If your favorite leather football jacket is faded, dingy and stained, let the professionals at Creative Colors International get it looking like new before this year’s Super Bowl kicks off.

Super Bowl parties will be held across the country on February 2, as home cooks craft dips, grill burgers and fill coolers to prepare for the football festivities. In addition to creating the ideal party spread, the game gives football fans a chance to showcase their favorite jersey and other team swag. The global licensed sports merchandise market is forecast to reach a value of $34 billion by 2023, according to data from Statista, an online market research firm. A recent survey of 860 Americans revealed 22 percent spent at least $500 on sports apparel, and 11 percent spent up to $300. As our investment in luxury sports products continues to rise, it is important to properly care for big-ticket items.

CCI recently had the opportunity to put its leather repair skills to work on a family heirloom for a longtime Chicago Bears fan. Technicians at CCI’s Mokena, Illinois-based headquarters fulfilled a customer request to restore his father’s beloved team jacket as a surprise. Leather jackets are durable, comfortable and long-lasting, but they need proper care to stay looking new. CCI service technicians use proprietary techniques to revive dingy leather products. In this case, a CCI technician hand-painted the faded, limited-edition jacket. The technician spent two days painstakingly hand-brushing each of the quarter-inch stripes on the jacket to restore the piece to its original luster.

Take a look at the work CCI’s team did in restoring the washed-out, faded leather jacket and make it look nearly new:

Back of jacket – BEFORE and AFTER

Front of jacket – BEFORE and AFTER

Side of jacket – BEFORE and AFTER

“I’ve worked at CCI for 30-plus years and this is the first time we had the opportunity to hand brush a limited-edition item,” said Terri Sniegolski, CCI’s Senior Vice President. “Our technicians regularly restore leather jackets, but this item gave us the chance to showcase our craft. The jacket looked beautiful and the customer was ecstatic. Based on the success of this repair, we look forward to growing our market share in the sports apparel industry.”

CCI is the leader in mobile leather and vinyl repair. The company has locations throughout the United States. If you need a detail-oriented item repaired, like a leather team jacket, technicians can pick the item up and complete the repair off-site. CCI’s family-friendly technicians can repair or restore tears, burns, cuts, scratches and stains. They can also fix fading and color restoration and seam slippage and are skilled at repairing car and RV interiors, as well as vinyl floors.

Once CCI has restored your jacket, follow this advice to keep it in tip-top shape.

• Water can damage leather and increase fading. If you get stuck out in the rain, make sure to allow your jacket to air dry.
• Remove dirt and dust with a damp washcloth.
• Hang up your jacket on wide, padded hangers. Leaving your jacket folded can cause creases, cracks and discoloration.
• Condition your jacket regularly. Leather jackets need moisture. A leather conditioner can help decrease wear and tear. Your CCI technician can provide a leather cleaner and conditioner kit so you can protect your leather jacket on a routine basis without having to call a professional.
• Never clean leather with any household chemicals, including mineral spirits, turpentine and other petroleum distillates. Using animal fats to darken your leather product can cause it to rot.

Whether you are cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers, or you are just there for the commercials and buffalo wings, let CCI help you showcase your team spirit during this year’s Super Bowl celebrations by making your wardrobe sparkle. Get your quote today.