Pleather vs
Real leather
Artificial leather is a fabric or
finish intended to substitute for leather in fields such as upholstery,clothing,
and fabrics,
and other uses where a leather-like finish is required but the actual material
is cost-prohibitive, unsuitable, or unusable for ethicalreasons
The term pleather ("plastic leather") is a slang term for synthetic leathermade of plastic.
The term was coined by Amy Bach, when working in New York for Millis clothing. Upon the
arrival of a new line, a plastic leather, Bach needed a way to advertise the
product to customers without calling it plastic. She thus came up with the term
Pleather. A portmanteau of plastic and leather,
the term is sometimes used derogatorily, implying a cost-cutting ersatz for
genuine hide.
Besides cost, pleather may also be preferred because it is lighter than
leather, or as an alternative to real leather citing reasons of animal
cruelty. Pleather, being made of plastic, will not decompose as
quickly.
Not all pleathers are the same. Polyurethaneis washable, can be dry-cleaned and allows some air to flow through the
garment. PVC leather in contrast does not
"breathe" and is difficult to clean. PVC cannot be dry-cleaned
because the cleaning solvents can make the PVC unbearably stiff. Source Wikipedia
Pro’s:
- Lighter than leather
- Easily dry cleanable (if not PVC)
- Can be cleaned using water (if PVC)
- Easier to cut and form different shapes
- Cheaper than leather
- Vegan friendly.
Cons
- It’s not leather!
- Doesn’t have that luxurious smell of real leather
REAL leather. Genuine leather is made from
animal hide or skin. Modern fashion tends to favour leather from lamb or deer
as opposed to cattle as it is much softer and lighter. Leather jackets are
hardwearing and should provide many years of wear and comfort.
Pro’s:
- Fantastic feel
- Hard wearing and durable
- Conforms and molds to body shape with wear
- Pattern on every garment is individual
- Nothing beats the look of genuine leather
Cons
- Can be difficult to clean
- More expensive than pleather