<PAGE>
                                                                     Exhibit 3.1


                              ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT
                                       OF
                        AMENDED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
                                       OF
                        WILSONS THE LEATHER EXPERTS INC.

     The undersigned, Philip S. Garon, Secretary of Wilsons The Leather Experts
Inc., a Minnesota corporation, (the "Corporation"), hereby certifies that:

     (i) The name of the Corporation is Wilsons The Leather Experts Inc.

     (ii) The Corporation's Amended Articles of Incorporation have been amended
in their entirety to read as set forth on Exhibit A hereto.

     (iii) The foregoing amendment has been adopted pursuant to Chapter 302A of
the Minnesota Statutes.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have subscribed my name this 16th day of June, 1998.

                                                 /s/ Philip S. Garon
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                                   Philip S. Garon

<PAGE>
                                                                       Exhibit A


                              AMENDED AND RESTATED
                            ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
                                       OF
                        WILSONS THE LEATHER EXPERTS INC.


                                ARTICLE 1 - NAME

     The name of this corporation shall be Wilsons The Leather Experts Inc.


                          ARTICLE 2 - REGISTERED OFFICE

     The registered office of this corporation shall be 7401 Boone Avenue North,
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota 55428.


                          ARTICLE 3 - AUTHORIZED SHARES

SECTION 1.  AUTHORIZED CAPITAL STOCK.

     The aggregate number of shares of stock which the corporation is authorized
to issue is 110,000,000 shares, consisting of 100,000,000 shares of common
stock, par value $.01 (the "Common Stock"), and 10,000,000 shares of preferred
stock, par value $.01 (the "Preferred Stock"). The shares of Preferred Stock and
Common Stock are sometimes collectively referred to herein as the "capital
stock". The shares of Preferred Stock may be issued by the Board of Directors of
the corporation from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to
have such relative rights, voting power, preferences and restrictions as adopted
by the Board of Directors of the corporation.

SECTION 2.  DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK.

     The rights, voting power and restrictions granted to or imposed upon the
shares of Common Stock or, to the extent set forth herein, other capital stock,
or the holders thereof are as follows:

     (a) Voting Power.

          (i) GENERAL. Each holder of Common Stock shall have one vote on all
     matters submitted to the shareholders for each share of Common Stock
     registered in the name of such holder on the books of the corporation.

          (ii) ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. The Board of Directors of the corporation
     shall consist of not less than five or more than nine members and the
     directors of the corporation shall be elected by the affirmative vote of
     the holders of the greater of (a) a majority of the voting power of the
     shares of capital stock of the corporation present and entitled to vote on
     the election of directors or (b) a majority of the voting power of the
     minimum number of shares of capital stock of the corporation entitled to
     vote that

<PAGE>

     would constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at a duly held
     meeting of shareholders.

          (iii) NO CUMULATIVE VOTING. No holder of shares of capital stock of
     the corporation shall have any cumulative voting rights.

     (b) Preemptive Rights.

     No holder of shares of any class of capital stock of the corporation shall
be entitled as such, as a matter of right, to subscribe for, purchase or receive
any part of any new or additional issue of shares of stock of any class or
series whatsoever, or of securities convertible into or exchangeable for or
exercisable for or carrying a right to purchase any shares of stock of any class
or series whatsoever, whether now or hereafter authorized and whether issued for
cash or other consideration or by way of dividend or other distribution.


                  ARTICLE 4 - LIMITATION OF DIRECTOR LIABILITY

     To the fullest extent permitted by Chapter 302A, Minnesota Statutes, as the
same exists or may hereafter be amended, a director of this corporation shall
not be personally liable to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary
damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. No amendment or repeal of
this Article shall apply to or have any effect on the liability or alleged
liability of any director of this corporation for or with respect to any acts or
omissions of such director occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.

<PAGE>

                              ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT
                                       OF
                 AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
                                       OF
                        WILSONS THE LEATHER EXPERTS INC.

