The best accessories aren’t the ones that make you shape your outfit around them. They’re the ones that make leaning into your own style feel more effortless than ever.
That’s the mission of LA-based leatherwork brand Clarke & Barba. Established in 2009, the husband-and-wife team drew on their shared love of fashion and their respective backgrounds to shape a company as unique as their products.
Silvano Barba, a musician and artist, grew up with a handyman father (who also made and upholstered furniture) and a jack-of-all-trades grandfather (whose many skills included, of course, leatherworking). From airbrushing t-shirts with his uncle at swap meets to painting murals to working his way up the ladder in the fashion industry, his experiences have given him a wide-ranging foundation of creative skills to draw from in his work at Clarke & Barba.
Melissa Clarke has always loved the darker and more unique side of fashion, and she’s never let the abundance of “average” pieces get in the way of self-expression. Adapting everyday outfits into something that suits her personal style. Making her own Halloween costumes. Hunting for standout items. In everything fashion-related, Melissa operates from a principle of buying what she likes and turning it into something fun and unexpected.
It’s these creative skills that led to the creation of Clarke & Barba soon after their wedding. A blend of elegance and rebellion, the couple designs pieces that help customers look as good as they feel. For them, it’s not about following trends or staying with what works, but about giving people the confidence to know who they are and to express it with joy.
Each piece from Clarke & Barba’s collection is hand-designed and crafted by the couple, from corset belts to shoulder and waist harnesses to shoe harnesses and leg cuffs to shoulder bags and wallets. At this company, there’s something for every style, budget, and size, as certain adjustments can be made where required.
Many of the pieces also have a variety of customization options, including size (typically small, medium, and large), color (shades of dyed leather including black, brown, red, and white), and hardware (brass and silver/nickel).
Of their collection, my favorite piece has to be the O-Ring Chain Leg Harness. Designed to clip onto a belt loop, it works perfectly with both pants and shorts. I’ve yet to try it with a dress, but with the right piece—and possibly some boots to match—I have no doubts it would look equally eye-catching.
The chain is, on average, 6″ with a 2″ addition offered by the clips. (For those of us with longer legs and torsos, however, the company can often accommodate an adjustment, as they very kindly did for my own piece.) It connects to an o-ring with leather straps on each side which buckle into place, accommodating a thigh circumference of 20” to 26”, something I’ve found particularly useful depending on how I position the harness.
While I sometimes wear the harness higher with pants, I often stretch the chain to its full length when paired with shorts to ensure it doesn’t overlap with the hem. The adjustable strap ensures it fits wherever I place it (though it sometimes slides up and down as I walk, which I’ve mostly fixed by adding a couple of extra holes with a revolving leather hole punch and tightening it a bit more).
Well-made leather accessories can be hard to find. Accessories that accommodate your style rather than overtake it can be even harder. But at Clarke & Barba, that problem doesn’t exist; instead, the challenge is choosing just the piece(s) you’re looking for.
Sophisticated handcrafting and an edge that complements almost any outfit. For an accessory you won’t want to take off, visit Clarke & Barba’s website HERE.
