Skip to main content

Leather, Suede and Vinyl - Fashion's Hottest Fabrics

On recent trips to New York City and to the French Riviera, we saw store windows filled with exciting items for men, women, kids and home décor created from suede, vinyl and leather.  Jackets included trench coats and slickers, bomber jackets, and cropped styles with metal accents.  Shirts featured classic button-down styling for men, while for women the shirts, skirts and dresses were filled with cut work allowing brilliant contrast colors to pop through from the back.  Attaché cases, upscale messenger bags and purses were accented with metal and rhinestone.   Shoes featured updated clean lines for classic loafers and pumps, while boots were ankle or knee length with metal zipper accents.  The hats and gloves had simple lines, and the belts were filled with metal grommets or spikes.  It was really incredible how many of these items there were in the boutiques and department stores. 

When you use synthetic materials, you get many affordable options for creating your own chic apparel, accessories and home accents.  However, there is a huge difference between apparel grade and upholstery grade fabrics. If you plan on re-covering bar stools or chairs, or you want to re-upholster a sofa, you must choose an Upholstery specific fabric that is manufactured for that purpose.  Scroll down for a helpful guide on our most popular collections.

Vogue Fabrics offers about 100 incredible options online at VogueFabricsStore.com and even more in the Chicago area Vogue Fabrics retail stores.  You can also order many of these textiles wholesale online for a discount "buy the bolt" price.  

                      Scroll down for a Discount Code

Tricks to sewing these specialty fabrics:
1] If you notice the material is sticking to the metal of the needle plate or slide plate you can use a Teflon foot on your machine - the Teflon glides better over the synthetics than metal.  This type of foot is available in snap-on and low shank.  Then, put some gift wrapping tissue between the fabric and the feed dogs, again to keep the fabric from sticking to the metal (don't worry, the needle will perforate the tissue so it will just pull away when you are done stitching).


2]  Use the right needle.  For vinyl and leather you want a leather needle, like Schmetz Leather for machines or Dritz Glovers for hand sewing.  The tip is flat like a tiny knife, so it slashes the fabric rather than pokes a hole in it.  This allows the fabric to recover and close up around the thread for a clean look.  Suede fabrics work better with an extra sharp needle, like Schmetz Microtex.

       Click here to see some of our hot fix jewel transfers.


Details on our Special Collections:
Ultrasuede is a no-fray fabric, so it is ideal for cut-work, applique and shoe covering.  Although Ultrasuede is manufactured in many weights, we carry a soft, apparel weight option that's ideal for skirts, dresses and jackets.  We can special order other weights for wholesale upon request.  Ultrasuede is also popular for purses and light home accents, like toss pillows.

If you love the look of Ultrasuede, but need a lower price point, you can try the Luxury Suede.  This supple nap fabric features a similar suede appearance, and is sought after for men's shirts and women's dresses.  Unlike Ultrasuede, the Luxury Suede does fray slightly. We can even custom cover buttons for you out of the Ultrasuede or Luxury Suede you buy - just click here for the order form to see pricing.  You can add a request for the custom cover buttons when you order the fabric online by typing us a note in the Customer Notes box of the checkout.

Wet Look Vinyls are very lightweight and have a little stretch, making them purrrrr-fect for catsuits!  If you have a base of coutil, you can also create hot corsets for gothic lolita, cyber punk and anime outfits. The yellow is popular for retro rain slickers. We now carry Wet Look Shadow Vinyl which is popular for costumers because of its crazy designs that almost seem holographic.

Sueded Cuddle features a no-fray suede face bonded to a Minky Cuddle fake fur.  If you sew the wrong sides together with a 3/8" seam allowance you get a great design element )see image to the right).  This is a really warm fabric for outerwear since it is already "lined" with fur.  You can cut this with a scissors, or you can use a matte knife on the suede side to avoid cutting into the fur -- this will help keep your workspace cleaner.

Faux Leathers (fake or imitation leather) provide the look and feel of animal pelts, but are completely synthetic.  This keeps your costs down and your conscience clean.  Recreate any real leather look with any of our Faux Leather and Metallic Faux Leather cloths.

Upholstery Vinyls include shiny Patent, retro Sparkle, and some that look like real leather.  They are all designed to take the abuse given to sofas and chairs, having passed numerous abrasion tests to ensure they won't go thread bare with repeated use.  Plus they have special backings for durability.



