What indicates a high quality bag?

[Greenredapple]

Also keep in mind that quality doesn't equal durability. A synthetic scarf will last longer and require less maintenance, but a silk scarf is higher quality. Bags and leathers are the same way. Just because the leather is thicker doesn't mean it's higher quality.

This! I love the look and the feel of aniline leather, which signifies quality and are sourced from the highest quality hide, but handbags made in aniline leather are delicate and so are a nightmare to use in the place where it snows and rains most of the year.. The most durable leather handbag in my wardrobe is leather satchel made from thick adult cowhide. This company that produced my satchel states that they use only cowhide produced as a by-product of the dairy and meat industry. Considered as lower grade hide since it's so thick but it's durable and indestructable in my experience.

For me good quality handbag indicators are the combination of clean and even resin glaze, stitching, leather, good lining, smooth zipper and hardware that doesnt chip easily. And to some extent interesting design, which is down to preferences. And durability is importantly factor to me.

 

[A bottle of Red]

Interesting what you say about differences in leather durability & toughness.
I have some old furniture made with lower grade leather & the leather is still smooth & tough.
The newer furniture made with higher grade leather has started to soften & sag a bit. I thought that was because the leather was defective, but then I realized it's higher quality so it's softer & more pliable.

I guess that might be true with the bags too.
However, durability is a big deal for me as I don't baby my seasonal bags much.

I'm ok with coach but I wanted to step up my bag, but wanted to get more clarity first.

 

[Veroyoga]

You just learned a very valuable lesson. I regard Coach as a high quality brand. Their leather is great and they hold up well. Some people in these forums don’t think highly of Coach because they’re snobs and Coach isn’t as expensive as Fendi or Ferragamo.

Dooney and Bourke is another one of the brands that many on these forums dismiss because they’re not “premiere” brands (or prices) but you’ll see they’re excellent quality. I would also put Fossil in this category of “good bang for your buck” brands. You can get an excellent quality bag without paying thousands of dollars if you’re not concerned with impressing people with how expensive your bag is.

Fossil and Dooney&Bourke are so good quality for the price! I shop mostly second hand and never hesitate with a Fossil or D&B leather bag. I would also had The Trend in that category.

 

[whateve]

Fossil and Dooney&Bourke are so good quality for the price! I shop mostly second hand and never hesitate with a Fossil or D&B leather bag. I would also had The Trend in that category.

Fossil saves money by using artificial leather for some parts, like the insides of wallets, or possibly some of the smaller pieces on a bag. I like Fossil bags. I don't know if it is the dye they use or the way it is processed but they fade quickly and don't respond well to conditioning. They also sometimes use glue in the construction. I'm sure other brands do too. The use of glue means you can't wash the bag to rehab it as the glue will melt and stain.

 

[Bereal]

I just bought my first Ferragamo Boxyz. At first impression it looks amazing. The leather, the stitching is beautiful and the hardware is solid. If I compare it to my Mulberry Bayswater zipped, the hardware is really very different. The hardware on the Bayswater looks cheaper though I love the texture and firmness of the Bayswater leather. I think you have to go in and look at a variety of bags and not the names and decide which one suits you. I have liked LV canvas bags like the Croisette a lot but I didn’t like the feel of the Sienna when I tried it on. I love my LV Alma épi leather but my V tote empreinte doesn’t seem so well made. I love my Chanel classic flap. As you can see, I think you have to try out the bags and figure it out. I agree that they are all outrageously priced. I have bought Coach and Fossil bags and loved them just as much. However, now when I compare the quality you can tell the difference in the leather and hardware.

 

[Stefan91]

Rachat de crédit trésorerie travaux
[QUOTE = "leechiyong, message: 33877051, membre: 462650"]
J'adore Coach; ils offrent des sacs incroyablement robustes et font les bases incroyablement bien. De vraies marques haut de gamme offrent des nuances subtiles dans les détails. Ils veulent des choses comme la peinture des bords entre les canapés pour qu'elle ne soit pas si épaisse ou passe le temps à coudre le sac à la main. Les lignes qui offrent ces types de détails sont cependant rares et souvent les prix augmentent de manière exponentielle.

