LEATHER IS FOREVER
When we conjure up early memories of leather in your wardrobe, maybe it’s the bomber jackets worn by WWII fighter pilots, or that cool black one with the all those zippers your True Fashionista punk rocker cousin had. Leather has had its place in fashion since our forefathers figured that there are uses for the whole animal. Ancient wall paintings and artifacts dating back to 5000 B.C. indicate the use of leather for clothing purposes, and ancient Greeks developed tanning formulas to preserve their leather. Then the Romans discovered that leather makes for really fantastic, durable footwear.
However, for our current purposes, we’re going to focus on leather clothing, as Spring runways were just jampacked with it, reports Jenna Igneri for Elle Magazine. Yes, we typically think basic black or brown when it comes to leather, but designers like Rochas and many more put together splashes of everything in and around the rainbow, and now they’re here. Buttery leather in hot pinks, kelly greens, pantone blues (color of the year!) and more are filling your True Fashionista designer (and designer resale) racks, then flooding the streets. Prada’s stunning cerulean blazer is a spring standout, as is Louis Vuitton’s gorgeous lilac leather dress. Marni popped a bright blue leather dress down the runway, while Givenchy’s great silver tube top/skirt set turned heads as well.
Leather is so popular, in fact, it has its own fashion event! Really almost more of a trade show, Lineapelle happens each year in Milan and of course, New York. The high quality and variety of the cutting edge collections make Lineapelle a must-see event for producers and designers of luxury and contemporary leather goods. A sophisticated Trend Area at the entrance of the show provides visitors with an immediate and comprehensive summary of the latest collections, directing them to the most suitable suppliers on site.
The most recent Lineapelle showcased the three trendiest colors in leather fashion. In Milan, Black Grape was a featured color, its hue so richly dark it stands in quite nicely as a changeup for black with its purple-red tones. Proenza Schouler’s stunning Black Grape jacket is a standout, as is Montebello’s classy boots, confirms Fashionunited.com. Vanilla Cream provides balance to Black Grape, emphasizing leather’s soft suppleness, matte surfaces or finishes add a subtle lustre. The third color is mainly a guy thing, but when has that stopped anyone? Denim Sky could be a close True Fashionista color to pantone blue; look for it to balance in fine form with the other two.
No worries for the conscience either, there are plenty of True Fashionista faux leather choices to go around as well. Kinzd.comgives us some great ideas. [BlankNYC] NYC Women’s Moto black faux leather jacket is one of the edgier choices. It’s 60% polyurethane and 40 percent viscose material for durability, and hey it’s even hand washable. [BLANKNYC] serves it up again with the Blank NYC Women’s Vegan Leather Jacket, while Bellivera has your faux leather and suede combined into a long winter jacket with super faux fur collar. Looks more like a coat to us, but who are we to judge? For all your biking needs, including a form fitting True Fashionista shaped jacket, look no further than the chouyatou Women’s Fashion Studded Perfectly Shaping Faux Leather Jacket. For those who want to keep their faux leather jacket short and sweet, Artfasion Womens Slim Tailoring Faux will compliment your LBD anytime, any day.
Check out the great selection of leather in all shapes, colors and accessories at True Fashionistas. Shop in store, online or our eBay store. Whether you want leather or to go faux, we’ve got it!