Distressed leather sounds like something you might want to stay away from but quite the contrary. The look and feel of a beautiful distressed leather jacket is not only timeless but, quite frankly, cooler. Think rock star, movie star…synonymous with cool is usually the leather jacket; Brando, Newman, MacQueen. They all immediately come to mind.
But buying a distressed leather jacket can sometimes be a little pricey and out of the range for some people. So if you aren’t quite ready to make the investment, why not distress one of your newer pieces?
- Using a spray bottle, spray the leather jacket with rubbing alcohol. Using the spray bottle will ensure that you cover the entire garment evenly so there are no “wetter” spots than others. This will allow for a smooth overall application. Spray just enough to dampen, not soak.
- The coolest thing about distressed leather is the look of “worn and old” or “beaten”. So the next step is to work the leather in your hands like you were kneading dough. Crumple it and really work it through the garment. This crumpling will create the natural creases that come with age or over time making the garment look older.
- Next you want to make the leather look worn. To do this you are going to do something that sounds contrary to everything you were ever taught about taking care of clothing. Take a piece of medium grade sandpaper (yes, sandpaper) and depending on the level of “distress” you are aiming for, rub the jacket with the sandpaper in various places; some more than others and some areas leave untouched altogether. This will make the garment look authentically distressed.
- Now comes the real distress. Taking a wire brush, rub the fabric much the same way as you did with the sandpaper but the wire brush will do a lot more “damage” and distress.
- Finally, nothing says old, worn and distressed better than a little dirt. Rub some dry dirt on the garment and dust off the excess. If you are really looking to go all out, you could even rub the garment in the dirt on the ground but you would need to be careful about the dirt being damp or wet.
So Brando has nothing on you does he? With a little ingenuity, just about anyone can have the look and feel of a cool, worn out distressed leather jacket.