I’ve made several iterations of these tattooed leather jeans.
This color combo is one of my favorites.
I’ve done full-length coats with Spinal tattoo work, and even long dresses and boleros…& I really feel I have only just scratched the surface of what can be imagined along these lines. These appliqués are so much fun to create.
(The first pair of tattooed leather jeans I made was way back in the late 1990s – for Sully Erna, the Lead singer of Godsmack – I did a bunch of their leather and mixed media pieces for this video and their following tour, including that sexy collaged suede shirt!)
These tattooed leather jeans are made up in a rich mid-tone Royce cowhide that we call cognac. Royce cowhide has always been one of the most popular leather I offer for men’s jeans. It has a rich, semi-matte finish that is the result of pressing the hides to bring up the natural oils. This finish has a wonderful feel and holds up beautifully with wear. In the darker shades, it is also pretty resistant to normal stains and watermarking from rain or snow.
Royce is a very nice mid-weight range hide. Substantial but nicely supple and breaks in quickly. It’s also very easy to care for and only gets better and better with wear.
For the inlay, we used a chocolate brown shade of the same leather; rather than going for a high-contrast black, we wanted something a little subtler for these jeans.
In one image, you’ll see an attachment that is common for hand-guided western stitching like you see on boots. We use this attachment depending on the leather – see the little indentations? It won’t work on all leathers – but it’s a very handy option for the right leathers, like this one, where the indentations disappear a little while after stitching. Plus – it’s fun to freehand!