How to style faux leather for summer (4 tips)

I’m one of those people who loves leather (well, generally faux leather). Other than footwear + bags I stick to faux 🙂 For me, it adds an extra edge to an outfit, and the same effect just isn’t there with other fabrics. Plus, hi, it wipes clean. Okay cool, sign me up.

I’ve been wearing faux leather on the blog since the beginning, aka 2013 (crazzzyyy). Below are blog posts styling all different types of faux leather items (I made myself stop going back after June 2016 because I was falling down a rabbit hole haha)

June 2016 // June 2016 #2 // July 2016 // August 2016 // September 2016 // November 2016 // November 2016 #2 // February 2017 // February 2017 #2 // March 2017 // July 2017 // September 2017 // March 2018 // October 2018 // November 2018 // December 2018 // March 2019 // May 2019 // September 2019 // December 2019 // January 2020 // January 2020 #2 // February 2020 // April 2020

Tips for styling faux leather:

1.) Brighten it up!

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Whether that’s pairing it with a bold blouse (like I did above), a bright handbag, or colorful pair of shoes. Or heck, all three. Generally I’d say more is less, but for this? More is more. The goal is to style it with summer pieces, even if it’s a black faux leather.

2.) Pair with summer fabrics + textures.

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A cotton tee, a linen blouse, or a ribbed tank. A woven or rattan purse. Opt for lighter, more breathable fabrics and textures since faux leather is the complete opposite. In Chicago last month I brought my black faux leather jacket with us to dinner when I wore a white ruffled dress. Personally I’m a big fan of the masculine/feminine combo. Remember this outfit from 2016?

3.) Footwear matters.

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Generally I say to pair it with a summer sandal to keep the faux leather dress, but a white leather sneaker or fun summer espadrille would work too. We want the vibe of the outfit to be summer – there’s plenty of time in the winter to pair leather with boots + tights. PS. these tan sandals are adorable and still available in a pale blue (and they’re on sale!)

4.) Lighten up the leather

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This year I added a cream colored faux leather skirt to my collection. Worth noting that it’s in stock in most sizes and $40 right now! (yes, I now have 4, but yes I wear them ALL THE TIME). The cream skirt is the one I don’t see myself transitioning into fall and winter. It might work, and I may give it a shot, but I’m not so sure. I purchased the cream one to replace a white cotton skirt and white denim skirts I took to the resale shop. Neither fit as well as I wanted to so this option felt more “me.”

I’m curious if you’re someone who likes to rock faux leather or not? I know some people find it intimidating to style, but truly it pairs well with most items. If you want start to wearing it I’d suggest starting with a black faux leather jacket…because it looks good with almost anything. Especially the simple combo of jeans and a tee.

Which look is your favorite? let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for stopping by today. And if you need any faux leather shopping help or recommendations, let me know!
xo, Maddy

Shop all these looks here: