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This is how you take care of your designer bag
After weeks, months, and sometimes even years of saving, it’s finally here; your designer bag (read here why it’s a particularly good idea to buy a designer bag). Of course, it can come to bed with you the first week, but you have to take good care of it. That way it stays beautiful for a long time and retains its value. You can buy another one in a few years, after all.
Spray that thing
When you buy a Hermès bag, you get a rain jacket with it in case you unexpectedly end up in a Dutch shower. And you can take it to the Hermès cleaning service every now and then for a touch-up session. For most other bags, it’s advisable to spray them well beforehand. Be sure to consult the boutique about which product is best to use for the leather, as every bag is different.
Vul het op
If you’re not using the bag, you need to make sure it stays well-filled. Usually, you get the bag with special paper inside, I recommend keeping that and putting it in the bag when it goes into the closet for a while. If you don’t have that, you can fill it with towels or tea towels. This way, the bag keeps its shape and it also looks much nicer.
In the dustbag
Every designer bag comes with a dustbag. To protect against dust, but also against any sunlight that could discolor your bag. Always tuck it in.
Not on the ground
Parisian waiters completely understand and often slide an extra stool over for you to place your bag on or lay a linen napkin on the ground. Liesbeth demanded (and got) her own airplane seat for her new Proenza because she refused to put her little baby on the ground during takeoff and landing.
Have it cleaned
At Tod’s, they simply recommend Nivea cleansing milk to clean your bag, but there are also special oils that give the leather of your bag a new lease on life. My advice is to occasionally go back to the store where you bought it and ask the saleswoman about the best cleaning ritual. With a bit of luck, she’ll take it to the back and take care of it for you.
Keep your carte d’authenticité
If you ever want to sell it (or suppose it gets stolen), then you have proof that you owned a real designer piece.
Cherish it
My neighbor has a Ferrari (I love that, when I take a taxi to my house I always say very nonchalantly: “You can stop at the Ferrari”) and there were quite a few issues with it at first. The dealer’s response to the question of how that came about was: “But sir, this car is not meant to be driven every day!”
It’s a bit the same with a designer bag. It’s made of the best leather, but that also makes it a bit sensitive. Don’t take it out when it’s stormy, you’ll really see that on the leather. And on a beach day, keep it at home. You save it for those special moments, then it stays the most beautiful.
