Why People Enjoy the Sexy Look & Luxurious Feel of Leather

1. Leather feels soft and buttery – Ever try on a new leather jacket? Or sit on the cushy leather seats of a high-end German or British vehicle? Or pick up an expensive leather wallet? For some people, leather is one of the most premium materials on the market. And they enjoy feeling it’s soft and smooth texture against their skin. Do take note though this material can feet hot and sticky next to your body when it gets warm and muggy. During the winter months, leather can similarly feel cold against your skin. The reason for this (and why cars in particular have to have seat heaters) is that leather in cars and sofas have been treated with a polyurethane sealer to protect it from scratches and make it waterproof. Unfortunately, this also has the side effect of making it feel cold to the touch when the air is cold so this is something to consider when buying leather furniture. Do also remember that leather is soft and pliable, which makes it stretch and even get misshapen over time. So if you have a favorite spot on your sofa where you like to sit make sure to rotate the cushions or keep changing the place where you like to sit to even out the wear.

2. Leather looks expensive - Full-grain Leather is very dense and comes from the outermost layer of an animal’s hide. It also tends to have some natural flaws as only the hair of the animal from which it comes from has been removed, leaving some marks on the skin. You might be familiar with top grain leather which looks visually flawless because it has been sanded down to remove any imperfections like the caramel-coloured sofa pictured below. It’s still considered high-end but has a more even and consistent look, unlike pebble grain leather, which shows a series of small little bumps and is applied by tanneries. Full-grain leather is usually what high-end European fashion or furniture houses use on their apparel, bags, and furniture pieces. Due to the quality of the animal hide used and the expensive cost of labour to process it, real leather can get really pricey. “Genuine leather” as the name implies actually come from leftover animal hides that have been bonded together using cheap glue. So while it may still be made of real leather, it’s considered the lower-end version, having been made of scrap leather and thus should be avoided for its inferior quality.

3. Leather's unique scent is another part of its appeal - Real high quality leathers smell like differently as compared to low quality leather due to the way it’s made. Fake leather has a smell closer to plastic and chemicals and can be toxic to your health. The first thing that people detect and associate real leather with luxury is the mild earthy smell created by the tanning process. And since leather tends to be porous, it can pick up everything around it like cooking aromas, cigarettes smells, or pet odor which can either bring a pleasant wave of nostalgia or simply turn people off. Some people like the combination of scents from various sources and link the unique aroma of a favourite piece of furniture with fond memories of home or maybe even particular members of their family. Perhaps they were read stories by their grandfather on a leather easy chair when they were little. Or maybe they watched TV with their parents after dinner in the living room on a particular sofa growing up. Or maybe they bonded with siblings or friends as they played video games in the basement rec room couch. If you’re not a fan of having smell on any of your furniture, you can address this by regularly applying specialized leather cleaner and conditioner once or twice a month to remove any lingering odor.

4. Real or fake leather? – Why is it that there are so many synthetic leather alternatives proliferating out there these days? One reason is due to genuine leather's relative scarcity. Another reason is the environment. Real leather requires taking the hide of an animal (usually a cow) and then making it go thru a manufacturing process to feed the luxury buyer demand. As it involves several steps to make leather, some people consider the process of creating leather leather to be inhumane as it involves slaughtering farm animals. That’s why the scientists have come up with more environmentally friendly synthetic leather, usually made out of polyurethane or PVC (also known as "pleather"). Luxury good companies like BMW and Hermes have begun to address climate change by using more and more sustainable materials to replace real leather in their products. Volvo now uses vegan leather for their car seats. Not only is synthetic leather is cheaper to produce (and sell) than real leather, it's not as difficult to maintain. Plus it looks and feels almost like the real thing and is getting harder to distinguish fake leather from the real thing each year. And more and more people feel better using synthetic leather, knowing that animals weren't harmed in the production of the material.

5. Requires care and maintenance – If you’re one of those people that has very little time or interest to clean their house or maintain their leather furniture, then you may want to consider that unlike fabric, you can’t just stop paying attention to your leather furniture after you’ve purchased it. I’m actually guilty of being one of those people. I don’t really polish my silver. I don’t wipe off fingerprint marks off of my glass or mirrored furniture. And I don’t use a wet mop on my wooden floors (I'm a fan of swiffer static dust pads). In other words, I do the bare minimum. With leather though, you have to use a leather cleaner and conditioner every 3 to 6 months if you’d like your leather to remain in top condition. Small confession: I once owned some white leather chairs for more than 10 years and it was a chore to keep them looking pristine, but I did force myself to do it to ensure the longevity of these dining chairs. With leather furniture, you have to guard against them drying out completely (hence the need for a cleaner and conditioner). Otherwise they will end up cracking and splitting and you won't be able to save them in the end. Leather products do require some care and maintenance if you’d like it to always look and feel good so do keep in mind that you will need time and energy to look after them properly. Or you can simply pay someone who can look after them for you.