How to Protect Suede Fabrics

I have too much experience with ruining suede leather products. I end up feeling like Cindy in “Can’t Buy Me Love” who ruined her mom’s expensive suede outfit by getting red wine poured over it at a party – that let’s be honest, she probably shouldn’t have been at anyway. Whether you have cost-effective suede pieces or designer duds made of the untreated cowhide, you’ll definitely need to know how to protect suede so you can keep it for a lifetime. 

how to protect suede suede skirt fall outfit ideas

  1. Protection Starts Before You Wear It 

    It’s important that before you wear your suede you protect it with a proper leather sealant. I’m a fan of this brand, which I have used for a variety of products like shoes, skirts, jackets, and belts. Not only does it waterproof, but it keeps dust from accumulating. You’ll want to brush your suede before and after spraying with a sealant to keep the grain intact. 

  2. Protection Starts While You’re Wearing It

    This should go without saying but the best way to wear suede is according to the weather. While it may be impossible to always predict the weather, it isn’t impossible to outfit plan your suede days on moisture free days. Take it from someone who has sealed tons of equestrian suede products and still ended up ruining them because they got too wet, just opt for something else on a wet day. 

  3. Protection Starts When You Aren’t Wearing It

    How do you store your leather products? Serious question. If you aren’t protecting them from dust with a zip or tie closed bag, then dust will get in the crevices and wreak havoc on your items. Dust makes leather dry, which causes it to crack. Once a piece of leather is cracked, it can’t be salvaged. Another important piece of storing your leather is that even while it isn’t in use, it needs to be cared for. Every couple of months you’ll want to reseal and brush your suede goods to make sure that dust stays away from infiltrating your leather goods and drying them out. I like the travel shoe protecting bags for my suede shoes so I can get dual purpose out of them whether they sit in my closet or come with me on the road.

  4. Proper Stain Care is a MUST

    I was only just introduced to a suede eraser this past weekend (which to be honest is the entire reason for this post), but when I saw the magic it worked on a pair of suede loafers that had been doused in Gin & Tonic -we had a really fun party we went to, more on that later- I couldn’t believe how the shoes looked brand new! A suede eraser is super easy to use: you gently rub a corner of the eraser with the grain of the fabric and the watermark works right out. I would also recommend to follow up with a quick brush from your suede brush as well. 

I hope these four tips help while you prep for a long season of suede wearing! You can find the original post for this outfit here or use the widgets below to shop the post. 

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Author: Cynthia

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