“This style creates an undone feeling, adding an edge that seamlessly transitions from day to night – a must-have piece that will become a staple in any woman’s wardrobe.”
The thing is, when it comes to must-have pieces in leather (and suede too – witness Kim Kardashian in a knockout caramel suede gown from Chrome Hearts at a recent event), the choices are endless.
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What’s more, as the likes of Ariana Grande, Timothée Chalamet and Emily Ratajkowski have proved, you can even wear all of these leather pieces all at once.
Witness Ratajkowski in a teeny leather short suit set from Miu Miu, and Ariana Grande dressing like a chic chocolate bar in a lush brown wrap blazer with matching miniskirt. Chalamet, no stranger to a leather jacket, opted for a full alligator leather suit – amazingly, with a shirt for once underneath – for one of his Wonka press tour appearances late last year.
It’s not the first time that Chalamet has worn a full leather suit. And as British GQ quite rightly pointed out, there is a considerable amount of risk involved in men wearing a full leather suit. It can quickly go wrong if the leather is too tight, or a touch too Harley-Davidson heavy, or like you’re cosplaying Marlon Brando. But some star power helps. “Of course Chalamet is good at leather suits,” read one GQ headline.
New Zealand designer Wynn Crawshaw of Wynn Hamlyn is a fan of wearing leather and suede pieces together. “Styling leather on leather or leather and suede together is a big vibe. The same as how it’s celebrated to style multiple denims together. More is more,” he says.
Crawshaw also likes how leather in menswear has evolved. “It’s been interesting to see the return of leather pants in the last few years. Especially for men. From the menswear perspective, it follows along with the rise of men dressing more fashion-forward and ‘dressing up,’” he says.
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Courtney Price, creative director of Australian label Elka Collective, says the brand has introduced faux leather options that have become key styling pieces in her own and clients’ wardrobes – including leather trousers, trenches and belted shirts.
Wearing these pieces together is something she’s increasingly inspired to do. “We’re drawn to the idea of styling a leather suit, playing with minimal undergarments and juxtaposing femininity and masculinity through silhouette and accessories,” she says.
Price says she’s enjoying seeing celebrities experiment with leather pieces too. “It’s such a versatile and tactile fabrication and the possibilities with it are endless, as proven over the last few years. It’s always nice to see leather pieces dressed up,” she says, pointing to Edebiri’s sleeveless Louis Vuitton dress with balloon skirt on the recent Emmy Awards red carpet. “Hailey Bieber wears a 90s- inspired leather trench coat so well.”
Price believes leather – and quality faux and vegan leather – is worth the investment. “Leather never dates, and we’ve come so far in being able to achieve longevity through the use of faux leathers. When crafted in classic styles and silhouettes, these pieces can be revisited and reworked, season-on-season,” she says.
That said, looking after it is important too. “We always recommend taking leather to be cleaned by leather professionals to ensure it’s done correctly.”
As Crawshaw notes too, it tends to age well. “Generally, I think [leather and suede pieces] are worth the investment mainly because if well cared for they get better with age,” he says.
Plenty of recent runways have played with leather – and texture – in interesting ways of late too. Such as the chic little leather waistcoats and leather dresses with zigzag cut-outs like lace, and a burgundy leather overcoat of uber-luxe dreams at Hermès, and the oxblood leather bralettes and pencil skirts at Sabato De Sarno’s debut for Gucci.
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For Sydney-based celebrity and editorial stylist Jessica Pecoraro, there’s much to like about how celebrities are styling leather and suede separates right now. For Pecoraro, like Price, the biggest appeal of leather and suede is versatility.
“Leather and suede separates can be timeless wardrobe essentials that can either be worn together for a bold textured look or can be styled back with other wardrobe heroes such as a white tank top, cashmere polo neck, denim and a black pencil skirt to create a timeless yet edgy look,” she says.
Her best advice for working leather and suede into your wardrobe is to create cohesion in texture and colour. “When wearing leather and suede together, stick to similar tones to help bring the look together,” she advises.