     The undersigned, Philip S. Garon, Secretary of Wilsons The Leather Experts
Inc., a Minnesota corporation (the "Corporation"), hereby certifies (i) that
Section 1 of Article 3 of the Corporation's Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation has been amended, effective at the close of business on March 15,
2000 (the "Effective Time"), to read in its entirety as follows:

                         "ARTICLE 3 - AUTHORIZED SHARES

     SECTION 1. AUTHORIZED CAPITAL STOCK.

          The aggregate number of shares of stock which the corporation is
     authorized to issue is 160,000,000 shares, consisting of 150,000,000 shares
     of common stock, par value $.01 (the "Common Stock"), and 10,000,000 shares
     of preferred stock, par value $.01 (the "Preferred Stock"). The shares of
     Preferred Stock and Common Stock are sometimes collectively referred to
     herein as the "capital stock". The shares of Preferred Stock may be issued
     by the Board of Directors of the corporation from time to time in one or
     more series, each of such series to have such relative rights, voting
     power, preferences and restrictions as adopted by the Board of Directors of
     the corporation."

(ii) that such amendment has been adopted in accordance with the requirements
of, and pursuant to, Chapter 302A of the Minnesota Statutes; (iii) that such
amendment was adopted pursuant to Section 302A.402, Subd. 3, of the Minnesota
Statutes in connection with a three-for-two division of the Corporation's Common
Stock; and (iv) that such amendment will not adversely affect the rights or
preferences of the holders of outstanding shares of any class or series of the
Corporation and will not result in the percentage of authorized shares of any
class or series that remains unissued after such division exceeding the
percentage of authorized shares of that class or series that were unissued
before the division.

     The division giving rise to the amendment set forth above concerns a
three-for-two division of the Common Stock of the Corporation. Such division is
being effected as follows:

     (i) Effective at the Effective Time, each share of Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time will be split and divided into one and


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one-half shares of Common Stock of the Corporation, par value $0.01 per share,
all of which shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;

     (ii) Each stock certificate representing a share or shares of Common Stock
of the Corporation immediately prior to the Effective Time shall continue to
represent the same number of shares following the Effective Time;

     (iii) A stock certificate or certificates representing one additional share
of the authorized but previously unissued Common Stock of the Corporation, par
value $0.01 per share, for each two shares of Common Stock of the Corporation
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be mailed or delivered
on March 15, 2000 or as soon thereafter as practicable to each shareholder of
record entitled to receive such stock certificate or certificates. The record
date for determining the shareholders of record entitled to receive such stock
certificate or certificates shall be the close of business on February 29, 2000.
With respect to each two shares of Common Stock, if any, that are first issued
and become outstanding after the close of business on February 29, 2000, but
prior to the Effective Time and remain outstanding at the Effective Time, the
stock certificate for the additional share resulting from the division of any
such shares of Common Stock shall be mailed or delivered to the first holder of
record to whom such shares of Common Stock were issued; and

     (iv) Notwithstanding anything stated in the preceding resolutions, in the
event that the division of shares would otherwise result in an additional
fractional share being issued pursuant to the immediately preceding resolution
as a result of holders of record of Common Stock at the close of business on
February 29, 2000 (or holders of shares of Common Stock that are first issued
after February 29, 2000) holding a number of shares (prior to the stock split)
not evenly divisible by two, such fractional share shall be rounded up to a
whole share of Common Stock (on a post-division basis) and no fractional share
or cash in lieu of the fractional share will be mailed or delivered pursuant to
the immediately preceding resolution or otherwise.

     The foregoing Articles of Amendment shall take effect at the Effective Time
previously stated herein.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have subscribed my name this 17th day of February,
2000.

                                                /s/ Philip S. Garon
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                                   Philip S. Garon

<PAGE>

                              ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT
                                       OF
                 AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
                                       OF
                        WILSONS THE LEATHER EXPERTS INC.


     The undersigned, Philip S. Garon, Secretary of Wilsons The Leather Experts
Inc., a Minnesota corporation (the "Corporation"), hereby certifies that the
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation (the "Amended
and Restated Articles") have been amended as follows:

     (i) Section 2(a)(ii) of Article 3 of the Amended and Restated Articles is
hereby deleted.

