Could pineapples replace leather?

Pineapples are great on pizza, and perhaps even better when worn as a coat.

Carmen Hijosa, a Spanish businesswoman and clothing designer, was looking for a durable replacement for leather after dropping it from her wardrobe. The leaves from pineapples turned out to be a perfect solution, she tells Reuters.

Piñatex, the result of eight years of development, is a textile made of pineapple leaves woven together into a "mesh," Hijosa describes to Reuters. The leaves are "very fine and strong and flexible" and dry when they get wet — just like leather, she said. The only difference is that Piñatex is "completely sustainable" and contains no animal products, Hijosa added.

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After pineapples are harvested, manufacturers send their leaves to Hijosa. Her company, Ananas Anam, then turns them into the strong material and markets it to designers worldwide. Some smaller companies make all their wares from it, while bigger brands such as Hugo Boss have launched individual Piñatex products. Some designers have also gravitated toward environmentally conscious materials, citing how raising animals for slaughter demands a lot of resources and how tanneries often produce toxic pollutants.

Ananas Anam says leaves from the top 10 pineapple-producing countries could replace half of the world's leather, per Reuters. But with one all-Piñatex jacket currently selling at $860, it might be awhile before this sweet alternative can hit the mainstream. Read more about pineapple jackets at Reuters.