Spring Summer 2017

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

#2,148
Squirrel75 said:
I have to confess that I have been DYING for a DE bag with raisin or black accents. Since i've been paying attention , it seems like mono has all the fun. But I certainly agree that nothing beats the original!
Click to expand...
depending on the bag, sometimes I dont mind black leather on Mono instead of the vachetta but I deff prefer that gorgeous colorful leather on Epi and Emp bags instead on the canvas bags
 
  • Like
Reactions: uhpharm01 and reginaPhalange
#2,150
FortySomething said:
I know that Saint Laurent has done stuff in bonded leather (as, I am sure, have other designers). It seems an odd choice of material to me. But ... what do I know?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not quite sure how I feel about it either. I have to be honest - it's a cute bag, but the "bonded leather" doesn't really appeal to me LOL. But I am still curious to at least get a feel for it in the store.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Born4thjuly
#2,151
FortySomething said:
Excuse my ignorance - but what is bonded leather? Is it "leather paste" applied to canvas, or am I confusing it with something else?
Click to expand...
Yes - it's literally a leather paste applied to a canvas base, sometimes called regenerated leather. It's been used for decades in leather good manufacturing. It's particularly popular for creating long-wearing leather linings that are perfectly smooth and even.
 
  • Like
Reactions: the_baglover, Born4thjuly and Aliluvlv
#2,153
  • Like
Reactions: LGREER74
#2,156
catsinthebag said:
I tried on the denim Epi Speedy yesterday and wanted to share my thoughts.

First, for those of you wanting a structured bag, you're gonna love this one. It's VERY structured, to the point where I'd say it's a good thing the zipper goes down the sides a bit because otherwise, it would be difficult to get in and out of. The bottom corners are actually hard. I don't have any Epi pieces, so I'm not sure how it wears over time, but I have to imagine this bag will stay pretty stiff.

I was surprised when I first saw the denim, because the blue and white parts of the pattern were very distinct. Not sure how to explain this exactly, but to me, the denim Alma reads as blue, but on the Speedy (at least the one I saw) it read as blue bits and white bits. I'm not sure if this is because the Epi pattern runs diagonally rather than horizontally, but it was very striking to me. It does not look this distinct in any of the photos I've seen. Personally, I didn't care for it, but again, I don't know if they're all this way or if it was just the one my SA held for me.

While I appreciate the nod to the original design, the outside pocket on the end of the bag is pretty useless. It's small and tight, and the placement of the strap hardware makes is difficult to access. I would have rather had another interior pocket, or an outside pocket along the side of the bag like on the Empreinte version.

Overall, it's a well-made bag, and those in search of a lot of structure will be thrilled. It just wasn't for me.
Click to expand...

Thank you for this!
 
  • Like
Reactions: catsinthebag
#2,157
Wikipedia isn't the perfect source for information, but it should do in a crunch.

800px-Bonded_leather.jpg

An array of bonded leather swatches, in various colors and patterns.
​
"Bonded leather, also called reconstituted leather or blended leather, is a term used for a manufactured upholstery material which contains animal hide. It is made as a layered structure of a fiber or paper backer, a pulp made from shredded leather, and a polyurethane coating which is embossed with a leather-like texture. Related products, bicast leather or coated leather, are made by splitting, shaving, or grinding leather to reduce its thickness, and then laminating it."
​
"Lower-quality materials may suffer flaking of the surface material in as little as a few years, while better varieties are considered very durable and retain their pattern and color even during commercial use.[1] Because the composition of bonded leathers and related products varies considerably (and is sometimes atrade secret), it may be difficult to predict how a given product will perform over the course of time. There is a wide range in the longevity of bonded leathers and related products; some better-quality bonded leathers are claimed to be superior in durability over low-quality genuine leather."

"Possible advantages of bonded leather include:[citation needed]
  • Environmentally friendly – reuses leftover leather without extra farming[4]
  • Product consistency – no natural defects and minimal batch to batch variation
  • High cutting yield – cost efficient and reduces landfill waste
  • High durability and excellent flame retardancy (for some formulations)
  • Extensive design options – from leather effects to bold geometric designs
  • Does not develop a "patina", which may be desirable for applications where a consistent appearance is desired over the product lifetime.
Possible drawbacks include:[1][5]

  • Does not develop a "patina", which is sometimes desired from leather products for aesthetic reasons
  • Difficult or impossible to repair or recondition after wear or damage[6]
  • Outgassing and "sweating" of plasticizers and other chemicals from poorly formulated products."
Personally, I'm not too concerned about it. Saint Laurent uses bonded leather in some of their Sac de Jours. Burberry, Michael Kors and Tory Burch use it as well. And while the material doesn't exactly sound like something Vuitton should be using considering its place in the luxury market, Vuitton is in a position to be able to afford better quality materials than most fashion accessory brands. Whether their bonded leather products are better, the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. We won't know until someone has experience with them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LGREER74, foxylock, Sonmi999 and 3 others
#2,159
catsinthebag said:
I tried on the denim Epi Speedy yesterday and wanted to share my thoughts.

First, for those of you wanting a structured bag, you're gonna love this one. It's VERY structured, to the point where I'd say it's a good thing the zipper goes down the sides a bit because otherwise, it would be difficult to get in and out of. The bottom corners are actually hard. I don't have any Epi pieces, so I'm not sure how it wears over time, but I have to imagine this bag will stay pretty stiff.

I was surprised when I first saw the denim, because the blue and white parts of the pattern were very distinct. Not sure how to explain this exactly, but to me, the denim Alma reads as blue, but on the Speedy (at least the one I saw) it read as blue bits and white bits. I'm not sure if this is because the Epi pattern runs diagonally rather than horizontally, but it was very striking to me. It does not look this distinct in any of the photos I've seen. Personally, I didn't care for it, but again, I don't know if they're all this way or if it was just the one my SA held for me.

While I appreciate the nod to the original design, the outside pocket on the end of the bag is pretty useless. It's small and tight, and the placement of the strap hardware makes is difficult to access. I would have rather had another interior pocket, or an outside pocket along the side of the bag like on the Empreinte version.

Overall, it's a well-made bag, and those in search of a lot of structure will be thrilled. It just wasn't for me.
Click to expand...

Nice to hear your views! I didnt ask to see the denim and went straight for the black epi. I agree that the outside pocket is useless (I cant even stuff a cardholder in it without worrying it will drop out). I do quite enjoy the structured-ness of it but I sorta find it a little softer than I expected. I have carried it for a few days and it slightly sags with heavy things. I must caveat that I overloaded it as I needed to carry quite a bit of items these few days. I notice light creasing on the epi leather on 'stressed' areas and wonder if it will crack or become permanent. [emoji45]
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sonmi999 and uhpharm01
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top