There has always been a certain stigma that goes with wearing faux leather clothes (except for the classic leather jacket, of course). The trend seems to have been left for a certain few ; you know the type, the woman in some shady bar with red lippy and a hard drink in her hand, perhaps wearing a leather corset. Eek!

However lately, the tide seems to be turning. Who knows, maybe it's books like the saucy, controversial 50 Shades of Grey that are making us more open-minded and willing to accept certain things, but whether that is the reason or not, the trend is dominating the highstreet! Of course your average shopper will not have the quid to splash on real leather garments, so most will be labeled "leather look", "wet look" or "PU", but they all look similar.

• The Top

Rita Ora shows us how to wear a leather-like top without looking super cheap or tacky! These flowery printed shorts add a feminine, girly edge to her look and the outfit is super flattering, with the high-waisted shorts highlighting her waist and the wet look top enhancing her bust. Hats off to her!  Above to the right is a bralet just like Rita's. Pick one up yourself on asos.com for just €35.53. Asos.com have a whole section on their website dedicated to the trend, and includes pieces a little less daunting than the bralet. 

ABOVE: Bralet: boohoo.com, peplum top: H&M, bodysuit: Boohoo.com

• The Dress

The oh-so-stylish Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez rock their leather-look dresses beautifully. With her modest length and timeless make up, Jessica Alba demonstrates that wearing leather-look clothing does not mean looking trashy. Jennifer Lopez, however, looks more nightclub ready with her mesh neckline and sleek hair slicked back off her face. Her poofy cap sleeves balance out her figure perfectly. Below are dresses of a similar style.

ABOVE: Peplum dress: Tophshop,  flare dress: River Island, leather bustier dress: Urban Outfitters

• The Trousers

Black wet look trousers/leggings are sleek,sexy and chic in every way. They can be dressed up and down (as proved by Rihanna above) and are so much more interesting than regular black leggings! Rihanna is infamous for her PU trousers and leggings and honestly, is it a surprise? They're just so versatile! Stick to the classic look or spice it up a bit with animal prints, studs or even zips Here are some highstreet versions below!

ABOVE: Leather look trouser: New Look, animal knee print legging: Boohoo.com, leather look trousers: H&M

(Images: Google)