Leather lingo
By Sharon Mosley

That black leather jacket hanging in your closet may be one of your favorite fashion classics, but this year, you'll long for leather in a lengthy list of other stylish looks. From refined blazers to vintage-inspired coats to edgy biker outerwear, leather comes alive in enticing finishes, textures and colors. So when you're shopping for a new leather jacket to wear to that special holiday soiree, you'll see embossed crocodile leathers that rock and shearlings that sizzle and suedes that seduce. And you'll know when you've found the perfect jacket. It helps, however, to know something more about the kind of leather you're buying. Here's a list of leather "lingo" from The Leather Association, a nonprofit group of industry retailers and manufacturers. Take this helpful guide along with you on your next shopping trip and you won't have to ask the salesperson what shearling is.

Aniline Finish - Skins are drum-dyed for a soft, smooth feel. They are usually coated with protein, resin, lacquer, or can be waxed.
Calfskin - Skin from a young female cow.
Cowhide - From a mature female cow, heavy and durable.
Distressed - Buffing surface to create an uneven coloration and markings for a weathered look.
Embossed - Prints, commonly reptile, are heat-pressed onto surface. (A big trend this fall and winter)
Glazed Finish - Surface is polished to a high luster by pressurized glass or steel rollers. (Rich colors are appealing in glazed leather)
Grain - Refers to the outer surface, markings or the patterns on the leather's surface.
Lambskin - From a lamb or young sheep, soft and lightweight
Leather - A generic term used for all kinds of tanned animal hides or skins
Napa - (Not the Valley) Commonly refers to the surface or top grain of any soft leather hide
Unbuckle - Lightly buffed top grain to a very fine nap that appears smoother than suede.
Patent - Heavily finished to give a highly lustrous, baked-enamel type appearance.
Pearlized - Spray-on finish giving pearlized effect.
Pigskin - From pigs or hogs, commonly used for suede
Shearling - Natural lamb pelts with the leather side often suede and worn on the outside. (Another big fashion trend in men's and women's leather outerwear)
Split - When a thick hide is split, the term refers to the top surface that looks like suede but is not as soft.
Suede - Leathers that are finished by buffing the underside of a hide to produce a velvet-like nap. [CNS]

TOP