La plupart des grandes marques s'appuient plutôt sur le design. Je n'ai aucun problème avec ça. Autant la fonctionnalité est importante, je collectionne les sacs car ils provoquent quelque chose en moi. Je reconnais parfois que je paie principalement pour le marketing, mais si je l'aime, je ne vais pas me laisser décourager.

Gardez également à l'esprit que la qualité n'est pas synonyme de durabilité. Un foulard synthétique durera plus longtemps et nécessitant moins d'entretien, mais un foulard en soie est de meilleure qualité. Les sacs et les cuirs sont pareils. Ce n'est pas parce que le cuir est plus épais qu'il est de meilleure qualité.

Cela dit, si vous êtes satisfait de Coach, pourquoi payer la prime pour des sacs vous ne vous souciez pas autant?
[/CITATION]
Salut, je ne partage pas vraiment votre opinion sur la qualité n'est pas synonyme de durabilité; la majorité dure

 

[Amazona]

What I do:
- look at the overall picture; does the bag look straight and neat or does it seem crooked or carelessly made?
- take a look at the stitching; is it straight, is it tight, are there any loose thread ends, do the stiching patterns match?
- feel the leather to see if it's good quality, look for any unevenness or color faults.
- look at the inside; what's the lining made of and is it well fitted, see what the stitching on the pockets looks like, do the seams look tight?
- see how the handles or straps are fastened; do they feel secure and sturdy?
- how is the HW? Is it good quality and well fastened?
I feel like this is enough to make sure a bag is well made. Let's put it this way - after doing all this, I don't think I've ever been negatively surprised of the quality of a bag or a SLG.

 

[mocktail]

This company that produced my satchel states that they use only cowhide produced as a by-product of the dairy and meat industry. Considered as lower grade hide since it's so thick but it's durable and indestructable in my experience.

Do you mind sharing the brand? I'd love to check them out!

 

[Christofle]

So I'm more confused now.
I took the advice and got to examine a few different bags in some boutiques .
The BV bags were not my style, but the leather was amazing. Thick, plush & glossy.
It felt like high quality leather.

However, some other "high end" bags did not seem high quality. At all.

The clasp was crooked on a bag from another brand (that was mentioned as being high quality) I looked at. The leather felt even thinner and less soft than the coach outlet bag I was carrying; the strap looked like it was about to tear any moment & the lining looked like the cheapest leather.

I later examined my outlet bag & yes it's lined with fabric and has corner wear; but otherwise it's in excellent shape after years of heavy use. The strap edges are all still perfectly finished with the black sealer (not sure what it's called sorry), the stitching is perfect, no scratches on any hardware. And this is a lower level outlet bag.
So again, I'm puzzled why ferragamo/fendi/etc is known as high quality but coach is lesser? What am I not understanding?

Many people have brought this up in prior responses but I think one trap that we can fall for as customers is to believe that higher quality translates to a more durable product.

Saddle-stitching can prevent unraveling, thicker wax coated thread prevents the thread from drying out and fraying, leather linings in suede may be seen as higher quality but can stain far more easily than their fabric and exotics may require more careful maintenance than say a thick cowhide.

Now when it comes to premiere fashion brands price does not necessarily mean higher quality. Many have switched from plated solid brass to coloured base metals.

As for Coach, the 1941 line represents an outstanding value. The rogue was very aggressively priced compared to many of its competitors. It offered a thick leather outer, suede or glove tanned lining, solid hardware and many interesting finishes each season. My gripe with Coach is that their product can be inconsistent. Their belts used to be 1941 branded and came with a thick pebbled leather but they have since switched for a thinner plasticky one.

As an aside from quality, one must note that Coach and many contemporary brands are manufactured in the Far East where labour costs are different.

Moreover, Coach offers fantastic pricing for their exotics but do not offer a CITES certificate unlike say Delvaux who can prove that their exotic skins were harvested according to regulations.

