Journal · Notable pieces ·
Two materials, one hide
A full shearling Hermès jacket, in for routine cleaning and conditioning — and a good excuse to explain why shearling is one of the most demanding materials we handle.
What shearling actually is
Shearling isn't leather with a lining sewn in — it's a single skin, tanned with the wool still attached. Hide on one face, fleece on the other, one material doing two jobs. That's what makes it warm, supple, and expensive; it's also what makes it demanding. Anything that soaks the hide reaches the wool, and anything harsh enough to strip grime from the fleece can dry the leather behind it. Every treatment touches both faces, whether you intend it to or not.
The work
This piece came in healthy — the owner does the sensible thing and maintains it rather than waiting for a problem. Routine care for shearling means cleaning both faces gently, conditioning the hide so it stays supple, and keeping the wool lofty rather than matted, with slow, controlled drying throughout. Unhurried work, on a piece whose replacement cost concentrates the mind.
The honest note
Shearling in Singapore spends most of its life in storage, coming out for travel — and storage is exactly where it quietly suffers. A hide left years without conditioning dries and stiffens; compressed wool mats; a humid wardrobe invites mould into both faces at once. Periodic care between trips is what keeps a piece like this alive, and it's far easier than recovery. As with all leather and skin, every piece is assessed individually — tanning, age, and condition decide what treatment a shearling can take, and we'll tell you what's right for yours before we begin.