IDEAL Leathers for Classic Men’s Accessories (Buying Guide)

With numerous types of leather available, which ones are best suited for your accessories? We’ve got the answers.

Leather accessories have been prominent in every era of menswear. But not all leather is created equal. The best leather for gloves—flexible and stretchy—won’t suit a wallet, which needs a firmer hide to hold its shape.

Only a well-designed, thoughtfully made product from skilled craftsmen results in truly high-quality leather goods. This guide offers straightforward advice on the key indicators of quality leather and explains which leathers work best for specific menswear accessories.

How to Identify Quality Leather: Key Indicators

Price as a Quality Indicator

Leather cost is a useful starting point when judging quality. While price alone never guarantees excellence, suspiciously cheap prices almost always signal inferior materials.

Generally, it pays to stick with retailers that explain why their products warrant the price, rather than relying solely on brand prestige. Be equally cautious of bargain pricing: if the cost is low, the leather is likely of low quality as well.

How Leather Is Priced

Most hides are sold by the square foot or square meter, but certain exotics—such as peccary, alligator, and crocodile—are priced by the width of the skin. Large items, such as briefcases, require wide, flawless pieces, whereas smaller goods can be cut around minor defects.

Factors That Drive Up Cost

• Animal type and hide section: Cowhide ranges from roughly $3 to $15 per square foot, while premium calfskin or exotics cost significantly more.
• Splitting & thickness: Thick hides may be split; lower layers are cheaper but less durable.
• Tanning and finishing: Extra steps—such as heat-and-pressure densification, aniline dyeing, and high-grade chemicals—add both cost and longevity.

Hide Location & Animal Condition

The hide’s location matters: croupon (back) commands higher prices than shoulder, which shows more creasing. Cows that have calved yield looser, more wrinkled fibers, which reduces their value.

The environment also plays a role; cattle raised at higher elevations suffer fewer insect bites, resulting in cleaner skins that require less sanding and fewer top coatings.

Calfskin and Luxury Examples

Calfskin is softer, finer, and generally pricier than standard cowhide. Hermès’ famed Barenia calfskin is exceptionally costly: the best sections are reserved, while the remainder still fetches about $30 per square foot. Comparable calfskins from other tanneries can run closer to $7 per square foot.

Different Leather Types

Not all leather is created equal—some types are better suited for gloves, while others work best for wallets, belts, or bags. Determining the type of leather by sight alone can be challenging, even for experienced eyes. Even if you can identify the leather, it’s essential to know whether it’s suitable for your specific accessory.

Key examples:

Check the Appearance

Look for Natural Grain and Open Pores

First of all, examine the leather’s surface: look for a natural grain and visible pores—use a loupe if needed.

Distinguish Natural vs. Stamped Grain

Most genuine grain leathers show subtle variation. If a pattern looks perfectly uniform, chances are the hide has been debossed (stamped). Debossing is a cheaper option and is often used to disguise lower-grade materials.

Examine Pores and Surface Treatments

If you can’t see pores, the top surface is probably pigmented or heavily coated—another tactic for hiding defects. Such coatings may look fine at first, but age poorly, cracking or peeling far sooner than open-pore, aniline-dyed leather. Even semi-aniline leathers will wear more naturally than fully pigmented ones.

Watch Out for Heavy Coatings

Be cautious with “carbon” or other novelty finishes: many are simply split leather covered with a polyurethane layer. Heavy coatings are a hallmark of budget hides; high-quality leather relies on the natural beauty of its grain, not a plastic top coat.

Assess the Texture

Match Softness to the Purpose

Apart from appearance, the next factor to evaluate is texture, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. For gloves, you need leather that is soft, supple, and stretchy, allowing your fingers to move freely. That same leather, however, would be a poor choice for a wallet: it would stretch, wrinkle, and age prematurely. Belts face similar issues—you don’t want overly soft leather, as it can warp and lose shape.

Use Backing for Structure

Small leather goods often rely on hidden reinforcement layers. A firm backing lets you use a broader range of leathers while still providing the necessary stiffness and longevity.

Identify Hidden Layers

When you hold a finished item, it’s impossible to tell by feel alone whether a backing or multiple split layers are present. A trustworthy manufacturer will disclose these details, and careful inspection—sometimes even cutting apart sample pieces—remains the surest way to confirm construction quality.

Evaluate the Smell

Leather should smell like—well, leather. Yet not every hide carries the same aroma. Heavily waxed or oiled pieces can have a richer scent; birch-oil treatments may even have a smoky aroma.

If you detect lingering chemical, paint-like, or synthetic odors, take it as a strong warning that the leather—or its finish—is sub-par.

Best Leathers for Specific Accessories

Gloves

For gloves, you always want a leather that is super-stretchy and supple. Gloves must protect your hands and keep them warm, yet still allow free movement.

Non-leather materials exist, but they rarely regulate temperature the way leather does—breathable, yet insulating. Most men’s winter gloves are lined with wool or cashmere; fur linings such as rabbit or sheepskin add even more warmth.

• Cowhide is common and inexpensive, but it is not particularly stretchy, supple, or soft—qualities you need in dress gloves.
• Deerskin is soft, durable, and nicely textured, making it an excellent mid-range choice.
• Goatskin feels soft but is less durable.
• Sheepskin is more durable than goatskin; shearling (tanned with the wool still on) is extremely warm but bulky, making it best suited for casual gloves.
• Hair-sheep leather is soft, thin, supple, and strong—ideal for refined gloves.
• Pigskin can work, though it creases visibly and is increasingly hard to find.

