Faux Real Looks in Leather and Suede | November Stylish Monday Link Up
We live in a world that always reminds us to be genuine and authentic, but there is a price to pay for true authenticity. It’s hard work to maintain cohesion between our true selves and the selves that we present outwardly to the world. Most of us hide huge portions of ourselves from the judging eyes of society, always afraid that if our true selves were found out we might be criticized or even disliked.
While there is no required financial investment for living a true and authentic existence, the price is paid in a heightened state of introspection and self work to ensure that what you see is really who I am. I have never been one who enjoyed playing mind games and I have always found dishonesty to be one of the grossest qualities a person can have. So I decided many years ago that I would always strive to be genuine and honest no matter the cost. It has taken decades of truthful living to get to a point where I am comfortable and confident enough to share all of my truths as loudly and boldly and visibly as I want.
It only took me 47 years to figure out how much happiness comes when you shed all the toxicity, all the bullshit, all the fake representations of yourself and start living out loud in every single aspect of the truth of you. Forty-seven years of caring just a little bit too much about what others think and not enough about what I think. As soon as I could shift the balance the other way, my life started becoming more brilliant and more extraordinary than I ever imagined it could be. It’s funny how much joy and happiness will flow into your life when you make room for it. I am in the season of my life when cleaning out is essential and I am tackling it on every level. Cleaning out the garbage to make room for the glory.
While 47 years may seem like a long time to learn a lesson, I am just grateful that I learned it now just as I am hitting my goddess stride in this life. It is a good lesson to have in my midlife arsenal and I plan to use it wisely as I thrive forward into the next decade of my life. And I know that there are many people who never learn the lesson so I do feel like maybe I am actually ahead of crowd for once in my life!
But what the heck does all this have to do with faux leather?
Well, I stated that authentic and genuine things come with a higher price tag than fake things. And in certain situations, when real life people have real life budgets, paying for fake things just makes more sense. But really only on a budgetary level.
There is a long standing debate between the benefits and detriments of real leather versus fake leather. You have the animal rights activists on one side saying real leather products are bad and you have the ethically and sustainably conscious people pointing out how awful synthetic fabrics are for the environment. Both sides present valid arguments that I support but still I am left with having to make choices…the lesser of two evils perhaps. I hate when those are my only choices!
Humans have been crafting clothing from authentic animal hides since the beginning of time. A case of necessity being the mother of invention. Naked cold humans living in prehistoric times necessarily needed to clothe their bodies for protection from the elements. And what better textile to use than the natural ones that protected the wildlife from the very same elements?
Fake leather was developed at the end of the 19th century and gained popularity as a durable, easily adaptable, and less expensive substitute for leather during World War II. In the early 20th century, Dupont adopted imitation leather fabrics for use in car upholstery. And by the mid-20th century, fake leather and suedes could be seen all over fashion runways. One designer famous for mainstreaming faux suede was American fashion designer Halston with his ultrasuede fabrics that became popular in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. I just finished watching the Netflix miniseries Halston and it was really quite fascinating.
But back to leather stuff…I have a great appreciation for leather and suede looks regardless of whether they are genuine or fake. Like all things, not all leather, genuine or fake, is made equally. There are levels of quality for all of it. You can spend piles of cash on a faux leather designer piece that far exceeds the amount you would pay for a quality crafted genuine leather piece from a lesser known designer. Whatever is your pleasure, I guess that is what you should wear!
For this style challenge, I went the super cheap faux leather route with these wide legged, high waisted trousers that I found at Charlotte Russe last month. They were only $15 and I loved the fit so much that I also bought them in black. But you know what they say about getting what you pay for? Yeah, one squat in front of the steamer to dewrinkle my blazer and I split the ass right out of these cheap pants! Yep, another wardrobe malfunction on the books. At least my blazer covered it…especially considering that although I heard the split when I squatted, I didn’t notice how much had split until after we took the photos. It was about a 6 inch opening from the crotch to the butt! It is easy enough to stitch back together as soon as I find the time and motivation.
