Buying a leather jacket may not always live up to expectations. In the market of leather outerwear there are a large number of faux leather jackets, which are sold under the guise of natural ones.
The chemical industry has developed so much that the artificial material can easily be given the color, smell and non-combustible properties that are inherent in natural skin. Therefore, you need to know the different aspects by which the skin can be distinguished from leatherette.
About the purchase and the need for verification
Outerwear should always have good characteristics, since it performs many useful functions. And I really do not want to buy artificial clothes at the price of leather.
An uninitiated person will notice the difference when the material has already deteriorated, cracks, dents, and abrasions will appear. Therefore, it is better to familiarize yourself with how you can check the jacket for authenticity immediately at the place of purchase and at home.
Reference! You should avoid buying a leather jacket in the market or in a store without a positive reputation. When buying expensive clothes that should be used for more than one year, it is better to contact the store with great experience and good reviews.
How to distinguish leather from leatherette on a jacket in a store?
Substitute products have a diamond-shaped tag. However, it is not a secret that there are unscrupulous sellers for whom changing the tag and giving out leatherette for their skin will not present difficulties. Therefore, this method of determining the material is only superficial.
To determine the authenticity of the material, you need to know the characteristics of genuine leather. This will allow you to completely determine the material of the product in a few minutes.
Important! Leather products must have a certificate of quality. The certificate can be requested from the seller, and he must provide it.
Smell
Today, the smell of a jacket can no longer accurately indicate the material. Faux leather products use flavors, paints and leather shavings that can almost imitate the pleasant aroma of genuine leather. However, the substitute may have a pungent chemical odor. Such a jacket may smell like plastic, rubber and other chemical products.
The skin has a pleasant, unsharp aroma that does not "cut" the nose. But relying only on this method, it will not be possible to accurately determine the material.
Edge thickness, edge
The appearance of the hem will always produce synthetic material. Firstly, the skin has a greater thickness than a substitute. But today, leatherette may have a coarse layer.
Secondly, the edge of a natural product is less accurate, has a roughness. The hem edge of the faux jacket is smooth, without roundness.
Elasticity
If, after compression and bending of a piece of material, the wrinkles did not smooth out quickly, the paint began to peel off, the material breaks, which means that the seller was unscrupulous. The wrinkles on the leatherette can be saved forever, which accurately indicates a fake.
Color
Leather products are always expensive, so manufacturers are unlikely to use cheap paints for coating. Natural jackets are painted uniformly uniform coating. On an artificial leather sometimes clear borders of paint or stains are noticeable.
Genuine leather will not change color after stretching or bending. The shade of the leatherette can lighten after the above manipulations.
The presence of pores
Artificial leather does not have porosity. Of course, the pattern with piece pores will be visible on the jacket, but such a texture is the result of machine embossing, which is performed according to the specified patterns with a repeating pattern. All pores of the same depth are stenciled.
Natural leather has an uneven texture, on which the pores are placed in random order. Pores, as well as wrinkles, are shallow, but clearly visible from near. The relief on the skin is formed in a natural way, so there is no even pattern.
Material basis
You must always pay attention to the inside of the leather. Natural material has a soft and delicate back side made of mezra. Numerous tangled fibers are visible in the section, which represent the entire area of the section.
Faux leather is made on a textile basis. The base may also be non-woven. The skin simulator adheres to the fabric, which is immediately noticeable on the cut.
How to distinguish leather from leatherette on a jacket at home?
Touch with fire
This verification method is categorical for conducting in the store. No seller will endanger their product. A genuine leather jacket will not change its appearance from short-term contact with open fire from a match or a lighter. Leatherette is a fabric base and a polyurethane film, which immediately begins to melt on fire.
The method may fail if the skin is treated with aniline. This coating is used to smooth the relief and give the product shine. The material ignites from an open flame, so you can spoil the product.
Water contact
On the surface of the leather you need to drip water. Natural material completely absorbs it within 10 seconds. Also, the wetted place will darken a little. Water drains from synthetic material quickly.
An exception are jackets that are impregnated with a water repellent. Water also drains quickly over a waterproof surface. Therefore, not every product will be able to check with a water test.