If peccary is out of reach, hair-sheep or split lamb nappa offers an elegant alternative. Lamb nappa is thinner and lighter, making it perfect for evening gloves that prioritize elegance over brute durability.

Belts

Belts are heavy-use accessories, worn most days, so the leather must withstand constant bending and tension.

1. Single-piece belts use one thick strip of hide—edges may be raw, burnished, or painted.
2. Layered belts (two or three plies) allow you to fine-tune thickness and combine leathers for specific purposes. At Fort Belvedere, for example, we line belts with pre-creased Saffiano leather that won’t rub off on clothing; thinner calfskin fronts sometimes need a third bullhide layer for stability.
3. Double-sided belts pair two outer leathers—handy for travellers wanting brown and black in one strap.

Leather choice affects look and longevity:

• Cowhide/Bullhide: most common for belts, large pores, robust feel.
• Calfskin: smaller pores, more polished.
• Bison: deep wrinkles, very casual.
• Cordovan or Alligator: often pieced because skins are small and expensive.

Cheap belts are typically made of split leather with a heavy top coat; they tend to stretch, crack, and require frequent replacement.

Wallets and Small Leather Goods

Wallets, coin purses, passport covers, and watch or pen cases each demand the right balance of structure and suppleness.

• Cowhide alone can be too thick; six layers create a bulky wallet. Splitting the hide or using fabric linings helps, but an all-leather construction feels richer if it is split thin enough.
• Lamb or goatskin is soft but wears out quickly on high-friction items.
• Calfskin—split and skived—offers the best combination of thinness, strength, and elegance.
• Exotics such as alligators, ostriches, or lizards add drama, while elk or deer provide rugged charm.

Design Matters

When you create a leather good, you must consider how the design interacts with the leather itself. For example, when we designed a pen case, we didn’t want the pen to slide out when the pouch opened and accidentally drop to the floor. We chose leathers and tested them until we found one grippy enough to hold the pen, even when the case was opened upside-down, yet smooth enough that the pen could be removed without force.

We applied the same thinking to our watch cases. The goal was to keep a watch securely inside, preventing it from wiggling or falling if the case were opened at an angle. We tested various linings—tweed and Alcantara were too slippery—until we settled on a suede with the perfect grip. Suede comes in many naps; after trials, we selected one that held the watch firmly yet allowed easy removal.

Inside the case, we added a slightly stiffer leather piece to keep any watch, regardless of strap length or wrist size, centered and protected. The edge of that insert had to stay soft and flexible so small changes in strap length wouldn’t create pressure points.

Design and leather must work in harmony: the right material, the right structure, and meticulous prototyping ensure that every accessory functions flawlessly while showcasing the beauty of the leather.

Exotic and Specialty Options

Popular Choices

I’m a big fan of exotic leathers, and there are plenty of options. Cordovan has become very popular, but lizard, alligator, and even elephant can be fantastic choices. Ostrich is also appealing: most people are familiar with the classic pebble grain, yet ostrich leg leather offers a “dinosaur-like” look that can be striking.

Regulation and Durability

Alligator is tightly regulated under CITES, so its origin is traceable. Despite the common belief that exotics are delicate, hides such as ostrich and alligator are actually quite durable. They are, however, expensive and therefore most often reserved for custom-made products—stocking them in volume is costly.

Horsehide and Cordovan

Horsehide, distinct from Cordovan, is another interesting option; the original Schott Perfecto motorcycle jacket was made from it. Cordovan from Horween in Chicago has surged in popularity. Personally, I’m not fond of the bulging and creasing that develops on shoes, though many enthusiasts love that character. Today, cordovan can cost as much as mid-range alligator leather, so your choice depends on taste and budget.

Lesser-Known Exotics

If you’re eager to explore further, consider fish leathers such as salmon or Amazon species, as well as reindeer and other unusual hides. Each brings unique texture, color, and performance characteristics to the world of fine leather goods.

Vegan Leather

We are often asked about vegan leather—a synthetic substitute for real hide—but our comparisons show it cannot match genuine leather for durability, feel, or appearance. Consequently, we do not consider vegan leather a good choice for accessories. Unless you are ethically opposed to using animal products, it is best to steer clear: vegan alternatives do not come close to the real thing.

DO’s and DON’Ts When Buying Leather  

• DO be aware of what kinds of animal leather are best for particular products
  • DON’T assume that the most expensive, most exotic leather is best for everything. 
• DO buy from retailers that tell you all about their leathers
  • DON’T assume “leather” on its own always equals quality 
• DO know the meaning behind terminology like Full Grain, Top Grain, and Split Leather
  • DON’T rely on price tags, hype, or assumptions 
• DO know the basics about Tanning Processes and pick what you need
  • DON’T assume that veg-tanned is always best 
• DO purchase quality leather from reputable retailers so you can see firsthand what quality leather looks, feels, and smells like
  • DON’T get suckered in by “budget” and faux leather  
• DO invest in high-quality leather accessories that will last a lifetime when cared for
  • DON’T neglect your leather accessories

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you’ve learned a thing or two about leather in accessories—what matters and how to identify quality.

What leathers have served you best in your accessories? Share your experiences and questions below.

Look Sharp in Leather—Here’s How