Why Is Gold Leaf Still An Essential Fashion Statement?

Fashion is constantly changing and evolving, without being ashamed to look backwards. It’s this approach which allows fashion to unashamedly embrace ideas from the past and reuse them in the future.

It’s not unusual for fashion trends to circle, and the cycle starts, for example, with a celebrity wearing something.

Before you know it, everyone wants to wear the same thing and a new trend is born. You may be surprised to find gold leaf isn’t just an essential fashion trend, it has been for years.

Introducing gold leaf

Gold leaf is created by melting a block of gold into smaller ones. It’s then hammered repeatedly until the gold is so fine that it’s almost invisible. At this stage, it can be added to almost any material to create the right effect.

Of course, that’s a simplified version of the 10 processing phases that gold is put through to make gold leaf. It’s a practice that has been in use for thousands of years, the Ancient Egyptians used copious amounts of gold leaf.

Today, high-quality gold leaf for many gilding applications can be easily acquired, making it possible to gild almost anything. There are two main techniques of applying gold leaf. Let’s see what they are.

The main techniques

Water Gilding

This technique involves using a special preparation of water and glue. This is applied to the object to be gilded in several time-consuming stages. The gold leaf is then carefully placed onto the surface with a gilding knife and helped to dry by blowing on it.

Oil Gilding

This is significantly faster than water gilding. The gold leaf is applied directly to a glue made of water, alcohol, and varnish.

Where can you find the gold leaf

Historically gold leaf was used on buildings, such as the tops of the pyramids. It was also a key element in paintings and sculptures. Today, it’s still found on important structures.

However, its use has diversified. Gold leaf can be applied to almost anything with the right skill level. That’s why it’s now on motorcycles, carriages, plates, and even sprinkled in foods.

How it is essential in fashion

In fashion terms, gold leaf has become an essential addition to shoes, clothes, and even fashion earrings. You’ll even find gold leaf on guitars and other musical instruments.

The reason is simple, gold leaf never really goes out of fashion because humans are fond of gold.

The current fashion trend, which isn’t new, is to have gold leaf added to dresses and other items of clothing. It sparkles and helps to ensure the garment, and its wearer, stand out for the right reasons.

You can even find gold leaf jewelry, a fraction of the price of pure gold items but offers the same allure. It’s also incredibly light, making it perfect for any outfit or occasion.

Gold leaf has also become a hair trend. Gold leaf is easily added to some of your hair, creating a stunning look. All you have to do is apply the special mouse and then place a sheet of gold leaf on your hair and pat it in place. It’s perfect for any special occasion and, as a fashion trend, is certain to come in and out of fashion.