Restoration

When you buy a leather item do you start wearing it straight away? Yep most of us do. We don’t think twice about it. We take the shoes out of the box and put them on. If they are lucky they may see a lick of polish when they are scuffed or dirty. But you can actually extend the life of your shoes or leather items considerably by taking care of them BEFORE you use them.

Extending the life of my clothes is something I am passionate about. One of the major contributors to climate change and its negative impact on the environment is the waste products produced both in the production of clothing and in the waste produced when we throw our clothes away. Add to that the environmental and social cost of producing tons of clothes at minimal cost by people on less than minimum wage – then the contribution you can make by buying less clothing and taking care of it so that it lasts for years is considerable.

There are many ways to reduce the negative impact of your clothing purchases – and a major aspect is to take care of the clothes you have. If you buy something which you love, which suits you and is timeless then it can last you for years, stay beautiful and have a minimal cost per wear. I was reminded of this yesterday when I saw a lady in my local grocery shop with a beautiful tan leather bag over her shoulder. It was beautiful because it was good quality leather and had been looked after, it wasn’t new but its beauty was enhanced by its age. It had a different sense of presence that a new, perfectly shaped bag doesn’t.

New leather items come to you unused and we think of them as ready to wear. Actually, shoes, handbags and leather jackets could have been in a warehouse for up to a year before you start to give them life in the outside world.

Leather is an organic product – it is to some extent a living and breathing thing. When it gets to you it has dried out and is why often new leather shoes will crack where they crease as you walk a very short time after you have bought them.

The next time you buy a leather product, feed it before you wear it. I recently bought a full-length leather coat. It didn’t cost a fortune but I know if I take care of it, it will probably serve me for many years. I have many items of clothing which are over 20 years old and still look great. Before I treated the coat it was cumbersome to wear in some ways but after feeding, it now feels supple and easy to wear. This will also work on pre-owned leather items which have been neglected and need a new life.

Invest in a good leather feed. I recently used this one on my coat – not necessarily to recommend it but it’s just the one I used. It did work really well though and doesn’t have a strong smell. In fact, the coat still had the smell of tanning and dyeing and the leather balm has reduced that substantially.

The key is to use it a little at a time. Little and often is the key. Use a soft cloth and rub a little of the balm into the leather. Be sure to test first on a part that can’t be seen just in case the product takes out the colour or leaves a smear.

Concentrate the product on the parts of the garment which will crease, such as the inside elbows of a sleeve, the collar or the part of the shoe which bends when you walk or the straps of a handbag. Pay attention to the seams.

Leave the product to dry. It should create a thin dull coating on the surface of the leather.

When it is totally dry buff it off with a soft clean cloth. The more you buff the more shine you will achieve.

Do this regularly, the benefit of this process is that the leather will be supple and more durable, it will be a little more resistant to rain and will keep its shape and look wonderful for years to come.