Leather Jacket 101 – How To Care For Your Leather Jackets

by Peter Mercers Fashion Designer Everyone loves a good old leather coat. They’re every man’s outfit of choice when it comes time to hunker down and get his hands dirty. Yet caring for this wardrobe staple is a complex task that requires regular supervision over long periods of time. Neglected leather can easily collect wrinkles, cracks, stains or even shrink in size. In order to make sure your buckskin ages like fine wine, i.e., gracefully, there are a few measures that you must ensure are taken.

Cleaning:
The first step to making sure your leather retains that almost-new appearance is getting rid of any visible stains. This is not as simple as with regular woven cloth. In order to make sure your leather keeps its original suppleness, you have to make sure the cleaning product doesn’t strip away the natural oils in the hide. That means run-of-the-mill detergents and a toss in the washing machine are a big no-no. Also avoid cleaners that leave a visible residue of grease or a stain on the leather. Always test out the product on a small, non-visible section of the coat first. Consider purchasing a Nubuck cloth and a suede leather brush. These are valuable cleaning tools, and absolutely vital if the piece you own is made of one of the gentle hides. For more specific instructions, read the label or ask the salesperson at the store and make notes while buying.

Conditioning:
 Letting your leather dry out will lead to cracking. Leather has naturally occurring valuable fats and oils that need to be replenished over time. Do this often when your leather’s seeing a lot of the outside, and sparingly when it’s not in season. However, be wary of overdoing it, too much oil can clog the pores and discolor or age the leather prematurely. Use pure mink or neatsfoot oil, but know that this may darken the leather. Wax and silicone produce less discoloration, but may dry out the leather. Never use petroleum, mineral oil or anything that leaves visible grease.

Polishing:
Much like your shoes, your leather coats need the occasional polish. Polishing makes your leather preserve that beautiful gloss. The same rules as with leather cleaning products apply. Natural animal oils are good, but may darken your coat. Use nothing with petroleum/mineral oil, nothing that leaves grease, nothing that stains differently from the natural color of your leather. Always test on a small, non-visible area first.

Protection:
Let’s say you buy the new Joseph Gordon leather jacket you saw in Don Jon. You wear it out and about for a couple of weeks, feeling all sharp. Slowly, however, you notice the coat feels stiffer, and cracks and wrinkles appear all across your brand new coat. What went wrong? You didn’t give it the protection it needed, son. Get a leather waterproofing product and apply it to clean, dry leather. Hang your leather on a padded coat hanger and smooth it out to remove any wrinkles. Keep it away from the sun. Always leave your leather unsealed or sealed in a breathable plastic bag. And dust it regularly. Devoting the proper amount of time and attention to your leather can be a consuming task. But when done right, the rewards it gives you in the form of style points make it all worth it.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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