I also got this burgundy super cropped sweater from Charlotte Russe to wear specifically with these pants. Burgundy is one of my favorite fall colors and I am trying to embrace the cropped trend a little bit this season. While I have no issue baring a bit of midriff skin, it really is too cold for that so I have always struggled with cropped sweaters. They make as much sense as sleeveless sweaters and open toed boots. So confusing. Is it for cold weather or warm weather?
To ensure proper warmth of my partially exposed waistline, I added a long brocade blazer. This is a thrift store find that I had previously styled with ripped jeans and a lacy top. Then I added my burgundy ankle bootss with gold heels and my burgundy beret. I felt pretty darn sassy and fabulous in this fall faux leather look. Now to tackle my growing mending pile!
Now let’s check out the fabulous faux leather fashion from my stylish friends.
Stylish Monday is a monthly series published in collaboration with a group of 15 international fashion and lifestyle bloggers. It is another opportunity to be creative with our personal style as we join together each month with a style prompt or theme. We also host a link party where anyone is welcome to add their personal style posts. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the party.
Ada of Elegance and Mommyhood
“Faux Leather has been trending for the past decade – as long as I have been a mother pretty much. And speaking of mothers, my layered look today is very cool and put together for a busy mom with little ones, that’s me. The star of the show is this Pinot Noir Faux Leather Moto Jacket with a built-in grey sweatshirt hoodie. How cool is that?! More faux leather comes via the chic shoes that can pass both as sneakers and as oxfords. Both of these leather pieces are 2 of the 5 items I purchased this Summer during the NSale.”
Ada
Amy of Amy’s Creative Pursuits
” I love to change the look of a dress with a lightweight jacket like this faux suede one from Stitch Fix.”
Amy
Joy of Joyous Musings
“Faux Leather Shacket styled EXTRA❤️☑️: Embossed leggings and sequin booties add a touch of unexpected glamour…my sleeveless turtleneck has ruching and is a closet Mainstay. Follow my shop @Joyousstyling on the @shop.LTK app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!”
Joy
Julie of Fashion Trends and Friends
“It’s Faux Leather Weather; and I’m not mad about it! I actually did a whole blog post already on this trend but this faux leather lover can’t get enough so of course I had to participate with all of my fashionable friends. This faux leather jumper is one of my newest additions. Plus I’m sharing a fabulous new faux leather and suede pink jacket to my wardrobe! The Faux Leather Trend is going strong and the best part is you can find an assortment of colors!”
Julie
Lucy of Lucy Bertoldi
“I adore faux-leather and all the styling possibilities that go along with it! Today’s outfit is a perfect example of how you can mix colors to obtain a look that flows, just by having the fabric as the element that pulls it all together. Faux-leather is master at accomplishing this-even with colors that you wouldn’t necessarily think of styling together!”
Lucy
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
“I love to wear faux leather. Back in the days I used to wear a lot of real leather, it’s not my thing anymore. The only downside with faux leather is that we have a white leather couch, that doesn’t work very well together. So sadly I can only wear faux leather when I go out!”
Nancy
Nicole of High Latitude Style
“I found these pink faux leather booties at Value Village two years ago. Of course, the color and zipper details called my name. Despite they got a lot of wear in the long Interior Alaska winters, they still look like new.”
Nicole
Nina of Sharing a Journey
“I love a little faux leather and suede in the fall! There are so many options! When I saw Spanx new faux suede flairs, I had to have a pair–get styling tips on how to create a few fresh looks with faux leather and suede…”
Nina
And Me!
“I always love the edginess that leather can add to any outfit. I recently spotted these wide legged faux leather trousers in Charlotte Russe for a mere $15. I liked them so much that I also bought them in black and now I have all sorts of sassy styling ideas rolling through my mind.”
Shelbee
Featured Favorite from Last Month’s All About Shackets Theme
Darlene of Aquamarina Style shared a brilliant houndstooth shacket and I am loving the result of her different styling tricks with this one fabulous piece.
What are your thoughts on faux leather versus genuine leather? Are you on the sustainability side or the animal rights side? Or maybe you adhere to both or none at all!
