VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER
Vegetable tanned leather is dyed or tanned using plant based tannins like leaves and bark, in contrast to the more commercially used chrome dye which uses harsher chemicals. Due to the more natural treatment, vegetable tanned leather will age with time and wear to create a beautiful patina. All our vegetable tanned leather products are made from cows leather which is a byproduct of the food industry. The majority of our leathers come from cows in France, with skins being tanned and prepared in the Pisa region of Italy.
Vegetable tanned leather is full of character and depending on which part of the skin a bag is cut from, each one will be slightly different in texture, and beautifully unique. We recommend keeping your bag looking fresh by occasionally treating it with leather food, to moisturise and protect. Lighter and brighter colours will darken slightly as a part of this materials natural aging and patina developing process. Please note darker colours may transfer onto light colours. Contact us if you would like advice on how to care for a particular item or leather.
WAXED COTTON
We use British Millerain or Halley Stevenson waxed cottons in varying finishes. A classic British heritage cloth, waxed cotton is water and wind resistant, but also breathes well. We feel this makes for the ultimate British all weather jacket, for all year round use.
Some of our waxed cottons can be hand washed at 30 degrees, but the majority of waxed cottons should not be machine or hand washed with any detergents, as this will strip the wax coating off and may lead to uneven marks in the cloth. We recommend sponge cleaning the material with water, and mud/dirt should always be left to dry before being brushed off. Our most popular wax colours; Sand and Black are the latter type of wax and comes complete with a characteristic 'antique' semi creased finish.
Waxed Cotton garments can be re-waxed after heavy use or when needed. For top ups, we sell smaller tins here, which are heated in water bath and then applied to the garment with a lint free, clean cotton cloth. The garment should then be left to hang dry for a recommended 24 hours in a well ventilated space.
The majority of our non waxed clothing can be machine washed. We recommend machine washing on 30 degrees with a gentle detergent. Please follow the care instructions on your label or swing ticket and feel free to contact us on queries@katesheridan.com if you would like more information.