They are made of nice leather and they are a nice rich color--I wore them on a weekend trip and they gave me all day comfort---So- overall-I think I made a good purchase! Its worked perfectly from the testing Ive done so far. Im very happy with this one and would recommend it to others. This vest supposes to make you sweat and its not a compression vest. I am gonna buy again. When specifically comparing the Studio 4 to the 5, the 4 seems like it would fall over easier if something knocked it from behind. I can not wait to wear them with my wedding dress in July. Not the end of the world, but wasnt what I was expecting. It fits perfectly in my entrance closet to stow away shoes. Though it would be nice to have a product with ground clamp as my collector tends to atract static electricity.