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
Outfit Details: Sweater, Pants, and Boots-Charlotte Russe / Blazer-Thrifted / Beret, Belt, Necklace, and Earrings-Old / Gloves-Wona Trading
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
45 Comments
Kellyann Rohr
You are100% right about living authentically,on all accounts. I found myself nodding my head with every word I read!
So funny about the pnats splitting – I had that happen many years ago with a skirt I wore to work. I worked in a small office at the time and my sister worked there too. We used a stapler and stapled it up the back – ha! Needless to say sitting was not comfortable!
Love the look on you and even though they split, the pants look terrific! Thank goodness you can sew and I can’t wait to see you style the black pair!
xo,
Kellyann
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Kellyann. I always like to tie some thoughtful content into an outfit post! Your story of stapling your skirt back together is hilarious! But I can imagine that would be very uncomfortable for siting. You should have spun it around backwards so the staples were in the front. I mean, you already had your skirt stapled together, why not wear it backwards, too! It’s a super easy fix to stitch the seam back together, I’m just really lazy with stuff like that. I’ll do it when I am wanting to wear them again!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
I really love this outfit! Can definitely see me wearing something like this!
Jennifer
Curated By Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jennifer! Except I know you will be better than me from a sustainability standpoint! The only sustainable saving grace to this outfit is my thrifted blazer!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
When you have something to say, you have something to say! My soup is cold now, lol. What a pitty about those trousers. Be extra careful with the black ones! Lol. I love the color of the brown ones a lot and it goes so well with the burgundy sweater. Great combination, I am going to try that too.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ha, thanks, Nancy! That was a fun parallel of topics, wasn’t it?! I can’t wait to see your brown and burgundy combination! I thought of you when I saw this shade of brown because it is that hard to find color that I know you look for!
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar Strauss-Benjamin
Cheers to being your true self!!
Love this look – amazing colors on you.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks, Tamar! Cheers to being your awesome self!
xoxo
Shelbee
amy
You look so great in those pants and the whole outfit is smashing. As for the faux leather/real leather debate I like that you showed both sides. Quite often the “alternative” doesn’t help the environment much at all. I am a huge animal lover, but I still eat meat. Most people eat meat. I love how the Native Americans used every part of the buffalo. Nothing ever went to waste! The meat was food, tools were made from their bones, hides were used for warmth, etc. etc. So my thought is as long as people are still eating meat, we shouldn’t waste any part of the animal and make things out of leather.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, Amy, I agree with that perspective 100% percent! My husband’s family are avid hunters. And while it is a sport in this day and age, we do eat the meat and use what parts can be used. I have never been offended by leather goods at all. But I have always been offended by cruelty to any living thing. Things like vintage fur products don’t bother me either because they were produced at a time with less knowledge. Preserving those bits of our history is important. And getting back to our real roots may not be such a bad thing right now…Thanks so much for this comment!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
What an awesome outfit! Those pants are an unusual color. I don’t even know what color I would call them. You make good points on both sides of the leather – faux leather argument. I have no issues in using animal products for food or attire. We are omnivores. I do have some issues with how animals are treated. And now there is the whole cattle methane issue and global warming. But I digress.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Michelle! I am right on that same line as you are…if we are being useful and responsible and not so damn wasteful and cruel and negligent of everything then I have no problem with utilizing all the parts of the animals we use for food. No worries on that digression…I followed right along!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michele Morin
Well, shucks! Sorry the pants were cheap, but they looked great in the pictures!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ha, thanks, Michele! I do like to make cheap look great! LOL
xoxo
Shelbee
wend
Shelbee, your post just make me smile. You must be so much fun!
Wendy
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, Wendy, thank you so much! I do like to laugh at every turn! Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nicole from High Latitude Style
Yes, you are right. We carry a huge baggage of expectations and anxiety about what others may think about us. It’s inherited from our ancestors who also didn’t know better. Being hunters and collector or farmer or shepheards, you needed the community for survival. So it seemed important. Still today, meeting expectations is mandatory. What we have to learn is to distinguish between the one that are important and those that are not. We have to loose the anxiety or better become confident in dropping the unimportant things. With respect to leather some people argue that the hides stem from cows or pigs that were killed to provide meat not for the hide. This is true, but there are also hides an animal is killed for without the necessity of food. Like you said, we have to make choices everyday. And we have to make the choices that we feel most comfortable with. Somethings it seems like choosing between pest and cholera.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Nicole, thanks so much for this very thoughtful comment. There are so many sides to every story and I have found that I walk in the middle somewhere on most things. That is why we have to make our own best decisions and we should be able to do that without so much outside judgment and criticism. There is good and bad to literally every single scenario and we are constantly forced to choose the lesser of evils…like between pest and cholera! Haha. It is such a great analogy because it’s true! I hope you have a fabulous week ahead!
