Leather

   One of the oldest materials used by man to fashion clothing, leather dates back 50,000 years to Cro-Magnon man. The invention of preserving and then softening animal skins, known as tanning, provided warmth as early man migrated to cold climates. Animal skins were also used to create footwear, furniture, and utensils and provide shelter. Innovations in the tanning process during the nineteenth century, by American Augustus Schultz, revolutionized and streamlined the tanning process through the use of chromium salts. Other technological advances included the use of sulfuric acid, fat liquors, and chemical tannins and new machinery that made skins softer and thinner. While these advances increased production, they also added to the high cost of processing leather, thus making it a luxury commodity. Today, hides (large animal skins such as buffalo, cow, deer, horse, and pig) and skins (smaller animal skins such as goat, sheep, and lamb) come in myriad colors, finishes, and textures. Leather products have ranged from gazelle skin loincloths and ceremonial tribesmen garb to World War II aviator jackets, and tough-guy 1950s motorcycle jackets to Claude Montana voluminous leather coats circa 1980. Wearing leather is synonymous with status, sex appeal, and bravado. It creates an allure like no other material and even after continued attacks by the animal rights group PETA, the leather industry is still a thriving multibillion-dollar global industry. Today, the leather industry is supported by trade associations such as Leather Industries of America (LIA) and the Leather Apparel Association (LAA) with new, more environmentally friendly tanning methods on the horizon.