Hello
@Prada Prince! Loved reading your post - many of us here don’t have dozens of H bags, work hard to earn them, and we treasure each one. We all take care of them in our own idiosyncratic ways, and I love hearing from each of you!
I’m with you - I take reasonable precautions, but I use each and every bag I have, H or otherwise. Like you, I use organizers or inserts - primarily for gentle shaping of my bags as I’m not a “floopy slouchy” kind of girl.
Although like you, I don’t want anny Epsom leather even though it maintains structure so well, I love Togo, clemence and my all time favorite, chèvre.
My favorite line in this thread is yours, and I laughed out loud when I read it “I use bag organisers in the bag to preserve their shape as much as possible, and also to prevent the bags from opening up a portal to the netherworld when I need to dig through the bag to find something.”
I sometimes wonder how when I have such a limited space in which to find an item I KNOW is in my bag and likely in a pochette, I cannot find it! It must go through the portal for a moment and return after I’ve fussed about with my phone flashlight. I also think in winter my coat pockets must have a smaller but just as effective a portal. Thanks for the laugh - and the most ”reasonable” explanation I’ve heard for losing things in one’s bags.
Pochettes, I must admit, are also with me in every larger bag, inside the insert (MaiTai’s are my favorites) for further protection and organization. I also happen to love tiny pochettes, inside medium pochettes, inside larger pochette’s, inside my bags (what a geek). During the pandemic, I discovered LV canvas (knew about it before of course, but I started searching for non-leather smaller pieces to carry when I had to go out due to hand sanitizer flying about). LV is certainly a pochette maker of every imaginable size, color, print etc. and I find their pochettes extremely functional. I’m one of the few here seemingly that needs to carry pens and pencils. To protect my bags, I zip writing utensils, though NEVER a fountain pen! inside a canvas pochette from LV, that then goes into my insert and I remove the pochette and keep it well away from my bags when using. If dog forbid something leaks, the canvas pouch will contain it (as will the insert) and I will find the leak some distance from my bags. I’m ok sacrificing a small canvas pochette from LV, but not my gorgeous H leather. Never had a leak yet!
As far as storage of my leather H, I am one of those folks that loves to see my collection, both to enjoy the craftsmanship even when not using, and so that I will see what I have and use and rotate more often. My B’s and K have a “vented” lucite storage box for light and dust protection each, other bags are displayed elsewhere. I do use either a bag pillow or my inserts to maintain shape. My LV bags purchased during the pandemic are also out, and I often switch to canvas when I know there might be a foreseeable mess (eg when getting my hair cut and colored - though I protect canvas as well). I don’t worry about dust too much on non-H handbags, as I dust frequently and we have a serious ventilation system that removes lots of dust from the air. If I put all my bags in a dust bag, I would forget some and not use bags I love very often. I know some here use a “cost per wear” metric, but for me that matters less than “do I love my bag“ and even if I use less but some, I’m good with that. I take joy in handbags, my obsession started at 5 with a snappy little top handle number made in red patent leather that matched my red patent Mary Jane’s
I was a goner at that point!
When I‘m out to eat or to coffee or drinks with a bag, I try to put on a seat beside me, or if a booth it’s easy to keep off the floor. I have a small silk scarf my DH got from a friend that doesn’t suit me to wear, I carry it in my bag so I can throw it over my bag for protection from me primarily. I don’t put my bag on the floor except in my own home, and if I travel with an H I use a le pliage tote with my H inside for the travel bins at security, or the floor under the seat. I don’t like my bags in overhead compartments as I use the contents during flight and I want them very nearby. I also have a Clipa ring if I want to hang the bag during a meal.
I love and use twillys sometimes, I love H silks and it’s another event to enjoy silks. My clochette (if the bag has one) is usually on my bag, but never a swinging lock or bag charm. I do travel with the lock and key and if out with a shoulder bag for sightseeing or shopping, i cinch and lock the bag for security. Otherwise locks are in their dust bags at home. If I’m carrying an Evelyne, it’s always crossbody in front as it’s open top. But I also carry an evie tpm for dog walking and love the utility and the nice feeling that I use my H for my real life as it is every single day (though I do put it behind me when cleaning up after my dog to avoid a yucky accident!!)
Finally, I remove any/all plastic from my hardware immediately once a bag is truly mine, except from the feet of any footed bag. I love the gorgeous hw, and I simply wipe it with a cloth used for cleaning eyeglasses periodically. The minor scratches don’t bother me. They are my bags and I love using them!! I don’t treat any of my bags with anything, and haven’t needed a spa yet. Guess I baby a bit, but I’m ok with that. I’m careful with all my things.
Wow, what an interesting thread. It’s provoked lots of thought about all the things I do both to enjoy my bags, and to keep them in good condition. How fun to hear from others and if there’s anywhere to talk about this stuff, it is here on tpf!! Happy Monday all!
Bags are meant to be used, not kept in a glass display case or handled like egg shells. Even supposedly delicate leathers like Swift or Gulliver or even Box are much more robust than many seem to believe.