xoxo
Shelbee
Darlene
Oh, Shelbee, I so love reading your posts!! I have been sitting here laughing at your pants story!! We have all been there, my friend. Regardless of the split in your pants, you look SOOO amazing in this outfit! Talk about styling!! I love it all. And thanks, too, for featuring my post. What a lovely surprise! I really appreciate the shout-out. I have a post coming out this week on faux fabrics with an entirely different take, not at all as thoughtful as yours. But I guess that’s the fun of it, that we all wear the same pieces, but put them together in so many different ways!
Happy Monday,
xx Darlene
Darlene
OMG, I SO love this outfit you’ve put together! The colors, the flair! You look absolutely amazing in this look, Shelbee. I have been sitting here laughing at your pants story. Hey, we’ve all been there! Lol! I have a post coming out on faux fabrics this week as well. It’s funny how we all think alike, but approach the topic from such different perspectives. I enjoy reading yours very much, you are always so thoughtful. Thanks, too, for featuring my photo! What a lovely surprise. Much appreciated, my friend. Have an amazing week, knowing that we have all taken a LONG time figuring out we spent too much time worrying about what others think. It’s a journey…
xx Darlene
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Darlene, thank you so much! I don’t wear shades of brown often but I loved the caramel color of these trousers and the way the color paired with burgundy for perfect fall vibes. I totally heard the pants split when it happened but I thought it was just a few threads tore since there was nothing evident at first glance. Silly me! I look forward to your upcoming post on faux fabrics. You know how I love those types of educational topics! I hope you have a fabulous week ahead, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
I am a proponent of real leather in most things only because I feel you get more wear out of them. I just wish I could wrap my brain around wearing leather pants because they look so cool on others. I don’t know that I would feel comfortable in them…totally me! You look amazing in burgundy…signature color, I’d say!
Thanks for the link up, my friend!
http://marshainthemiddle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Marsha! I prefer real leather as well from a durability standpoint but the fake leathers are much cooler. The inside of these pants is actually really soft and they aren’t very heavy at all either so you don’t get all sweaty in them. Whenever the topic of leather pants comes up, I always think back to the Friends episode when Ross got stuck in his leather pants! I can totally relate having had a pair of similar all leather pants back in the 90’s. They were awful to wear!
xoxo
Shelbee
Rena
Shelbee,
Great color combo and all of the details make for a fabulous look. Head to toe, you look fantastic. And no more swooning about boots and sweaters for this gal; henceforth, Fall shall be known as leather and suede season.
Rena
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Rena! I have always enjoyed leather and suede but I find them to be not the most comfortable fabrics for my mostly at home lifestyle. I will still swoon over boots and sweaters over here!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
This is seriously one of my favorite looks on you! The mix of colors, the fit, the textures are perfection! The crop top and pants combo is so chic and I need to see you in wide leg pants like this more.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Kathrine, thank you so much! I was thrilled with how this outfit came together. I don’t wear browns often, but I love burgundies and the two colors together really are autumn magnificence!
xoxo
Shelbee
Alexandra
It’s a relief, and just a new feeling when you can cut the toxicity out of your life, and live more peacefully. I cut a few bad seeds out of my life over the last few years, and I feel so much more at ease, and less stressed.
Your boots are amazing! The gold heel is what originally caught my eye.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Alexandra! I did a massive cleansing of life toxicity during this pandemic time spent in isolation. And the freedom of liberating oneself from such toxicity is absolutely amazing. I feel so relaxed and free these days. I will never let the toxic stuff back in from now on!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzy Turner
What a fabulous outfit, Shelbee! I love everything about it! But I did laugh about the crotch to butt accident!!!! That’s the problem with cheap clothes, isn’t it?! But you look gorgeous, nonetheless!
