A leather skirt is an attractive and stylish garment that shares many of the same properties as other genuine leather garments. It’s soft and supple yet also strong and durable. As a result, you’ll get plenty of use out of a leather skirt, assuming you choose the right type for your personal preferences.
With so many different leather skirts available for sale, however, narrowing down your selection to a single type may seem daunting. You don’t want to end up with the wrong type. Otherwise, you won’t be able to easily include it in your outfits. You’ll have an easier time finding the right leather skirt by considering the seven following things.
#1) Length
Leather skirts are available in a wide range of lengths. Generally speaking, there are three primary lengths in which leather skirts are made: mini, midi and maxi. What’s the difference between these lengths exactly? Mini leather skirts are the shortest, with most of them stopping around the thighs. Midi leather skirts have a medium length that extends about to the knees when worn. Maxi leather skirts, on the other hand, have the longest length. Maxi leather skirts can extend several inches past your knees or farther.
#2) Form
In addition to the length, you should consider the form when choosing a leather skirt. The term “form” refers to the way in which a leather skirt sits on your body when worn. Some leather skirts have a body-hugging form that, as the name suggests, allows them to sit close against your body when worn. Other leather skirts have a looser and more relaxed form. Choosing a leather skirt with a body-hugging form will create the perception of a slimmer appearance. With that said, some women prefer looser leather skirts because they are more comfortable to wear.
#3) Zipper
You should consider whether or not a leather skirt has a zipper. A zipper isn’t a requirement for a leather skirt; there are dozens of stylish and comfortable leather skirts available that don’t have a zipper. Nonetheless, choosing a leather skirt with this classic fastener can make putting it on and taking it off a little easier. You can pull down the zipper to create a wider opening that ultimately makes the leather skirt easier to put on and take off. If a leather skirt doesn’t have a zipper, you may struggle to get it around your waist, especially if it’s the wrong size. So, look for a zipper when shopping for a new leather skirt.
#4) Type of Leather
Don’t forget to check and see and what type of leather a skirt is made of before buying it. Some women assume that all genuine leather is the same, but this isn’t necessarily true. There are over a half-dozen types of genuine leather. While they are all derived from tanned animal hide, they each have their own characteristics. Napa leather, for instance, is regarded as the highest-quality type of leather on the market. It features an ultra-fine grain, allowing for a super-smooth finish that’s not found in other types of leather.
Keep in mind that faux leather isn’t really leather. It’s a type of synthetic material that’s designed to feature a similar appearance as genuine leather. Skirts made of faux leather are typically cheaper than those made of genuine leather, including napa leather. Unfortunately, faux leather skirts don’t have the same soft yet durable properties as those made of genuine leather. If you’re looking to buy a new leather skirt, stick with genuine leather rather than opting for faux leather. Doing so will allow you to get better value out of this garment.
#5) Color
You can’t expect to choose the perfect leather skirt without considering its color. Leather skirts are available in many different colors. Black is arguably the most popular color because it flows cohesively with so many other colors. With a black leather skirt, you’ll be able to wear a shirt or blouse in just about any other color. Black is a universal color, so it matches most other colors — even white.
With that said, leather skirts are available in other colors besides black. If you want to differentiate yourself from the crowd, you may want to choose an alternative color like red. Many women prefer red leather skirts because they offer a brighter and bolder appearance. At the same time, red is easy to match with other colors. Regarding the color, there’s really no wrong choice. You just need to choose a leather skirt in a color that you feel confident and comfortable wearing.
Keep in mind, there are also two-tone leather skirts. A two-tone leather skirt is a type of leather skirt that features two different colors. Two-tone leather skirts are available in many of the same styles as their single-colored counterparts; they just have two colors rather than one.
#6) Pattern
For a truly one-of-a-kind style, you may want to choose a patterned leather skirt. What is a patterned leather skirt exactly? It’s a leather skirt featuring a pattern of multiple colors rather than a single, unpatterned color.
There are zebra-stripe leather skirts, for example, that feature alternating black-and-white horizontal stripes. The way in which these stripes are patterned resembles the stripes of a zebra. You can find leather skirts in other patterns. A pattern is simply an arrangement of multiple colors in a uniform scheme.
#7) Ruffles
When shopping for a leather skirt, you’ll probably discover that many of them have ruffles. Ruffles, of course, are pieces of excess material that hang or dangle loosely. They don’t serve any functional purpose. Ruffles, however, offer aesthetic benefits by creating a more dynamic appearance.
Not all leather skirts have ruffles. Rather, many of them have a smooth surface without ruffles. You can choose either type; just compare ruffled and non-ruffled leather skirt to determine which type is right for you.