Suede fabric is a material made from the skin of an animal and commonly used in the fashion industry. Real suede is similar to leather and made from the hide torn from the underside of animals, such as cows, calves, buffaloes, goats, pigs, sheep, and deer.
Faux suede or vegan suede is an animal-friendly alternative mostly made from polyester or polyurethane, a synthetic leather-like textile made from petroleum-based thermoplastic polymers. It’s a very cheap and versatile material used for clothing, shoes, accessories, furniture, and upholstery.
What are the different types of suede fabric?
Suede is the term used to describe a large family of soft leather-like materials used for their smoothness and quality. Suede fabrics are used for different applications as many types of suede with various properties exist.
Lambskin suede: Lambskin suede is the softest and smoothest type of suede fabric. It’s made from the skin of very young lambs and is well-known to be delicate, lightweight, and with a soft hand feel.
Sheepskin suede: Sheepskin suede is a soft, leather-like material made from the underside of sheep hides. As soon as they don’t produce enough wool, sheep are killed for their meat and skin. Sheepskin suede leather typically has the fur removed before tanning.
Calfskin suede: Calfskin suede is a form of suede leather made from the skin of calves. Animals are still young when they are killed for their meat and skin to preserve the material quality.
What is suede cloth used for?
Suede cloth is a buttery soft leather-like textile widely used in many applications, including fashion, clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, upholstery, automotive, and more.
Many designers used suede fabric to create luxury jackets, coats, overshirts, blazers, hats, caps, handbags, sneakers, mocasins, espadrilles, boots, gloves, belts, and more.
Suede is also used to make beddings, household textiles, home decor, carpets, drapes, bed sheets, and curtains like other soft and luxurious fabrics.
What is the difference between suede and faux suede?
The main difference between suede and faux suede is that suede is a type of leather made from the underside of animal hides. Faux suede, unlike real suede, is fully synthetic and made from polyester or polyurethane, a petroleum-based thermoplastic polymer.
Faux suede is much cheaper to produce than real suede made from leather. It’s easier to care for, strong, and durable, and can also be produced in a wider variety of styles, patterns, and colors than real suede can.
Faux suede is an artificially made leather-like textile and is also known as fake suede or vegan suede. It’s an animal-friendly alternative, completely cruelty-free and vegan.
Other kinds of artificial leather include PVC leather. Some leather alternatives are also made from renewable and natural sources such as wood, food waste, or algae.
