{"id":102,"date":"2019-06-05T14:59:02","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T14:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/au.contrado.com\/blog\/?p=102"},"modified":"2020-08-21T10:36:46","modified_gmt":"2020-08-21T10:36:46","slug":"what-is-suede","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/au.contrado.com\/blog\/what-is-suede\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Suede? The World of Leather: Faux vs. Genuine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As a fashion lover, a textile\ndesigner or an avid shopper, you\u2019ve probably come across the term \u2018suede\u2019 in\nvarious shops or fashion magazines. But what is suede exactly, and why do we\nuse it? In a nutshell, suede is a particular finish of leather (often referred\nto as suede leather). Rather than being a different variety of the material,\nSuede simply refers to the finish that gives the fabric a soft, fibrous effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How is Suede made?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Suede is the inner surface of\nanimal hides, visible on the underside of leather. Leather is a material\ncreated by processing the hides, pelts and skins of animals in a range of ways.\nOccasionally manufacturers or designers will use this soft underside of the\nleather simply by turning the material upside down so the suede is on the\nexterior. However, this results in the material being much sturdier and can\ntake away from the lovely delicate quality of suede which it is known for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The majority of the time a more\npopular method is used where the leather is split and the upper grain is\nremoved to reveal only the fuzzy, napped underside which then becomes visible\non both sides of the fabric. This second technique of creating suede results in\na much softer and pliable leather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is Suede made of?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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So, what is suede made of?\nAmazingly suede leather can be made from almost any animal hide, but the most\ncommon is lamb, alongside goat, deer, pig and calf. The type of animal has an\neffect on the finish of the suede; when using thicker hides of older cows and\ndeer, the nature of the fiber results in the suede having a much shaggier \u2018nap\u2019\nwhich isn\u2019t as soft as the lighter suede we\u2019re accustomed to. The \u2018nap\u2019 of the\nfabric is the raised surface on the texture; a result of the way the tiny hairs\nlie across the top of the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is Suede used for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Not being particularly durable and\nunsuitable for upholstery or outerwear, you might find yourself asking, what is\nsuede actually used for? The beautifully soft and light nature of suede makes\nit perfect for clothing and high-quality fashion accessories, including bags,\nshoes and more, as well as being a lining for sturdier leather items. One of\nthe most popular uses for suede is traditional Western leather jackets. Have\nyou seen that fringing!? Oh, and not to mention Elvis\u2019s blue suede shoes of\ncourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The origins of Suede<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Amazingly, animal hides have been\nused to create clothing and household items from as far back as the Paleolithic\nera, so leather has a long and cultured history. A dramatic change came about\nduring the Industrial Revolution, where new kinds of tanning chemicals were\navailable which were vital to the creation of leather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the 20th<\/sup> century,\nSuede became much more popular in the fashion industry and was considered a\nsymbol of status, due to its delicate and luxurious nature. Suede is incredibly\nversatile \u2013 the fluid characteristic of the fabric meant it became a favourite\nfor high fashion designers such as Paquin, Givenchy and Hermes for the\ncatwalks. In fact, even to this day designers work with tanneries to create\ntotally unique leather for their collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The term \u2018suede\u2019 actually\noriginates from France, where the phrase \u2018gants de Suede\u2019 \u2013 roughly translating\nto \u2018gloves from Sweden\u2019 \u2013 was used to refer to a specific type of very soft\ngloves which were imported from Sweden. Eventually the phrase began to refer to\nany type of leather based material with a napped finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suede Vs Faux Suede<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Incredibly many people actually\nprefer faux suede to the real deal. Faux suede \u2013 or \u2018suedette\u2019 \u2013 offers a range\nof benefits over opting for real leather. This animal-friendly alternative\nmaintains the appearance and texture of suede down to the soft, brushed surface\nwithout the disadvantage of fraying or potential matting. It\u2019s also much easier\nto clean; genuine suede is sensitive to water, but faux suede is usually\ncreated with a water repellent quality so it can be safely and easily cleaned.\nIf that wasn\u2019t enough, the tightly woven nature of faux suede means it repels\nstains easily \u2013 so you won\u2019t even need to wash it as often. Did I mention it\u2019s\nalso significantly cheaper?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Types of Suede Leather<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are a huge range of leathers\nand various types of suede leather available which is dependent on the type of\nanimal hide used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheepskin Suede<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Predominantly made from the skins\nof lambs (they\u2019re lighter and softer than their older counterparts), this\npliable, brush textured suede with a velvet nap is the most lightweight and\ndelicate type of suede widely available. Although as mentioned suede is not\nwaterproof, sheepskin suedes are excellent at keeping out that cold wind and\ndamp during the Winter months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pigskin Suede<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pigskin is not quite as popular as\nsheepskin, being much tougher and firmer in texture. It can still be used to\ncreate suede but with a much shorter soft nap on the surface, and is typically\nlonger lasting than other suedes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cowhide Suede<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Just like sheepskin, calves produce\nmuch softer hides than fully grown cows. Creating a suede with a coarser nap,\nit\u2019s not as popular as the previous options but can create a very durable\nleather if you\u2019re after something incredibly long-lasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advantages and Disadvantages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
With any fabric there are\nadvantages and disadvantages; here are suede\u2019s most noteworthy qualities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Advantages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Thicker suede can be durable<\/li>
Soft and luxurious feeling<\/li>
Brushed face<\/li>
Long lasting<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Disadvantages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Absorbs water easily<\/li>
Can become dirty quickly<\/li>
Not overly resilient<\/li>
Expensive<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Printing on Suede<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So, now that you\u2019ve got an answer to the question \u2018what is suede?\u2019 Why not try designing your own faux suede fabric? It really is much simpler than you might think. You can order a test print first and not only will you get to see for yourself how simple it is, but you\u2019ll also receive a voucher for a discount on your first order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Explore faux suede and over 100 other fabrics in your own swatch pack.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As a fashion lover, a textile designer or an avid shopper, you\u2019ve probably come across the term \u2018suede\u2019 in various shops or fashion magazines. But what is suede exactly, and why do we use it? In a nutshell, suede is a particular finish of leather (often referred to as suede leather). Rather than being a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"%%title%% %%page%%","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Soft and tough, elegant and edgy. It could be argued that Suede is the most versatile form of leather on the market. Check out its history and usage here."},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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