Style

14
February
2021

Discover some of the best types of Florentine leathers.

Leather and other stories

When you need to buy a leather product do you ever wonder what type of skin you prefer? In fact, on the market there is a huge variety of types of leather, each with its own characteristics and peculiarities. The types of leathers usually go according to both the animal used, but also according to the methods of tanning, cutting, of various procedures, which mean that each type has a totally different yield from another.

Let’s go see them together!

Some types of animals used for leathers

The suede’s leather

We start from one of the rarest and therefore also less economical types of leathers that can be found on the market.

The suede skin, which attention is not the suede leather (term indicating a technique for processing other leather such as bovine or ovine leather), comes directly from the chamois, and sometimes also directly from animals such as deer and reindeer. The surface of this type of leather is very soft to the touch, and overly ductile and versatile.

It must be said, however, that hunting these animals is prohibited, which is why it is very difficult to find such products on the market.

The snake’s leather

Another exceptionally esteemed leather is snakeskin, frequently used in articles concerning the luxury fashion sector.

For example, python leather is very valuable, because on the surface it is formed by scales that represent unique designs, unusual and impossible to find in other plots. From the appearance of the snake leather could be a very fragile leather and destined to deteriorate in a very short time, in reality it is not so, this leather is very resistant and capable of lasting for many years.

The bovine’s leather

Bovine leather is the most widely used on the market. Normally this type of leather is used in the production of belts, (discover all the news on belts, click here), and bags, as it is characterized by a certain stability and solidity. More often than not, adult buffalo leathers are also used for furnishing products or for the automotive sector.

The crocodile’s leather

Here we are at one of the best types of leather on the market to date, which manages to unify aesthetics and durability. Crocodile leather is an exceptional leather, often used for bags, (here are 5 good reasons to choose a leather bag, read here), and not extremely large accessories. The most precious leather section is the one found on the belly of the crocodile, which is mainly used in the production of high fashion bags.

The cow’s leather

Last but not least the cowhide. This type of leather is the most famous and the most used. The leather is derived from the cow and then treated to the vegetable. A detail not to be underestimated is that to use this type of leather no animal is killed for this precise purpose, but instead cows are used for the food industry.

One of the main features of cowhide leather is that it virtually never deteriorates, and does not age, but changes color, darkens, so as time goes by the product made in this leather, changes style is modified and becomes another.

4
February
2021

Messenger bag model? Why is it called that, what is its story?

The “Messenger” bag is a type of accessory model deriving from a sack, usually produced in vintage fabric or leather. Usually worn on the shoulder or over the shoulder, typical of an urban fashion.

History

Messenger bags were used by postmen to carry various postal files and documents for citizens. This bag design was used in the transport of goods because it represented a spacious, comfortable but above all light bags.

The use, as well as the construction, comes from the backpacks that ensured comfort and safety on the health of the back for people carrying heavy objects, also given the possibility of adjusting the shoulder strap and moving it from the back or side to the front very easily.

The use of this bag nowadays

This bag model has become a style icon of Urban Fashion.

Urban refers to the civil environments where students use the model to go to school, from high school to university or commuters by bicycle use the Messenger to go to work or for functional purposes.

Urban fashion represents the kind of convenience and utility within fashion.

As previously mentioned, the type of Messenger is used a lot within the youth world, even as a “scholarship”. In fact, there are many companies that are characterized exclusively by the production of these for the collegiate market.

The Messenger bag compared to a backpack gives much more versatility in use. With a “postman” bag model you have more ease to place and remove books, notebooks or accessories just by moving them to make them accessible. In addition to the fact that these tend to be produced with materials that are more durable over time and of greater resistance, compared to classic school bags.

Conformation and structure

The construction of this bag, having been obtained from the couriers, has a series of characteristics marked by an easy adjustment of the strap.

It also generally uses quick release buckles, zippered buckles and U-locks with a single opening to easily rotate the bag from front to back. They are in fact worn on one shoulder with a belt, shoulder strap, which crosses the chest resting on the lower back.

It is thanks to the invention of this bag that the classic smaller bags simply called “Shoulder Bag” developed. See here an example.

Production materials

The materials used to create the Messenger are often more resistant, even to changes in the weather, than other bags because they basically use thicker gauges of canvas and internal waterproof lining.

Some bags also use nylon or a vinyl lining together with more expensive, but also environmentally friendly, PVC waterproof liners.

Messenger bags are a timeless classic, easy to use and also versatile to tone down a more classic outfit. For example, on a suit or suit to go to work, if you put together a leather bag like ours from Florence Leather Market, see an example here, you will make your figure impeccable!

10
October
2018

The tanning district of Florence

The district of leather and footwear in Tuscany is a reality of international importance, the excellence of the made in Italy, which has been able to react very well to the economic crisis, assuring employment. Florence has focused on luxury leather goods and thanks to this, it has won the challenge!

The district of luxury leather goods

The Florentine district is specialized in luxury leather goods. It is a classic district, which presents all the craftsmanship and industrial processes and that has managed to ride the crisis head-on.

Citing the data published by Il Sole 24 Ore (source: Centro Studi IntesaSanpaolo), among the 20 most dynamic districts for volume growth, the high-end leather goods sector in the Florence district stands out and is at the top of all the production specialization areas in Italy: with 3.8 billion exports in 2017, it has almost doubled since 2008. A result of considerable level achieved thanks to the activity of both factories owned by the major luxury brands and contractors.

The luxury leather goods of the Florentine area produce bags and wallets of the most famous world brands: Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Bulgari, Ferragamo, Fendi, Tiffany, Cartier, Dior, Celine, Montblanc, Givenchy and Chanel, just to name a few.

The footwear district

The industrial district of Santa Croce sull’Arno, between Florence and Pisa, is one of the most important European areas for leather tanning. It specializes in the production of footwear and leather products and is the only district whose specialization covers the entire leather production chain: in practice, from leather tanning to the finished product, mainly footwear.

Geographically, the district covers an area of about 330 square kilometers, with small to medium-sized businesses. The main production concerns leather, footwear, and leather goods. Interesting is the fact that about 40% of total production is exported.

The big names and stylists consider the Santa Croce district the fulcrum of the creation of leather. The future for the district today focuses on training and research system, ie university courses, a chemical-tanning technical institute, and the professional institute for the operator of leather processing.