Looking after leather and silk

stringy

I'm trying to buy better quality items lately, but I have no idea how to take care of them. I'm still used to just chucking my jeans and tees in the wash and wearing the wrinkles out!

1) Leather: I've got a great leather jacket, and some leather shoes. I've also got a leather bag which seems to be peeling away from it's backing - does that mean it's not really leather? It doesn't feel like vinyl to me. I don't want to wreck my beloved jacket, and I want to replace the bag with something similar (or better, since it only lasted 3 years). Is there anything I can do to make sure they last for ages?

2) Silk: I've been trying to get used to the idea of woven tops, but cotton blouses just aren't me. I seem to be drawn to silk shells and there are plenty in the stores in bright colours right now. How would I launder them? Are they a pain in the butt to care for?

14 years ago

General

6 replies

Latest reply was from stringy

Jonesy

Veteran

If it's peeling, I would guess that it's not leather, but maybe it's bonded leather or some such thing (almost like a wood veneer, when there is a thin piece of the real thing glued or bonded on top of the cheapie stuff)? I may be just talking nonsense, but thought I would chime in :).

I would think that a leather jacket should wear like iron and only get better with age.

I am addicted to silk tops--they are magical! I find that silk does not absorb odors the way other fabrics does, so I can wear a top a few times. I hand wash some silk (hang to dry) but doing that does typically change the texture of the silk into something a bit softer and more crinkled looking, at least in my experience. Then with other silk that I want to keep smooth and, uh, silky, I use Dryel, which is this "dry cleaning at home" type of product. You buy this bag, and these moist pads, then you pop the clothes into the bag with the pad, and put them in the dryer on low heat for about 20 minutes. Voila!

I find that patterned or printed silk tops are easier to take care of than solids, in terms of wrinkles, ironing, etc. (wrinkles show up a lot less on patterned tops). And higher-quality silk will wear better, with less wrinkling.

14 years ago

bella

(website)

Veteran

Most silk garments can be handwashed, but you shouldn't hang them to dry. I follow the directions here and the results are fantastic:
http://www.ktcampbell.com/dome......html#silk
You need to spot treat sweat stains in the armpits with diluted vinegar before washing.

14 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

If you care for your leather regularly, it should hold up well. I condition mine once a season with a leather conditioner, and it helps to keep it soft and flexible.

14 years ago

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Leather and silk are my guilty pleasures (and often worntogether).
First of all the quality of leather and silk matters a lot. Leather can be cheap and then you will have that peeling on the creases. Suple good quality leather is very durable and wears well. I use leather protective spray in the beginning of the season and condition it in the end of the season - that's all. Lighter colors can get dirty easily so you may need to clean it more often (I still did not dare to buy a cream leather jacket for this reason). The most practical leather is destressed one - all wear signs just add to its character!
silk comes in a wide array of fabrics. Satin-like silk can show stains more that not-shiny kind. I noticed that silk blends hold worse that pure silk. I hand wash all my silk items and air dry them - never had a problem!

14 years ago

Louise

Veteran

Definately keep leather well protected with a waterproofer/ protector. the only thing I find a pain in the neck is that sometimes the underarm inside of the jacket gets a bit sweaty and can't be washed I don't wear mine that much for this reason :-(( x

14 years ago

stringy

Veteran

Thanks everyone - I'll look into getting a leather protector and conditioner. My jacket is lined (not sure what sort of fabric) and I had wondered about the underarm area.

Seems like I can try a bit of silk if I don't mind handwashing it. I have a drying rack I use rather than a dryer or an outdoors washing line. If my washing machine has a setting for delicates, and I use a lingerie bag, would that be ok for items that aren't stained but have been worn? Or is it still too rough?

14 years ago

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