Thursday, July 22, 2010

Welcome to The Leather Look!

I've been a fan of leather ever since I was young. From admiring my big sister's brown suede coat and matching boots in the 1970s to purchasing my first real leather trench and boots in the 1980s, I've seen a lot of great leather fashions come and go. I'm a cool weather person because that means I get to wear my favorite leathers. When the weather gets warm, I store my leathers away and anxiously await to see what leather fashions will be in style next season. And that brings us to now...

Even though it's plenty hot outside where I live, it's one of my favorite times of year! That's because the summer clearance sales have started to make way for this year's fall fashions. Although it will likely be several more weeks before we start seeing fall fashion in the stores, this year's trends are starting to appear online.

My favorite trend? Without a doubt, over-the-knee boots (which I'll refer to most of the time as "OTK boots")! If this wonderful trend started last season, it's in full swing this year, with all kinds of OTK boots at all price points. I knew they'd hit the mainstream when I saw imitation leather versions on both the Target and Wal-Mart websites.

Speaking of imitation leather, I'm not a fan. I'm a purist - I like my leather high-quality and buttery soft, especially lambskin. I'm seeing way too much artificial leather, faux leather, high-quality imitation leather, leather-like, pleather, whatever you call it! Sorry, but the look, feel, endurance, and aroma of real leather is what does it for me. Quality leather apparel and accessories have become very affordable over the past several years, so in my mind, there's no excuse for not owning the real thing. That said, you're not likely to see many non-real leather posts on this blog, unless it's something REALLY impressive.

Although I've been following leather fashions on eBay for a few years now on my sister blog, eBay Leather, I decided it's time to branch out to share my leather favorites from other sources, whether online or in print, current or vintage. So put on your favorite leather jacket, zip up your hottest boots, buckle up and enjoy the ride!