Take 10% Off Fabrics in our special
"Leather, Vinyl & Suede Fabrics" section
Through October 31, 2013.

Use Discount Code:  LVSF10


Discount Code is for retail purchase - wholesale is already discounted so no additional discount apply.  Feel free to share this code on social media and with your sewing friends so everyone can save. 




Comments

Unknown said…
This is a different kinda article which contains details about fashion fabrics such as Leather, Suede and Vinyl.I wish best of luck to the author for his upcoming post.To purchase uniforms in Dubai, contact Wang Uniforms suppliers in Dubai.
Azizul Haque said…
Wow! This is a very wonderful post and Great advice! A good news for all. Up to 85% Off! The Eades Discount Wallpaper and Discount Fabric Shopping System is now Online! Thank you for sharing valuable information.
Unknown said…
this is wonderful post, different color and also different style. just awesome.
African Fabrics, African Wax Print
GST Refunds said…
I really appreciate your professional approach. These are pieces of very useful information that will be of great use for me in future.
Dubai Home shop said…
Dubai Where to Buy Fabric in Dubai stands disengaged from exchange suppliers with its unmatched affiliation and the ability to change the affection situate upholstery repair Dubai according to the customer's needs. We consider the flourishing of the customers in addition so every one of the affection situate upholstery repair Dubai and cover tiles Dubai sold at floor coverings Dubai keep running with against flame covering. We have a most wide mix of plans to inspect; you can correspondingly check through other floor surface things, for instance, upholstery dubai sofa,Cushions Dubai,Sofa Cushions Dubai,Sofa Fabric Dubai,Sofa Repair Dubai. For more details:http://www.dubaiupholstery.ae.
Unknown said…
Thanks for sharing this information. Really an amazing blog the color combination of Uniforms suppliers is amazing.
Great blog! thank you for sharing this good content with us. Custom erp software development

Popular posts from this blog

The Skinny on Thinsulate

Dana Marie 1032 What if we told you there was one fabric that could keep you warm outside, indoors, in your bed - and it would totally go with everything? What is it?  It's 3M™ Thinsulate™ . This is an "interlining" which gets sewn between two fabrics to form a protective barrier from the elements. The next time you sew a winter coat, sandwich Thinsulate between the fashion fabric and the lining to get that extra layer of protection from wind and biting cold.  Thinsulate™ Insulation Type C offers about one and a half times the warmth of down and nearly twice the warmth of high loft fiberfill insulations when equal thicknesses are compared.  It is designed for use where a thin compressible insulation is important. It is breathable, moisture-resistant and can be washed or dry cleaned depending on individual manufacturers' recommendations. Here's what 3M has to say about their Thinsulate: "3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation is used in your jack

Medical Scrub Fabric for Nurses, Doctors, Orderlies and Lab Techs

Nurses, doctors and health care professionals who are required to wear scrubs have a good idea of what works and does not work for them in the regulation attire.  The " one-size-fits-all " approach to hospital issued scrubs just does not cut it sometimes, you know? Do you relate to any of these statements? You need a larger pocket for your stethoscope. You won’t wear scrubs with less than two shirt pockets. You like lots of pockets on the pants like cargo pants. You can’t stand pockets on the pants because they pull the pants down. You want a longer scrub top to cover your hips & "thangs" better. You work so hard your side seams are starting to burst. You need something shorter/longer because of your height. You need a fuller cut in the bust, but you don’t want to look like you are wearing a tent at the waist. OK, OK, OK….. You get the idea.  We all have our preferences.  So, what to do? Vogue Fabrics is now carrying

Becoming a Fashion Designer. Tips on Starting a Fashion Design Business.

We get hundreds of visits from Fashion designers at Vogue Fabrics Warehouse. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know a few dozen of them personally and I have come to learn a few things about what they do well and what mistakes they make. I have especially learned that fashion design and having an apparel line is not an easy business. But once you learn the tricks it can bring a lot of satisfaction, purpose, esteem, fame, and hopefully- profit. Recently, we were visited by a young designer who was just starting her business.  After working with her for many hours we were able to fill her inventory needs. At the end of her visit, we both agreed she had made the right choice in visiting us instead of making dozens of appointments with vendors in other cities' garment districts. Our access to several dozen fabric types, constructions, and styles, some with continuity and some novelty, ended up being our strongest advantage as a source for fabrics.  Undoubtedly, she could have saved a li