I picked up my medium vachetta Borough today...my first reaction was that the leather is sooooo soft! I was expecting the vachetta to be stiff and rigid, but I was wrong. I got a chance to see the glove tanned leather as well, and while the glove tanned is smoother (obviously, as it is treated), the vachetta is much softer and "smooshier" (although that's not quite the right word to describe it because it's not like the bag has no structure). Because of how lightweight the leather is, the vachetta Borough feels quite a bit lighter than my pebbled Oxblood.
Here are a couple of photos in indirect sunlight. I love the color of brand new, untreated vachetta!
And modeling photos...I'm 5'7" and the shortest strap length still sits a bit low on me. Considering how I do not want this bag to rub against my clothing (which may have dirt I can't see), I will probably never (or rarely) use the strap anyway. If only my Oxblood medium had a strap this length!
After I placed my order, I did some research here on caring for an all-vachetta bag. I'm no stranger to Vachetta as I've used LV bags for almost 8 years now, and IMO the number one myth surrounding vachetta is that it's hard to care for and scary to use. What I've learned from carrying LV is that as long as you use the proper products, vachetta can withstand rain, snow, and regular use.
I wasn't going to treat my Borough prior to using, but since I'd like to enjoy it and not worry, I decided that I'd go ahead to protect it, and document it here to share with other PFers who may be considering getting a vachetta Borough or are unsure of how to pre-treat their Borough. Here are the things I used: and old clean cloth, Cadillac Boot and Shoe care, and Obenauf's LP (leather protector). These two products I purchased on eBay. I've used the Cadillac on delicate leathers like Chanel lambskin, and it works well at removing dirt while moisturizing. The Obeanauf LP is a product I learned about from this thread.
I recommend wearing clothes that are clean (although I wore jeans and no color transfer happened) and thoroughly washing your hands prior to touching your bag, otherwise, you'll be rubbing dirt onto your bag. Sit in a well lit area and place the bag on a clean surface (or do this on your dustbag).
The first thing is to apply the Cadillac Boot & Shoe all over the bag. Don't forget the little tassels, the inside leather pieces, and the strap. When you first apply the Cadillac, the leather will turn dark and may be patchy. Do not panic! This has happened with every single product I've ever used on vachetta (even Apple Garde) and once dried thoroughly, the patchiness goes away. You can either squeeze a bit of product on the cloth and rub it into the leather in a circular motion. The way I prefer is to squeeze the product (just a little bit) directly onto the leather, and then rubbing it in/smoothing it with the cloth. I do this in small palm-sized sections on the bag. If you do it the way I do, you may see a dark line where you squeezed on the product after you've rubbed it in. Once again, do not panic! In a couple of minutes, it will go away.
Here's an example...I just happened to squeeze a "D" on:
After rubbing in...dark line where I applied the leather cleaner:
After a minute or so, it's almost completely disappeared:
Continued on next post...
Here are a couple of photos in indirect sunlight. I love the color of brand new, untreated vachetta!
And modeling photos...I'm 5'7" and the shortest strap length still sits a bit low on me. Considering how I do not want this bag to rub against my clothing (which may have dirt I can't see), I will probably never (or rarely) use the strap anyway. If only my Oxblood medium had a strap this length!
After I placed my order, I did some research here on caring for an all-vachetta bag. I'm no stranger to Vachetta as I've used LV bags for almost 8 years now, and IMO the number one myth surrounding vachetta is that it's hard to care for and scary to use. What I've learned from carrying LV is that as long as you use the proper products, vachetta can withstand rain, snow, and regular use.
I wasn't going to treat my Borough prior to using, but since I'd like to enjoy it and not worry, I decided that I'd go ahead to protect it, and document it here to share with other PFers who may be considering getting a vachetta Borough or are unsure of how to pre-treat their Borough. Here are the things I used: and old clean cloth, Cadillac Boot and Shoe care, and Obenauf's LP (leather protector). These two products I purchased on eBay. I've used the Cadillac on delicate leathers like Chanel lambskin, and it works well at removing dirt while moisturizing. The Obeanauf LP is a product I learned about from this thread.
I recommend wearing clothes that are clean (although I wore jeans and no color transfer happened) and thoroughly washing your hands prior to touching your bag, otherwise, you'll be rubbing dirt onto your bag. Sit in a well lit area and place the bag on a clean surface (or do this on your dustbag).
The first thing is to apply the Cadillac Boot & Shoe all over the bag. Don't forget the little tassels, the inside leather pieces, and the strap. When you first apply the Cadillac, the leather will turn dark and may be patchy. Do not panic! This has happened with every single product I've ever used on vachetta (even Apple Garde) and once dried thoroughly, the patchiness goes away. You can either squeeze a bit of product on the cloth and rub it into the leather in a circular motion. The way I prefer is to squeeze the product (just a little bit) directly onto the leather, and then rubbing it in/smoothing it with the cloth. I do this in small palm-sized sections on the bag. If you do it the way I do, you may see a dark line where you squeezed on the product after you've rubbed it in. Once again, do not panic! In a couple of minutes, it will go away.
Here's an example...I just happened to squeeze a "D" on:
After rubbing in...dark line where I applied the leather cleaner:
After a minute or so, it's almost completely disappeared:
Continued on next post...