I agree with you too, about the problem of real leather versus faux leather. There are certainly arguments for both!
Hugs
Suzy xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Suzy! I have had not so cheap clothes do the same thing to me! I guess it’s a good thing that I opt for wearing underwear so I don’t flash my whole butt to crotch area when my pants split! Haha
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looking very nice there. Love the color, it so fall.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick!
xoxo
Shelbee
Shelly J Janac
Clearing out the garbage to make room for the glory….I LOVE that!! You look great in this outfit too Shelbee!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Shelly! I was pretty proud of that alliterative phrasing…Clear out the garbage to make room for the glory! Yes, indeed! I hope we all can find ways to do that!
xoxo
Shelbee
mica
These pants look really good on you and I love the burgundy with them, such good autumn colours! I was so impressed with the price you paid too until I read they split – oh no! I hope you can fix them up!
I have a lot of leather bags but it’s too warm for leather clothing here. The few faux leather pieces I have never last long – with the heat and humidity here it all starts cracking and peeling! I got a cute dress from my sister with faux leather sleeves but it started to peel! Luckily I could just completely peel it off and still wear and enjoy the dress!
Hope that you are having a good week 🙂 It’s another rainy and stormy day here!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mica! I should be able to stitch the seam back together with no problem, I’ve just been too lazy to tackle my mending pile recently. The peeling thing is one bad thing about fake leather. I have some things that have done that as well. I am glad that you were able to save that dress though! It has been decent autumn weather here, but now we have los of rain coming over the next few days. I hope you have a fabulous weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Lucy Bertoldi
So incredibly chic Shelbee! I just love this whole look!!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lucy!
xoxo
Shelbee
jess jannenga
Love the faux leather! I have leggings and also pants I bought a few years ago. This outfit is so gorgeous on you! I love the combination of burgundy and brown! Those boots are cool, love the heel 🙂 Is the jacket jacquard, the print is pretty! A great mic of warm Fall colors !
thanks for linking!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jess! I really liked this color combination, too. The blazer is jacquard and the print is like a real pale blue color. It’s kind of a hard jacket to match things with but this outfit was absolutely perfect for it!
xoxo
Shelbee
Julie Augustyn
Shelbee,
I think you make everything look great! You’d never know that these wide leg pants were “cheap”! It is a bummer that they ripped the first time you wore them. We can all relate to some type of wadrobe malfunction at some point in our lives!
You just keep being you and true to you! You’re such a great example for so many others! My philosphy is it’s never too late! You’re never too old! This applies to all aspects of our live!
Our colalborations always bring me great joy!
Julie xo
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh, Julie, thank you so very much for this lovely comment! Yeah it is a bit of a bummer that the seam popped in my pants, but it’s easy enough to fix if I ever get around to it!
You know, I lived a whole lifetime not being myself until I realized that I am not very good at being anybody else but myself! And now I am committed to living my truth as loudly and boldly as possible. All I hope for is that it does inspire others to live their truths without shame or fear.
These collaborations also bring me great joy! Everyone is so uplifting and positive and I love being a part of a community who seeks to share joy with the world!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
I just love everything about this outfit – the trousers, the colours, the cute beret – it’s fabulous! I did laugh when I read that you split the crotch, although it’s a nuisance having to repair them. I have exactly the same feelings about real v faux leather. I don’t buy real leather anymore – I’ve been vegan for almost four years now – but I am mindful of the pitfalls of cheap faux leather. I try to buy faux leather items made from plants, such as Pinatex where possible, but this tends to be more used for accessories. It’s a dilemma, that’s for sure. Thanks for linking up!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Emma, thanks so much for the lovely compliment! And thank you for sharing your thoughts on the faux vs real leather debate as well. It really is a dilemma. I have been trying to make changes in my habits to be more environmentally conscious and I know I have made great strides, but there are still some areas where it gets a bit muddy and then I just cave into my physical cravings…like a new pair of shoes or a new leather jacket. But I will keep making progress no matter how small it may be!
xoxo
Shelbee