Distressed Leather, the Vintage look, Aged to Perfection
Among the many varieties of leather, Distressed Leather stands out as a unique and highly valued. But have you wondered what makes it so special, and why has it earned a distinct place in the fashion world? In this guide, we’ll discuss the significance of distressed leather, how it’s crafted, and the key characteristics that give it its vintage appeal.
What is Distress Leather?
Distressed leather is essentially a treated version of full-grain leather. By definition, full-grain leather undergoes a tanning process that may involve oils and waxes, or sometimes the surface is rubbed with sandpaper. Chemicals are also commonly used to accelerate the aging process, resulting in a vintage appearance. Therefore, distress leather is a processed form of standard leather designed to achieve an aged, vintage style, allowing it to be worn with pride.
How to make Distress Leather?
As I mentioned above, full-grain leather is used to make a leather distressed. Reason is that full grain leather is the less processed. It is an intact form of leather so it ensures the high quality and durability of the distressed leather. There are couple of ways to make a distress leather from full-grain leather:
Rubbing Alcohol:
Take a cloth or a toothbrush and apply rubbing alcohol on leather surface. At this stage you can beat it up to have natural crease, crumple and knead effect of the leather surface. Now take a fine grade sand paper and rub the surface especially those which you want to give more vintage look.
Water Soaking and Cutting:
Soak leather in water and then cut it and burn it. After this, retouch the leather with colour allows to get new leather look with more durability.
What are the characteristics of distress leather?
- Distressed leather is a deliberately created vintage-aged look of leather.
- The appearance of this leather is visually appealing.
- It has a more relaxed and softer feel than regular leather
- It is expensive as it is made from full-grain leather and also undergoes through process of tanning, waxing or burning to have perfect vintage vibes.
How to Clean distressed leather?
Take a soft-bristle brush and remove any surface dirt and debris. Next. Use a water damp cloth to wipe down the leather surface. Finally, use leather conditioner to help preserve the leather.
Read all the ways to celan a leather product in our article; How to clean leather products?
Vintage Leather VS Faux Leather VS Distressed Leather
Vintage leather is a type of distress leather which does not went through deliberate aging process, that’s why it is more expensive and authentic. Its appearance cannot be imitated. Its aging range in 20 to 100 years. While, Faux leather is an artificial leather, which is handmade and cheaper to produce. It is difficult to repair and does not age.
In the last, distressed leather is a deliberately aged-leather. It is expensive and stylish to wear. It has a longer life-span and it is used to make luxurious leather products like jackets, bags, wallets.