There are many different types of leather, but not all are equal. Although the most common leather is cow’s leather, there are other more exotic ones, such as alligator leather. The alligator (not to be confused with crocodile leather) is a fairly expensive type of leather. But why are alligator skin clothes so expensive?
1 / Alligators are rare
This is not news, alligators are not found everywhere, in reality, alligators are even rather rare because they live in a very specific environment that must be temperate enough to ensure their survival. Florida is one of the few states to have alligators and therefore be able to produce quality leather while staying at a local level.
2 / Alligators take time to grow
It is true that alligators are not the fastest-growing animals, it takes several years for an alligator to reach a sufficient size to be able to produce quality leather. You have to be patient to keep a good environmental balance while being able to produce clothes with this very particular leather.
3 / Alligators do not reproduce quickly
Another reason for the rarity of alligators is their reproduction. We have seen that alligators take time to grow, but also to reproduce. You have to wait until they can be adult enough to be able to reproduce, then wait for the gestation time and the birth of the babies to start using them, which is very long and thus increases their rarity.
4 / Tanning alligator leather takes time
Once the alligator is killed, it takes a long time to prepare a skin of quality that will last for years. The skin will spend several weeks to be treated to produce leather for clothing, this time adds considerable value for leather because you have to pay the staff to do it.
5 / Few people master the right techniques for tanning alligator leather
Leather processing is not so easy, it takes several years of expertise to be able to effectively treat the skin. The scarcity of expertise of these people adds a significant sum in the final price of the product, but this is necessary for clothing of quality and durability.
6 / Alligator leather is highly regulated
As you can imagine, the alligator is a rare animal and the regulations to control its use are very strong. Thus, it is not possible to use any alligator to make a garment out of it. These regulations serve to keep a sustainable ecosystem, without endangering this species.
7 / Alligator leather is a luxury product
The expertise and the time required to produce a product made with alligator leather makes this product very expensive, especially since it is considered a luxury product that increases its value even more. By wearing a product with alligator leather you will stand out from the rest by protecting a unique handmade product.
Many factors are at work to justify the price of an alligator leather garment, its rarity, the difficulty of finding people who know how to treat this kind of leather properly… But it is above all the feeling of wearing something unique that justifies the price of clothes made of alligator leather.
