Leather Apparel for Women

Resources for successfully buying stylish and affordable leather women's apparel
By Angela Kovalyak, Freelance Writer/Editor Kovalyak Editorial, Ltd. Are you a business or boutique that markets specifically toward women? Leather clothes may not be something that you currently sell, but it may be something that appeals to your customers. Although most people don't think of women's leatherwear as wardrobe staples, there are a few items that most women always have in their closets.

Although women's leather vests may not be in every closet, at least one pair of leather shoes and at least one leather coat probably is. If you want to begin selling leather apparel for women, begin with the basic pieces that most women buy: shoes and coats.

You may also want to consider adding more leather apparel for women as your business grows. Before you do this, though, consider:

1. Your clientele: They likely will purchase basic leather apparel for women as gifts, but might purchase more unique items if you offer them.
2. Optional items: Offer clients the option to purchase items, even if you don't sell them at your store. Create a close relationship with a company that sells leather apparel for women, and can help you find rare items for your clients.
3. Comfort level: If you don't feel comfortable selling expensive items, for example highly detailed and fancy women's leather vests, begin with some simpler leather accessories. 

The best places to find and buy leather clothing for women

Leather clothing for women can cover quite a large area: women's leather vests, leather mini skirts, ladies' leather pants, and much more. If you are a specialty store or boutique, offer a large array of nontraditional items that customers may only find at your store. If you are a larger retail store looking to add leather apparel for women, you may want to consider just stocking up on the basics.
Try:  MetroStyle is a website that has everything you need in terms of ladies' leather clothing. From leather mini skirts to women's leather vests, this company has women's leather clothing for reasonable prices. Newport News, LeatherSkirts.com, and Spiegel all offer nice varieties of women's leather skirts.

Where to buy leather shoes for women

When buying leather shoes for women, you have a lot of options. You can buy designer shoes that are very expensive, you can purchase discount shoes that are inexpensive, or shoes that are moderately priced. If you want to sell a large number of shoes, you need to offer your clients a nice selection of shoes and pricing.
Try:  Shoes.com has a great variety of leather shoes for women. This website offers styles from designers as well as reasonable prices. Shoenet.com offers shoes at discount prices. This website lets you buy shoes by the case at a greatly reduced rate. It even lists the manufacturer's suggested retail price (msrp) for each pair of shoes. Some websites offer a nice variety of leather shoes for women, but have designer names and prices. For the largest selections, visit ShoeMall.com, Endless, and Nine West.

Find and buy leather coats for women

Winter coats, dress coats, suit coats, spring and fall coats; there really are a lot of choices out there when deciding what types of coats to sell. Begin by considering your location and your clientele. This will give you the best insight as to what types of coat products to sell.
Try:  MyLeather.com is a great place to find leather jackets and other leather items, such as women's leather vests. It is a wholesale company that offers products directly from the manufacturer,  however, there is a minimum order of $300. Bulk orders and pricing are available. Jillian Distributors offers leather jackets and other leather apparel for women at greatly discounted prices. The downside to this website is that you can't just search for women's items, so you may have to scroll through unnecessary items to find what you are looking for. Overstock.com has a great variety of designer leather coats for women.

• When possible, try to purchase coordinating products. Even if you don't display them together, this will help you build complete women's leather outfits for your clients.
• Buy timeless pieces, not just passing fashions trends. You don't want to be stuck with a lot of trendy clothes that you can't sell because they went out of style too quickly.