Skin is in

Leather holds its ground into the new season.

For years now we’ve seen leather as a serious staple, both on the runway and on the street. But when warmer weather rolls around don’t be so quick to stash away your skins. Lightweight suedes and leathers made a mad dash down the runway for the spring season, making it not just acceptable, but essential, for these cold weather fabrics to be worked in as your second skin for spring and summer.

winter winds are blowin’
Exotic skins are here and making a cold weather statement with accessories. Gucci, Pucci and Tod’s all showed croc in a serious way: Gucci and Tod’s applied the material to bags, while Pucci headed south and embossed stilettos with it.
Fur, (real and faux) also made a big statement both in apparel and accessories, pretty peacoats at Burberry, and everyone from Balmain to Viktor and Rolf enhancing their booties with it.
Another staple is the leather jacket. This is a look we’ve been seeing for a few seasons now, and is an absolute must-have for the fashion crowd. Street style blogs are awash with stylish women, wearing their leather with pants, skirts and dresses, and layering with sweaters and scarves to beat the chill.
Leather shorts were a big trend seen on the streets of New York and were shown at Salvatore Ferragamo. Pair yours with tights and boots for a layered look that will last well into the warmer months. Alongside shorts were leather skirts in the new mid calf and longer lengths. Suede also made a statement at the Ferragamo show; it came down the runway in dresses, pants and coats, and ushered in the beginnings of the 1970’s aesthetic which is prominent for spring and summer.

april showers bring may… suedes??
While suede may not be the first fabric one associates with spring and summer, it was in high demand on the Milan, London and New York runways as part of the 1970’s trend headed our way. In Milan we saw lightweight suedes worked into jackets, and as fringing details on skirts and dresses. The summer suede replaced leather altogether as your second skin in this Italian city. In London, suede found a home with the minimalist trend and was transformed into sleek shift dresses. It was also prevalent among the tribal safari look. So take a page from your parents’ photo albums, but pair your 70’s inspired shift with an ultra modern piece of jewellery and flat sandals. On this side of the Atlantic, New York saw both summer leathers and suedes worked in beautiful tobacco browns. Both casually styled dresses and separates were given a new look with the summer weight of these fabrics.

Summer leather, had me a blast!
While suede may have been the big stud on campus in Milan, Paris saw leather take a stand in pants in the Costume National show. Céline showed a tailored leather tank paired with flowing pants, and a leather pencil skirt hitting below the knee. So keep the leather skirts out, rock them with a bare leg, and pair the look with an easy blouse and sandals. If you lean more towards the rock and roll side of your leather, Balenciaga showed high polished rocker jackets, shorts, and skirts for those looking for more of an edge.
For the upcoming season there is just about every way to wear your leather goods. From jackets and tops, to pants, shorts and skirts, there is a texture and a look for just about any style and any trend. So before the summer heat becomes so intense that you’ll only want to wear your own skin, keep your leathers out and wear them as the perfect texture to compliment your look.