Leather jackets are meant to be used as original as you can but, sometimes people prefer them with a vintage look or a faded-style but this is hard to find unless you inherit an old jacket from a familiar. However, this blog is all about the ways you have to make your own vintage or faded jacket. If you’re looking to have a nice faded leather jacket you can follow this simple steps.
Steps to Make Your Own Vintage Leather Jacket
-
Wear it every time you can (even when you go to grocery shopping if possible)
The more you wear your leather jacket outside, the faster it will fade. This is because wearing a leather jacket outside exposes the textile to sunlight. The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light will beam down on your leather jacket, causing the leather to fade to a lighter color. If your leather jacket currently has a dark brown color, for example, wearing it outdoors may turn it to a light blue color. Whether you’re running errands around town or walking your dog down the driveway, put on your leather jacket so that it fades a little faster. Along with this other tips listed here, this will help you achieve a faded leather jacket.
Are you sure your jacket is made of real, genuine leather? if not, this process might not be helpful. This is because faux leather doesn’t fade like genuine leather does. It’s made of a traditional textile that’s coated in a plastic-like layer. As a result, it doesn’t fade, or at least it doesn't as easily as genuine leather.
-
Don't condition your leather jacket often
There's nothing wrong with conditioning your leather jackets, on the contrary, we recommend to do it to protect your leather garments from dryness. But, when we talk about making our vintage looking jacket this doesn't help. The protective layer reduces the amount of light and oxygen that reaches the leather’s pigment or dye. You can still fade a leather jacket that’s been heavily conditioned, but it will take longer and require more work. For this reason, you should use leather conditioning products on your jacket less frequently. A good rule of thumb is to apply a conditioning product no more than once every two to three months if you’re trying to fade your jacket.
-
Hang It Outside (Let it breathe and sunbathe)
In addition to wearing your leather jacket outside, you can hang also hang it outside to speed up the fading process. Like wearing your jacket outside, hanging it outside exposes it to the sun’s UV light, which is a key catalyst of the fading process. Also, If you aren’t planning on wearing your leather jacket for the day, hang it outside.
You can let it under the sun or even a bit of rain won't damage it (just a little though, remember not to let it soak in water) just remember to check the weather before leaving your leather jacket outside for any prolonged length of time. If there’s rain in the forecast, don’t leave it hanging outside. However, we recommend to only hang your leather jacket outside if the skies are clear and sunny.
-
Toss It in the Dryer (but be careful with it)
Another way to fade your leather jacket more quickly is to toss it in the dryer. You should generally avoid drying leather jackets in a clothes dryer, as it can degrade the fabric. As long as you use the “gentle” cycle setting on your dryer, though, this shouldn’t be a problem. Drying your leather jacket on the “gentle” cycle uses minimal force to rotate the drum as it dries your jacket. It’s not enough force to degrade your leather jacket, but it is enough to stimulate the fading process.
-
Choose a Lighter Leather Jacket
Of course, you can avoid the headache of having to fade your leather jacket by choosing a jacket in the right color. Some people assume that leather jackets are only available in traditional colors like brown and black. While these are the two most popular colors for leather jackets, you can find them available in a wide range of other colors. Whether you’re searching for a light brown or even a gray leather jacket, you can probably find it with a little digging. And by choosing a leather jacket in the right color, you won’t have to worry about fading it.
By following these tips, you can fade your leather jacket more quickly. And if this sounds like too much, consider investing in a new leather jacket that already features a faded tone. Either way, you’ll be able to diversify your style by sporting a faded leather jacket that’s different from the mainstream crowd.
