query: patent leather

hello all: what is the season for patent leather? can it be worn year round?

Spring and summer.

And it can't be worn year round.

October to December ... that is all ...

Anne

God hath given you one face and you make yourself another - Hamlet

Patent leather originally was intended for the seasons when one is wearing light-colored clothing. The point being that one does not have to worry about colored shoe polish rubbing off on one's clothing (trouser hems are particularly vulnerable) when wearing patent leather.

To the excruciatingly correct, black patent is the shoe color that should be worn with men's evening wear. In that men's evening wear is often black, I never figured out the rationale for that.

But like many other fashion 'rules' it is frequently ignored these days, including by me. For me black patent leather's chief attraction is that is water repellent and easily wiped clean with a damp tissue, making it ideal for travel when one does not want to bother with overshoes.

I also wear a lot of black (at one time considered suitable only for evening and for mourning) and shiny black patent makes for a more interesting textural contrast.

Still I wear black patent MORE in the spring, summer, and autumn, and polished leather more in the winter, as my nod to tradition.

That sounds pretty close to what I heard growing up...or was it 'not before Thanksgiving, not after New Year's?'

Nancy, tempted to call her Grandmother who just *knows* these things

Likewise, I'm sure. And I don't follow these dopey rules

follow these dopey rules

how do you clean patent leather? i have 2 purses which both have a couple of small spots, that look like white paint. it appears to be *on* the shiny surface. what can i use to remove? tia,

Found this on cleaning patent leather:

Patent Leather- To clean patent leather, first wipe with a wet sponge and then rub with a dry cloth. Next, take a piece of flannel cloth and dip it in olive oil. Rub the leather till it shines. Never let regular shoe polish get on patent leather. It will permanently ruin the patina

Along similar lines, my mother used to use Vaseline on patent leather. I haven't tried this yet but if/when I do, I shall certainly report back.

EMiriamD

'I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year's fashions.' Lillian Hellman to House Un-American Activities Committee (1952)

Buy patent cleaner from a shoe repair or wherever shoe polish is sold. Currently it comes in spray cans that foam. It's usually somewhat expensive, about $5 a can. This works much better than Vaseline which is messy and doesn't soften the leather any.

As for those white paint-like marks. I get streaks on my shoes fairly regularly from hitting them up against the washing machine. The solution is a damp sponge with a dab of toothpaste on the corner. Rub the white mark just until the white mark disappears completely. Have patience. You will find yourself rubbing and rubbing and thinking this isn't working, and then all of a sudden the mark starts to go away. I have done this many times without ever leaving a mark on my patent leather.

any help with stains that appear to be in the patent leather not on top, I have tried rubbing alcohol, goo gone, one of those white dry bars and nothing is helping, the stains are from other shoes rubbing / pressing (sitting in a draw) but the mark appears to be underneath the finish and are not scuffs, thanks