Leather or not?

[teaandtoastwithmarmite]

Hello, just looking for thoughts please. I got a fake leather jacket from primark by chance. I've liked wearing it and it dresses up any outfit. It smelt funny though and washing it didn't do anything. Then it tore so I'm looking for another. I was planning to get a real one but they are so expensive. However, fake ones not from primark are also pretty expensive. Is it worth getting a real one?

Well as a vegan I say no - but re the jackets I’ve had ‘pleather’ versions over the years and they’ve been good enough quality.

I don't wear leather for ethical reasons and I wouldn't wear a pleather coat /trousers/bag as they aren't my taste .

If you want leather , buy it and invest it'll last you years and get better with age . You could maybe buy vintage ?

Very cheap leather would have me wondering what corners were cut to save the money -either animal welfare or the people making it .

Yes, absolutely get an actual leather jacket rather than plastic.

I’m old enough to get the ick about wearing PVC. There’s no way I’d ever wear plastic clothing or shoes. 🤮

Vinted and search for decent brands. Some bargains.

A good real leather jacket will last you 10+ years , the older it gets, the better it looks , well worth the money

I've always worn faux leather but very recently purchased an All Saints leather biker jacket in a sale.
I would have spent about £50 on a fake , this was £200 and the difference really shows.
It just feels / looks so much better. Really glad I went for it.

All Saints do really good discounts on their leather jackets in the Christmas sales, or you could look on eBay.

pleather tends to disintegrate after around 3 years. Leather does not.

Asos Design's fake leather jackets are surprisingly good quality. I've had a couple and people were convinced they were real leather and VERY surprised they were Asos own brand.

I second the all saints biker jackets, I eventually got it 2 xmas' ago after lusting after it for years.

Get leather if you are a steady size or will likely only go up or down 1 size. Leather jackets sell second hand better.
Leather ages well. 'Vegan' leather is crap IMO.

Get leather. Look at. Inter and in charity shops. I recently got an All Saints leather jacket for £12 in a charity shop!

Vinted that should be^

Agree with pp get a real one. Fake leather is sweaty and looks shite and plastic.
Real leather will keep you cool and warm and looks much better.

I don't wear plastic for ethical reasons. I have a beautiful leather biker jacket from TU from about 5 years ago that just gets better and better. Last time I looked they did a similar one in their Premium range for excellent value.

I got a real leather jacket from Primark for £5 on Vinted. I always get real leather shoes, bags and clothes after the pleather handbag and matching back pack I got when I first started working literally disintegrated into a million tiny pieces. You can see why its so bad for the environment!

@Failingateverything Flemish farmers are STILL finding intact leather shoes from WWI when they plough their fields. Leather lasts.

Baukjen sell leather jackets that are a bi-product of the meat industry, so the animals haven’t died for their skin and it would otherwise go to waste. Theirs are fairly expensive, but the quality is excellent (I have one and I am vegetarian) and a dead animal should be expensive.

All Saints site currently have 40% off leather Dalby jacket, down from £319 to £191 PLUS 15% off first order. Bargain. After years of buying pleather this is the item I purchased and it’s fabulous.

I'd go leather over pleather or fake faux leather every day of the week. The cows that the leather is retrieved from have been killed for their meat so I have no moral objections to using what is left over from that as a means to cover myself.

That said, here are some suggestions from Next and of all places M&S that you might like:

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Option 5

Option 6

Go for leather, they last a lifetime so long as they’re not too ott.
I’ve got several in different colours, some at least 15 years old, they wear ‘in’.

Leather all the way and far more sustainable imo. I had a couple of fake jackets and they started to break up /delaminate after a few years, so became unwearable. My real leather jackets are 30 and 25 years old, still in excellent condition (very classic style) and were so worth the money.

I have one from All Saints. There’s a sale on at the moment

https://www.allsaints.com/women/sale/leather-jackets

Thank you everyone. The all saints one I want is still £600 in the sale lol but will keep saving