines like Doctor Leather. They also provide a wide range of products to help you maintain your leather items such as leather cleaners. However, if not properly used, it may do more harm than good.
Some people might observe that leather cleaners smell bad, so if you’re planning to use your bag on the weekend it’d be better to wash it earlier in the week. Before cleaning your bag with any product, it’s always suggested to check it on an area that won’t be seen. When in doubt, just go to your bag repair specialist.
To Use or Not to Use Leather Goods
There are many animal rights groups which are trying to prohibit or merely dissuade people from the use of leather in fashion. A number of those groups are extremely persistent and will attempt to destroy animal goods by throwing paint on them. Little do they know, in most cases, these animals are not killed just because of its hide, the whole creature is used for a variety of purposes. Most importantly, they’re utilized for food consumption, which is especially the case for cows.
It may sound like an unpopular opinion, but the fact remains that leather is nothing but raw animal hides which are leftovers from the cow (and other animals) that people consume as food. Therefore, utilizing the hide for other purposes is a form of respect to these creatures. Also, since leathers last a long time, you may even pass these items to your children when properly taken care of. Shoes and bag restoration is now common since vintage fashion is slowly on the rise once again.
Leather Fabrication
When it comes to shoes and handbags, leather is the most sought after material, and its production is a procedure that highly needs masterful skill. The following rule of thumb holds true for many quality leather items: the longer the leather is processed, the greater it is in quality, and this comes naturally at a cost. Roughly 47% of those manufacturing costs involved in creating leather items are because of the raw material.
The high cost of leather is warranted, which lends shoes and handbags its high quality and sophisticated appearance as well. To be able to achieve these qualities, examination and elimination is done from the very early stages, as the very best raw animal hides are prepared for tanning. Incidentally, the distinctive scent and exquisite marks of the leather are all achieved during the processing stage.
However, not all leathers are created equal. Men’s shoes and women’s handbags consist of higher quality leathers that take more time-consuming process to produce. Simply put, leathers are categorized according to quality. Each kind of leather is held to different criteria and are expected to possess different qualities. For instance, when it comes to shoes, upper leather has to be elastic yet sturdy, while the leather used to create an insole should be water-resistant.
Want to know how to choose the best handbag that’s both practical & elegant? Click the link before you do your next shopping.