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Why Wear Leather?

Woah—hold up. I know you haven’t even begun reading, but the fact that you’re even reading this means that either 1) you’re curious about why people enjoy wearing leather, or 2) you’re considering to wear leather yourself.

“It’s f***ing RAW”

If you’re curious about the latter (2), then we have some explaining to do. First, the leather is one of the rawest, earthy materials you can own, in addition to pet rocks, wooden furniture, and metal accessories. Gordon Ramsay would probably agree. I initially thought of saying, “leather is the skin of mother nature,” but that sounds absolutely morbid and unattractive. I’ll stick with, “leather is a versatile (yet inedible) protection mother nature has blessed this earth with.” Humans use it to bind books, make saddles, wrap footballs, and express themselves. Pretty cool, huh?

It’s all about you

Anyway, this leads me to explain that in the field of fashion, YOU wear what you want. Yes, I know you already know this. There are no hard, scientific rules as to how you should dress or express yourself. Whether you use leather or plastic wrap to make yourself feel good is up to you. No one else. I do not wish to validate your decision to wear leather, nor do I wish to persuade you. Your body. Your fashion. Your choice.

That being said, I don’t recommend that you don’t show up at your cousin’s wedding wearing the plastic wrap. You’ll probably never be invited again. To anything.

The main point

Now, if you’re still following me and are genuinely curious why people wear leather wristbands, I’m going to tell you here. I don’t have the answers, but there are clearly other people who will be more than happy to blabber their mouth off about why they love leather, and conversely, there are the PETA people who make you hate even the thought of leather. (If you’re wondering, no animals were harmed in the making of our leather, nor were any harmful toxic chemicals used.) Wearing leather is ultimately about the most authentic self-expression you can muster.

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak,” said Rachel Zoe. Who are you? What are you trying to say about yourself? What does your fashion say about you?

Toughness and flexibility are two traits I wish to embody. When I wear leather around my wrists, it is a mental reminder to myself to stay tough and flexible under all conditions. Life can be tough, but being rigid will only cause you to snap like a dry twig. If you’re alive, you must be flexible and dig your roots deep enough to withstand the strongest gales. You can bend but never break.

I speak highly of leather, yet it does not inherently exhibit any peculiar outstanding qualities. It’s simply the product of carefully treating cowhide (or another animal). In fact, the use of leather is primitive and dates back to 5000 B.C. I surround myself with reminders of how I should be so I can achieve absolute harmony with my thoughts, intentions, and actions. Other humans are the primary influences of the way we live our lives, so I surround myself with people that would have a positive influence on my life. In the same way, I utilize objects in my proximity as an extension of my personality. I firmly believe that it is in human nature to manipulate one’s surroundings to produce something meaningful. In visual art, people use sticks in the mud or Photoshop, a $120 digital drawing program. In music, people rub sticky horsehairs on metal to make precise vibrations. In fashion, people combine colors and textures of fabric to somehow use it as an abstract representation of themselves.

It’s fascinating, but it also sheds light on my motives for wearing leather bracelets.

If you have a favorite accessory or type of apparel, let me know in the comments below what it is and why you like it! I’d love to know 🙂

-Jasper