Do you treat suede jackets?

[leather_wearer]

I bought a light tan suede jacket and I’m pretty nervous about how easy it will be to stain or discolour, especially the risk of being caught in the rain.

Do people just live with it, or spray it with a suede protector like we do with suede shoes?

 

[Dasher]

I bought a light tan suede jacket and I’m pretty nervous about how easy it will be to stain or discolour, especially the risk of being caught in the rain.

Do people just live with it, or spray it with a suede protector like we do with suede shoes?

Hi, I do. I use the stuff that you see in this Youtube at 1.02. https://www.permanentstyle.com/2018/03/how-to-look-after-suede-jackets.html I have the stuff in the smaller can. I have suede boots protected and, most importantly my Suede Valstarino. The Valstarino is a light blue and I was initially concerned that any protector product may actually mark the suede but no - there's no evidence of a protectant having been applied at all. Always spray an internal surface first just to make sure. I bought my cans from "UK Leather Jackets" but I've just checked and they no longer list the product.

 

[ton312]

 

[Grayland]

I have one suede jacket and I treated it with a suede spray I bought at a local drug store. The only staining I've ever noticed is inside the waist area where it rubs against my jeans.

 

[Monitor]

I bought a light tan suede jacket and I’m pretty nervous about how easy it will be to stain or discolour, especially the risk of being caught in the rain.

Do people just live with it, or spray it with a suede protector like we do with suede shoes?

You can (occasionally) machine wash suede just as any textile. Ideally yearly but twice a year is fine as well.

No heat, gentle cycle. Very little vinegar or sodium bicarbonate. Dry outside, preferably not in direct sun. That's it.

Rain will not stain/discolour suede. Water will affect formation and/or tension of the fibers which will make the affected areas appear different but this is not damage. Submerging the entire garment will, naturally, restore its uniformity so there is nothing to worry about.

As for products, use aerosol conditioners if you must but please understand that conditioning suede leather is 80% placebo. I personally would steer clear of any suede conditioner. It will just stuff your jacket with chemical ***k.

 

[leather_wearer]

You can (occasionally) machine wash suede just as any textile. Ideally yearly but twice a year is fine as well.

No heat, gentle cycle. Very little vinegar or sodium bicarbonate. Dry outside, preferably not in direct sun. That's it.

Rain will not stain/discolour suede. Water will affect formation and/or tension of the fibers which will make the affected areas appear different but this is not damage. Submerging the entire garment will, naturally, restore its uniformity so there is nothing to worry about.

As for products, use aerosol conditioners if you must but please understand that conditioning suede leather is 80% placebo. I personally would steer clear of any suede conditioner. It will just stuff your jacket with chemical ***k.

Thanks for this. The product I have is Bickmore water repellant, which is what I use on my suede boots.

Is it just a myth that suede can get lasting 'spots' from rain?

 

[RDS]

I bought a light tan suede jacket and I’m pretty nervous about how easy it will be to stain or discolour, especially the risk of being caught in the rain.

Do people just live with it, or spray it with a suede protector like we do with suede shoes?

To be honest a light tan suede or leather jacket is probably not the best colour choice for anyone who’s nervous about it discolouring or picking up stains.
Regardless of whatever is applied the jacket is going to get marked and if you’ve gone for a light colour this is something which just needs to be accepted.
The first few are the worst but once this hurdle is overcome any marks and stains can be classed as ‘patina’ and they are what makes the jacket individually yours.

 

[leather_wearer]

To be honest a light tan suede or leather jacket is probably not the best colour choice for anyone who’s nervous about it discolouring or picking up stains.
Regardless of whatever is applied the jacket is going to get marked and if you’ve gone for a light colour this is something which just needs to be accepted.
The first few are the worst but once this hurdle is overcome any marks and stains can be classed as ‘patina’ and they are what makes the jacket individually yours.

For sure. I’m happy with patina and I like to see clothing take on “personality” over time. But I also want it to stay presentable, so trying to find that balance basically.

 

[Monitor]

Is it just a myth that suede can get lasting 'spots' from rain?

As with most myths, there is some truth to it. Rain can leave (temporary) spots on suede but the cause is not harm.

I'm sure you must have noticed how most natural fabrics get stained by water to some extent? For instance, when you spill water over your cotton shirt, the affected area might remain visible afterwards, until the next wash. Same thing happens to suede.

Most fabrics react to getting soaked and suede isn't any more or less susceptible to this.
Suede is leather and leather is, bluntly put, interlocked fibers. Once soaked, water will expand or condense these fibers, move oils around, etc., all the while behaving like a temporary lubricant. This is why soaked leather becomes extremely soft.
Once dry, water will leave things slightly rearranged which will be, well, visible. More importantly, there's a lot of stuff in in rain (minerals, impurities, etc.) which, once the H2O evaporates, will all be left inside your jacket. So, all this combined is what creates the dreaded suede water stain but none of it is damage per se.

In short, it's not a big deal. Wiping or better yet, just brushing the surface of suede will mostly set things back into place, while getting rid of much of the grime and the stain will disappear.

So basically, if he wasn't such a superficial doofus, Seinfeld literally could've saved his ugly-*** overpriced suede jacket by simply brushing it.

 

[Ianrivaldosmith]

Just brush it, I live in north east England (rainy!) and own several suede jackets; if I get caught in a shower, I let it dry, then brush it out afterwards. I have never had any issues.