Among the many ‘buzz’ words floating around online, is the word cheap. Most often linked to leather jackets especially. Big bold titles that read ‘The Best Cheap Leather Jackets’ or ‘Leather Jackets at Throwaway Prices’ are just a couple of many examples. What is more intriguing is not so much this sudden promotion of a misrepresented aspect of leather outerwear but the growing demand of people based on a misguided action to buy cheap jackets.
What does ‘Cheap’ even mean? Are there truly cheap leather jackets that can claim such attributes as quality, durability, style, and craftsmanship within themselves? Uncompromised? Not forgetting most importantly a fit and size that is suitable to the person. In this blog post, we will cover a more accurate definition of cheap leather jackets while also introducing a politically correct term that will offer some help in clearing any misunderstandings. Distinguishing between the two will allow for a better grasp through examples of what we really ought to be looking for when shopping for leather jackets.
What To Expect In This Article?
What are Cheap Leather Jackets?
As the word, cheap suggests a price for an item that is really low that it lacks worth, and quality and is ultimately subject to early ruin. In context to real leather jackets, this isn’t a very positive influence for anyone searching for leather outerwear. Nor is there any incentive for purchasing a leather jacket that will soon fall apart. The only real point of concern that is visible outright, is the wastage of money.
Sure, many may debate this subject by supporting more comparative reasoning which is looking for leather outerwear that is lower than what is available in the mainstream if not all the way high-end. In this case, it may be okay to conduct such a search for a good bargain which looking for cheap leather jackets is not a part of. Interesting isn’t it?
Disadvantages and Cons of Leather Jackets
You may be wondering why no advantages or pros to go along with the disadvantages and cons but truth be told, there are simply no advantages to support the cheap leather jacket mindset. How so? Read on and it will all make more sense. The same goes for all types of leather that furthermore include the various styles of leather jackets as well.
Cheap leather jackets are:
- Low in cost
- Made mostly of synthetic materials
- Not the consumer’s ‘ideal’ choice
- Often slightly damaged in some cases
- Not comfortable or have a good fit
- Without any visible care instructions
- Prone to faulty buttons or zipper closure
- Not visibly new but have an ‘old’ look about them
- Easily damaged or prone to an early ruin
The Cheap Leather Jacket Mindset
This refers to a mindset that leads a person to purchase cheap leather jackets despite them having faults, disadvantages, or other factors that would demotivate most people from buying. No matter what the reason may be, going for cheap leather jackets has more to lose than gain for anyone considering this direction. Another option most people go for, especially for a cheap price is the faux leather jacket range. Despite the popular belief that faux leather is better with more to do with the price point rather than the quality, sustainability, and processing, has proven to be the most fatal of all. Simply because faux leather is achieved only after the use of a substantial amount of plastics that also endanger the environment in the long run. Used or old leather jackets are also a way many people seek cheap prices without thinking about where the jacket came from, how long it has been in use, and whether or not it will last more than a month.
Real Leather is Not Cheap
So far we’ve covered the different factors that constitute cheap leather jackets and that it’s best to stay away from them. This leads us to the second portion of our article which defines the opposite side of the spectrum. This includes Real Leather Jackets. Real Leather? This is a type of leather that is made of animal skin or hide. A byproduct of the food industry, typically the meat and dairy industries. This type of leather is one of the best materials to work with, for durable; high-quality leather outerwear. This is one of the big reasons why although it’s high in quality and durability it is also higher in price.
Cheap vs Affordable
Now that we have established both sides of the case in point, we’d best revisit the idea of shopping for cheap leather jackets. Would you buy a leather jacket simply because it has an extremely low price tag? Not forgetting the size may not be the very best, nor the color or style but most importantly the type of leather that you may not be aware of. Or would you go for a leather jacket that is made of the best raw materials, ensuring your style as well as durability? Sure the price may be higher than the former but look at all that you will get in the process. Especially with the option to customize leather jackets for a more personalized product. In this case, the politically correct term would be affordable leather jackets. That is of course keeping in mind that good quality, highly durable leather jackets do not qualify as cheap leather jackets but rather affordable leather jackets. That is of course if you’re looking for leather outerwear that isn’t far too expensive but considerably reasonable.
Types of Leather based on Price
When it comes to the different types of leather based on quality as well as cost, we’d have to first understand the various grades of leather starting from the best and ending at the worst. For instance, Full Grain Leather is the very best type of leather. As it is taken from the topmost layer of the animal hide or skin enabling you to see the natural grain. Similarly, there is a second grade of leather which is Top Grain. This is taken from somewhere in the middle of the animal hide or skin and although it is not the very best in quality, it holds a somewhat okay position in the quality and durability pyramid.
With that said, there’s another grade of leather called Genuine Leather. This particular type of leather has misled quite a few people into thinking it is a good quality leather simply due to its name. In no way does Genuine Leather indicate its authenticity as in ‘real’ leather which it is in a way but more importantly it is a grade of leather that is much lower as compared to the previous two grades of leather. It should be noted that Genuine Leather is the leftover leather that is often used to make products that will not last as long as any other type of leather. In most cases, this type of leather may well be associated with cheap leather. Genuine Leather is also known as Corrected Leather which gets its name from the corrective processes to make this low-quality leather look good and serve a small degree of functionality.
Last, on this list of grades of leather, we have Bonded Leather which is in many ways at the very bottom end of the barrel. Scraps of leather that are shredded and ground to a pulp-like consistency are bonded together using such materials as latex onto a sheet of fiber. The different degrees of leather mixed in with chemicals alter the look, smell, and texture of this surface which ultimately impacts the durability that is far from impressive. So it would make total sense if full-grain or top-grain leather would be costly and Genuine or Bonded Leather would not. There are however affordable leather jackets that offer good quality leather in Full Grain that is also highly durable.
Real vs Cheap Leather- How The Jacket Maker started
From what we’ve learned so far, cheap leather jackets and real leather outerwear bring us to a stage that links this confusion among people to a significant story about a group of friends who were searching for good quality leather jackets. After looking high and low, all they could find was a grouping of cheap leather jackets at one end and very expensive leather jackets at the other. After carefully analyzing both groups, they discovered a large availability of cheap leather jackets that did not look or feel good not to mention the quality that was compromised. While at the other end they found good quality leather jackets but at very high price points.
This incredibly big void in the middle was the perfect space that these friends could fill and what better opportunity for this than the present. So today the same group of friends have not only identified the many problems faced by people, regarding good quality leather jackets but have also managed to provide a solution that involves an impressively wide range of leather outerwear for men and women. This leather outerwear range is also not only at a very affordable price point but provides the best quality leather, raw materials, hardware, and impeccable craftsmanship that combine to make The Jacket Maker.
This very inclusive brand has a Ready-to-Wear assortment, as well as offers a Made-to-Measure and Custom Leather Jacket option also. Carrying sizes from XS to 4XL, The Jacket Maker is currently a huge favorite of many people in 85+ countries across the world.
Winding up this Blog Post
Now that we’ve been through the different stages that cover the disadvantages of cheap leather jackets, the mindset regarding this misconception and a better option that is easy on the pocket contribute to why cheap leather jackets shouldn’t be an option. Purchasing cheap leather jackets is only a waste of money not to mention having compromised durability, fit, and style that only points out the ideal solution of picking an affordable leather jacket instead. In doing so, you get the best quality and durability but also, a better understanding of how to get your money’s worth from quality leather outerwear.
