Intro and disclaimer:
This is in response to the many young and/or first-time buyers of expensive bags (or other leather goods). Many DM me to ask advice, so I'm writing my advise here so I can direct in the future.
This thread is not meant for those brilliant tPFers who are seasoned experts who know exactly what to use, what to do and know how to treat leather, often restoring (sometimes bringing bags back from the dead) nor is it advise for members who have their own bag habits and are happy with them.
My advise is:
Just leave it.
Don't spray new leather*+.
Unless you want to soften the leather don't condition for a while either.
One of the issues is that commercial products make leather look 'good' quickly. Unfortunately, in the long run, those products can ruin our bags.
You love it, you've paid a fortune for it, so you automatically want to take care of it. Most designer leather is stamped, tumbled, rolled or given some other treatment that seals the outside. Raw leather like LV's Vachetta or equivalent is a different matter, but most commercial brands, be it a heritage leather-goods specialist like Gucci or fashion brand that sells accessories like Chanel, sell bags that will weather and age well without plastering instantly them with chemical/plasticised products.
Even natural finish leather needs to build-up resistance on its own without any chemicals added. The sprays that 'protect' usually contain a type of hairspray (which is a type of glue).
If it ever looks a bit dull brush it with a soft brush, it'll bring the shine back.
Don't use waterproofing products on leather, you a) ruin the chances of the leather developing waterproofing properties of its own b) sealing the leather will eventually dry out the leather, won't let the skin breath so risk mould forming inside the bag, and you won't be able to (re)condition (naturally: mink oil, lanolin, neatsfoot etc). Better to carry a large umbrella or waterproof bag if you think it will rain and need peace of mind.
With time your leather bag will usually protect itself from moisture and minor scuffs from all the everyday use that you will do as you carry, open and close and hold. Gently wiping with a soft cloth or gently dry-brushing if needed (dried mud, dust etc) will help your bag protect itself. Most commercial bags are already treated through the tanning and finishing process and don't need any further treatment - sometimes for years.
Leather is skin, a natural material and porous, water will be absorbed, as will oils. Plastic is a man-made and non-water permeable. The more you plasticise (silicones included) your new leather bag with most commercial sprays, creams and lotions, the more waterproof it will become, but the more it won't be able to 'breathe' too. Once leather cannot 'breathe' it will start to develop all kinds of problems. This is why Hermes tells customers that if an H bag is worked on 'after market' by a non-H person they will no longer touch it and why it offers aftercare spa services.
You do not need to condition a new bag. Natural oils will add moisture to a bag but they will often soften, darken, discolour and breakdown finishes if the bag has not had a chance to develop its own protection. People also tend to use too much. Some leathers have very delicate finishes, by over-conditioning you can remove or damage the finish.
If the leather gets very wet from heavy rain, make sure there are no droplets, but leave to dry naturally stuffed to shape inside with rolled/folded newspaper. Don't put away wet, leave it out.
One of the reasons I'm loathed to buy preloved is that people have ruined bags with commercial products. Even a professional seller bragged to me he uses furniture polish on pre-loved and vintage crocodile bags for sale. That's OK for vintage 'cheaper' ones that were plasticised with glazing (like patent), but will be disastrous down the line for those that were hand-polished for added shine and protection.
Doing nothing is 10 x better than doing something when wrong.
*Suede can be treated completely differently, when cleaned, it's resurfaced, so a light spray of waterproofing won't harm it because when professional cleaning happens, whoever does it, should re-waterproof it anyway.
+ Patent leather is plasticised as a finish. More water-repellent, this type of finish on a bag shouldn't be put away but used and left out as much as possible.
This is in response to the many young and/or first-time buyers of expensive bags (or other leather goods). Many DM me to ask advice, so I'm writing my advise here so I can direct in the future.
This thread is not meant for those brilliant tPFers who are seasoned experts who know exactly what to use, what to do and know how to treat leather, often restoring (sometimes bringing bags back from the dead) nor is it advise for members who have their own bag habits and are happy with them.
My advise is:
Just leave it.
Don't spray new leather*+.
Unless you want to soften the leather don't condition for a while either.
One of the issues is that commercial products make leather look 'good' quickly. Unfortunately, in the long run, those products can ruin our bags.
You love it, you've paid a fortune for it, so you automatically want to take care of it. Most designer leather is stamped, tumbled, rolled or given some other treatment that seals the outside. Raw leather like LV's Vachetta or equivalent is a different matter, but most commercial brands, be it a heritage leather-goods specialist like Gucci or fashion brand that sells accessories like Chanel, sell bags that will weather and age well without plastering instantly them with chemical/plasticised products.
Even natural finish leather needs to build-up resistance on its own without any chemicals added. The sprays that 'protect' usually contain a type of hairspray (which is a type of glue).
If it ever looks a bit dull brush it with a soft brush, it'll bring the shine back.
Don't use waterproofing products on leather, you a) ruin the chances of the leather developing waterproofing properties of its own b) sealing the leather will eventually dry out the leather, won't let the skin breath so risk mould forming inside the bag, and you won't be able to (re)condition (naturally: mink oil, lanolin, neatsfoot etc). Better to carry a large umbrella or waterproof bag if you think it will rain and need peace of mind.
With time your leather bag will usually protect itself from moisture and minor scuffs from all the everyday use that you will do as you carry, open and close and hold. Gently wiping with a soft cloth or gently dry-brushing if needed (dried mud, dust etc) will help your bag protect itself. Most commercial bags are already treated through the tanning and finishing process and don't need any further treatment - sometimes for years.
Leather is skin, a natural material and porous, water will be absorbed, as will oils. Plastic is a man-made and non-water permeable. The more you plasticise (silicones included) your new leather bag with most commercial sprays, creams and lotions, the more waterproof it will become, but the more it won't be able to 'breathe' too. Once leather cannot 'breathe' it will start to develop all kinds of problems. This is why Hermes tells customers that if an H bag is worked on 'after market' by a non-H person they will no longer touch it and why it offers aftercare spa services.
You do not need to condition a new bag. Natural oils will add moisture to a bag but they will often soften, darken, discolour and breakdown finishes if the bag has not had a chance to develop its own protection. People also tend to use too much. Some leathers have very delicate finishes, by over-conditioning you can remove or damage the finish.
If the leather gets very wet from heavy rain, make sure there are no droplets, but leave to dry naturally stuffed to shape inside with rolled/folded newspaper. Don't put away wet, leave it out.
One of the reasons I'm loathed to buy preloved is that people have ruined bags with commercial products. Even a professional seller bragged to me he uses furniture polish on pre-loved and vintage crocodile bags for sale. That's OK for vintage 'cheaper' ones that were plasticised with glazing (like patent), but will be disastrous down the line for those that were hand-polished for added shine and protection.
Doing nothing is 10 x better than doing something when wrong.
*Suede can be treated completely differently, when cleaned, it's resurfaced, so a light spray of waterproofing won't harm it because when professional cleaning happens, whoever does it, should re-waterproof it anyway.
+ Patent leather is plasticised as a finish. More water-repellent, this type of finish on a bag shouldn't be put away but used and left out as much as possible.
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