DIY: Leather-Look Black Painted Sleeves & Inspiration

The leather sleeve look is everywhere right now. The trend started last winter and has only grown in popularity. You can find black faux leather-sleeved jackets, t-shirts, and trench coats in nearly every store now. I like it because it's more edgy than my usual style, but it's easy to incorporate into my closet with a pair of jeans and flats.

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Onto my version...

Although I love this look, I'm not willing to shell out the big bucks just yet. So instead, I decided to DIY my own version, and it's super easy to do!

1. Tape off the sleeves carefully. Then put paper or newspaper under the shirt.

2. Using the bigger brush, paint most of the sleeve, and then use the smaller brush to paint the fabric near the tape. The smaller brush will help be more precise. Wait for it to dry, and then paint another thick layer.

3. When it's dry, peel off the tape. I would let it dry overnight to be sure it's completely dry before wearing it.

4. Wear the heck out of it! I'll be pairing this with dark wash jeans and a long necklace.

P.S. -- I think the trick to it looking like leather is just using a lot of fabric paint. Oddly enough, I used a matte fabric paint (Tulip's Soft Fabric Paint in Matte Ebony), but I noticed (when it got all over my hands) that there was a subtle pearlescent undertone to the paint. If you want it to be really shiny like leather, you could try a satin finish fabric paint.

What do you think?

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