     (ii) Section 2(a)(iii) of Article 3 of the Amended and Restated Articles is
hereby renumbered to be Section 2(a)(ii).

     (iii) A new Article 5 of the Amended and Restated Articles is hereby added
to read in its entirety as follows:


                         "ARTICLE 5 - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

     SECTION 1. NUMBER AND CLASSES OF DIRECTORS. The business and affairs of the
corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of a Board of Directors
consisting of not less than five nor more than eleven members. The number of
directors may be increased or decreased by the shareholders or by the Board of
Directors from the number of directors on the Board of Directors immediately
prior to the increase or decrease; provided, however, that any change by the
shareholders in the number of directors on the Board of Directors (including,
without limitation, changes at annual meetings of shareholders) shall be
approved by the affirmative vote of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of
the voting power of all shares of capital stock of the corporation entitled to
vote, voting together as a single class, unless such change shall have been
approved prior to, on or after the effective date of this Article 5 by a
majority of the entire Board of Directors. If such change shall not have been so
approved by the shareholders or by the Board of Directors, the number of
directors shall remain the same. The directors shall be divided into three
classes, designated Class I, Class II and Class III. Each class shall consist,
as nearly as may be possible, of one-third of the total number of directors
constituting the entire Board of Directors.

     SECTION 2. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS; VACANCIES. At the annual meeting of
shareholders of the corporation held in 2002, Class I directors shall be elected
for a one-year term, Class II directors shall be elected for a two-year term and
Class III directors shall be elected for a three-year term. At each succeeding
annual meeting of shareholders of the corporation beginning with the annual
meeting held in 2003, successors to the class of directors whose term expires at
that annual meeting shall be elected for a three-year term. If the number of
directors is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned among the
classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal
as possible, and any additional director of any class elected

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to fill a vacancy resulting from an increase in such class shall hold office for
a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class even if that
term shall extend beyond the next annual meeting of shareholders. In no case
will a decrease in the number of directors shorten the term of any incumbent
director. A director shall hold office until the annual meeting for the year in
which the director's term expires and until a successor shall be elected and
qualify, subject, however, to prior death, resignation, retirement,
disqualification or removal from office. Removal of a director from office
(including a director named by the Board of Directors to fill a vacancy or newly
created directorship) during the term of the director, with or without cause,
shall require the affirmative vote of not less than seventy-five percent (75%)
of the voting power of all shares of capital stock of the corporation entitled
to vote, voting together as a single class. Any vacancy on the Board of
Directors that results from an increase in the number of directors may be filled
by a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, and any other vacancy
occurring in the Board of Directors may be filled by a majority of the directors
then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.
Any director elected to fill a vacancy not resulting from an increase in the
number of directors shall have the same remaining term as that of such
director's predecessor even if that term shall extend beyond the next annual
meeting of shareholders.

     SECTION 3. PREFERRED STOCK. Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the
holders of any one or more classes or series of Preferred Stock issued by the
corporation shall have the right, voting separately by class or series, to elect
directors at a regular or special meeting of shareholders, the election, term of
office, filling of vacancies and other features of such directorships may be
governed by or pursuant to the applicable terms of these Articles of
Incorporation or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the
corporation pursuant to Article 3 of these Articles of Incorporation, and such
directors so elected shall not be divided into classes pursuant to this Article
5 unless expressly provided by such terms.

     SECTION 4. ELIGIBILITY. No person shall be eligible for election as a
director at any regular or special meeting of shareholders unless such person is
nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the By-Laws of the
corporation.

     SECTION 5. REPEAL. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles
of Incorporation (and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage or
separate class vote may otherwise be specified by law or these Articles of
Incorporation), the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than
seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting power of all shares of capital stock of
the corporation entitled to vote, voting together as a single class, shall be
required to amend or repeal, or adopt any provisions inconsistent with, this
Article 5."

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The undersigned further certifies (i) that the remainder of the Amended and
Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation are hereby unchanged and
(ii) that the foregoing amendments have been adopted pursuant to Chapter 302A of
the Minnesota Statutes.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have subscribed my name this 23rd day of May, 2002.


                                                  /s/ Philip S. Garon
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                                     Philip S. Garon