Plastic Leather
The term pleather ("plastic leather") is a slang term for synthetic leather made of plastic. The term was coined by Amy Bach, when working in New York for Millis clothing. Upon the arrival of a new line, a plastic leather, Bach needed a way to advertise the product to customers without calling it plastic. She thus came up with the term Pleather. A portmanteau of plastic and leather, the term is sometimes used derogatorily, implying a cost-cutting Ersatz for genuine hide. Besides cost, pleather may also be preferred because it is lighter than leather, or as an alternative to real leather citing reasons of animal cruelty. Pleather, being made of plastic, will not decompose as quickly.
Not all pleathers are the same. Polyurethane is washable, can be dry-cleaned and allows some air to flow through the garment. PVC leather in contrast does not "breathe" and is difficult to clean. PVC cannot be dry-cleaned because the cleaning solvents can make the PVC unbearably stiff.
Read more about this topic: Artificial Leather
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