There are such a vast amount of faux leather trousers on the market these days its tempting to think that you are better off buying faux leather trousers rather than real leather trousers. I checked my wardrobe and I’ve actually got more faux leather trousers in there than leather ones. I took a look at what is on offer online to help you decide whether you should buy a pair of faux leather trousers or leggings rather than real leather trousers.

So lets start with some basics :-

What Is Faux Leather?

Faux leather is any material that has been manufactured to look like real leather.

However, lots of different materials tend to be called faux leather but some have very little similarity to actual real leather.

Faux leather has grown in popularity over the years as it is a much more cost effective material than real leather and offers a great alternative for vegans who would rather not wear animal skin.

Some faux leathers can look quite like leather, especially from a distance or in photographs or videos. However once you get close and have a feel you soon realise its nothing like leather. Some of the faux leather trousers I have bought have been poor. They looked ok on the website image but they were nothing like leather and usually made out of a poor stretchy cotton-like fabric, rough to the touch and quite itchy to wear.

Dont go for those-no matter how cheap! The pu faux leather or even pvc faux leather trousers are the ones to get.

PU Faux Leather And PVC Faux Leather

PU Faux leather or pvc faux leather on the other hand is pretty good.

Again it is a manufactured fabric that is made to look like real leather. It has a polyurethane (hence the pu) laminated top coat. Or a pvc top coat added to whatever the base material is (usually something stretchy like polyester, cotton etc).

The result is an excellent material that has a leather look sheen and feels smooth.

This gives so many options. From realistic, slightly matt coloured leather looking trousers, to very shiny plastic looking faux leather trousers. They come in almost any colour and are very good value for money. I have always been very pleased with the pu faux leather trousers I have bought. They actually tend to fit better than real leather ones and are ofcourse cheaper then real leather.

There are some disadvantages compared to real leather trousers but I shall look at those later in this blog.

Difference Between Faux Leather Trousers And Faux Leather Leggings

Just a quick note here about trousers and leggings. Faux leather pu trousers are cut more like jeans or casual trousers. With some give and width all the way down to your ankles. They alos often come with pockets, just like jeans on the bottom and sides.

Faux leather leggings are skin tight (or should be). Moulding them sellves to your legs and bum. Bad Sandy (olivia Newton-John) from Grease is often thought and described as wearing leather trousers but in fact was wearing faux leather look leggings (not pu faux but a silk faux leather).

Having both faux leather trousers and faux leather leggings is a must of course! Although be warned – the faux leather trouser is slightly more forgiving of a chubby leg and large bottom than a pvc faux leather legging.

I should know lol!

But I do still wear both.

Can You Wash Faux Leather Trousers?

With real leather trousers you have to keep returning to the dry cleaners who specialise in leather to get them nice a clean. This can add up especially if you wear them a lot and are a messy girl like me!

With faux leather trousers it does depend slightly on the actual material being used. But most can be either hand washed or machine washed (do check the label). I tend to err on the safe side so mine get hand washed rather than machine washed. But either way this is a major convenience over real leather and much cheaper too!

What Looks Good With Faux Leather Trousers

So many wearing faux leather trousers these days. So once you have your pair whats best to wear with them? As you have a tight shiny bottom section its usually advised to go with something a bit looser fitting up top. I must admit that contrast of loose and tight looks good. Although I tend to favour the tight all over look myself lol.

Perhaps depends on when you are going to wear them. Travelling to the office in faux leather leggings with a loose fitting blouse and a smart jacket looks perfect, whatever the weather. However if you are heading out at night maybe something tighter up top, corset, t shirt with a leather, or faux leather biker jacket would look amazing!

Here are just a few suggestions:-

Best Faux Leather Trousers To Buy Now

Faux Leather Trousers For Men Right Now

Lets not forget there is no rule saying men cant wear tight shiny trousers. I suppose at the moment the guys only tend to wear leather or faux leather trousers if they have a motorbike or belong to a rock band. Although I have a few twitter friends I know who do love to wear leather and faux leather trousers in their own home. Ive certain got my boyfriends/ hubby wearing them and nothing looks sexier. So get shopping!

Why You Still Need At Least One Pair Of Real Leather Trousers

I can’t deny that the latest faux PU leather and faux PVC leather trousers really do look good. And as I said earlier I’ve had a count up and I’ve actually got more faux leather trousers than real leather trousers!

However, I’m not called Mrs. Leather for nothing-I’m not called Mrs faux leather!

Real leather is much more expensive than faux leather. But there is a good reason for that. It lasts much longer and it’s not just the look it is also the smell, feel, sound, and all the associations with wearing real leather trousers that can’t be beaten.

So you do need to get those real leather trousers when you can. But in the meantime, Faux PU and Pvc leather trousers will do just fine!

Obviously, the best thing to do is get yourself some faux PU and faux Pvc leather trousers (and leggings) whilst you save up for a pair of 100% real leather trousers.