Real vs Faux: Shearling, Sheepskin and Leather
Real sheepskin is one material: the wool grows out of the skin, so the inside of the coat is the fleece and the outside is the suede side of the same skin. Faux shearling is a fabric with a pile on a woven or knitted backing. Of the 86 leather, suede, sheepskin and shearling pieces we have handled (38 in stock today), 65 are the real material and 21 are faux, and the title of each says which.
Updated · built from the labels on our own pieces and rebuilt as pieces come and go.
What the label should say
The composition tag should read “real sheepskin” or “genuine shearling” on a sheepskin coat, the leather named on a jacket (for example “100% lamb leather”) with the lining listed separately, and fibres such as polyester, acrylic or modal on a faux one. That is what we go by, and it is how the piece is described on its product page: the material in the title is the material on the tag, or “faux” when the tag lists a synthetic.
On the 1 leather and shearling tags we have read, the percentage of the main fibre was 100% (1).
21 of the 86 pieces in this group are faux (faux fur, faux shearling, faux suede or faux leather) and 65 are the real material; leather and sheepskin rarely carry a fibre tag, so only 1 had a composition to read.
Country on the label (23 labels with one): China (6), Italy (5), Portugal (2), India (2), Mauritius (1), Lithuania (1). The country is one detail among several, not proof.
Labels we have handled most: Coach (13), Alexander McQueen (2), True Religion (2), Vivienne Westwood (1), Sheepskin Shearling (1), Replay (1), Furla (1), Frooty Beauty (1).
What the care labels say (9 labels with care instructions): do not bleach (3), dry clean only (2), machine wash (2), iron low (2), wash with similar colours (2), specialist leather clean (2). Every care label we have read, by material: how to wash vintage clothes, what the labels say.
What to check on the piece
- Part the wool. On real sheepskin you see skin at the roots; on faux shearling you see a backing fabric.
- The cut edges. At cuffs, hems and seams real sheepskin shows the thickness of the skin; faux shows fabric.
- The label. Real sheepskin coats often say so (“real sheepskin”, “genuine shearling”); faux ones list fibres such as polyester, acrylic or modal.
- Leather jackets. The care tag names the leather (for example lamb leather) and the lining separately; the hardware on a branded jacket is usually branded too.
- Penny Lane and Afghan coats exist in real sheepskin and in faux. Both can be genuine vintage; the difference is the material, and the title should say which.
These are the checks from our guide to every material we sell: How we check every piece. No single detail proves it; a piece is real when the label, the tag and the material agree.
Labels from our own pieces
Our photos of our pieces, the same ones you see in the product galleries, so you can check what we checked.
Karen Millen
Listed as lambskin, leather · made in Mauritius · care: dry clean only.
See this piece →
Chantal Rosner
Listed as faux shearling, faux suede · care: wash at 30°, dry clean only.
See this piece →In stock now
- Vivienne Westwood Jasmin Dusty Pink Pebble Leather Orb Handbag… · £292.5
- Alexander McQueen Flapper Novak Leather Shoulder large Handbag… · £252
- Womens Shearling Sheepskin Fur Cropped Chunky Aviator Jacket U… · UK 12 · £185
- Replay Womens Black Runner Fitted Leather Knee High Biker Boot… · Shoes UK 4.5 · £130.5
- Vintage 90s Furla Y2K Brown Pebbled Leather Slouchy Hobo Shoul… · £130.5
- Coach Madison 17016 Ivory Leather Drawstring Shoulder Hobo Bag… · £121.5
- Frooty Beauty Womens White Leather Biker Zip Fitted Jacket UK… · UK 12 · £112.5
- Balmain womens Y2K Beige Faux Shearling Fur Afghan Penny Lane… · UK 10 · £85.5
- Karen Millen Womens black lamb leather studded fitted biker bu… · UK 8 · £85.5
- Coach Hadley Exotic Python Leather Tote Duffle Extra Large Sho… · £76.5
- Coach Town Bucket Bag 91512 signature brown black shoulder bag… · £76.5
- Custom womens Suede leather Utility Belt Festival Pocket Waist… · £75
All Afghan, Penny Lane and shearling coats in stock →
Questions about leather and shearling
How can you tell real sheepskin from faux shearling?
Part the wool. On real sheepskin it grows out of the skin, and the inside of the coat is the fleece itself, one piece with the suede outside. Faux shearling has a woven or knitted backing, and its label lists fibres such as polyester, acrylic or modal.
Why do some of your coats say faux in the title?
Because we list the material as the label gives it. Of the 86 leather, suede, sheepskin and shearling pieces we have handled, 21 are faux (faux fur, faux shearling, faux suede or faux leather) and 65 are the real material. A faux Penny Lane coat is still genuine vintage; the title says which it is.
What does the label say on a leather jacket?
The care tag names the leather (for example “100% lamb leather”) and the lining separately, and the hardware on a branded jacket is usually branded too. Leather and sheepskin rarely carry a fibre tag the way knitwear does: only 1 of our 86 pieces in this group had a composition tag to read, so the label wording, the inside of the piece and the cut edges do most of the work.
Is a faux Penny Lane coat still vintage?
Yes. Penny Lane and Afghan coats exist in real sheepskin and in faux; both can be genuine vintage. The difference is the material, and the title should say which.
Where were the leather and shearling pieces you handled made?
Of the 23 labels in this group with a country on them: China (6), Italy (5), Portugal (2), India (2), Mauritius (1), Lithuania (1).