Lastly, some other examples:
A timex will be far more durable than say a Breguet, since it won’t have its timekeeping ability thrown off by shocks (rapid movement in sports) or magnetic fields (laptop / cellphone)

Or leather soled shoes that are far more susceptible to wear than a composite one!

 

[Stephanieg218]

I know this thread is a few months old, but reading the comments has been educating. Until now, in my mind quality also meant durability which I realize now is not necessarily correct. I have a couple Coach and Dooney bags that are great quality imo, as well as a Loewe Puzzle bag. I hope the Puzzle bag is durable as it was very expensive by my standards. I have cracked canvas on a LV speedyb25 from 2016. For the price point I would have expected an LV bag to last longer, especially since I’m quite particular with my bags. I think with many brands we’re paying for the brand and I’ve reached a point where I’m just not sure I want to give my hard earned money to a brand that can’t hold up for more than 4 years. I hope more people add to this thread to keep the conversation and education going. I love to hear what others think and experience.

 

[A bottle of Red]

I know this thread is a few months old, but reading the comments has been educating. Until now, in my mind quality also meant durability which I realize now is not necessarily correct. I have a couple Coach and Dooney bags that are great quality imo, as well as a Loewe Puzzle bag. I hope the Puzzle bag is durable as it was very expensive by my standards. I have cracked canvas on a LV speedyb25 from 2016. For the price point I would have expected an LV bag to last longer, especially since I’m quite particular with my bags. I think with many brands we’re paying for the brand and I’ve reached a point where I’m just not sure I want to give my hard earned money to a brand that can’t hold up for more than 4 years. I hope more people add to this thread to keep the conversation and education going. I love to hear what others think and experience.

Yes I also equate high quality with durability.
But maybe not- after all is a silk blouse as durable as a polyester one?
And if not do I buy the silk blouse?
Also, sadly it seems like brand name doesn't always mean high quality either (look at all the complaint threads on here ) . Tbh im as confused as ever.

 

[leechiyong]

I think it's also worth evaluating what one's definition of durable is and how expectations shift as prices increase. Does it mean scratch-resistant? Low maintenance? Waterproof? Remains rigid? My work bag, a Coach Rogue Brief, is one I'd consider incredibly durable. It's still as functionally sound as the day I bought it. However, it slouches, has some wrinkling, obvious scratches, wear on the edges and the handles, and the black copper plating on the feet has worn so the copper color and silver base metal comes through. I've yet to find a bag with colored hardware where wear doesn't become an issue after use, regardless of price. It's a known fragile material to me though. I don't think less of brands with higher price points where chipping/peeling happens, but it does impact my willingness to spend more knowing this.

Purse buying depends on so many different, personal variables, so I'm a big proponent of buying what's right for the individual. There's nothing wrong with not wanting to spend more because it doesn't offer things that matter to you. There's also nothing wrong with spending more because it does. People have different tastes and priorities and they can vary item to item.

 

[queenowl]

I am glad this thread was resurrected. I just bought a bag from The Sak because I am super impressed with the values of the company and how prominently and clearly they represent them. I've started to become more concerned with this aspect of the industry because I started to dig into things like materials sourcing and the ethics of leather and labor issues in the fashion and handbag industry. The bag itself is a combination of leather and hand crochet work done in Bali. It's gorgeous, the bag is super light and comfortable, and very pretty. The leather isn't thick, and I suspect it might be top grain, though I'm not certain. I love Dooney for the quality but as a general rule they are way too structured for me. I like squishy leather, and Dooney tends to take too much time to get even close to that. Wanderer's Travel Co out of Australia is VERY high quality, gorgeous squishy leather, and their customer service is amazing as well. it's an obscure small brand but I'm finding that the smaller brands to a much better job of quality control and ethical business practices than the larger more well known. The last thing I want to do is spend $1000 on a bag that come to find out was put together by child labor somewhere.

 

[Veroyoga]

In QC, Canada, we have 2 brands that do soft buttery leather handbags, Rudsak and M0851. This last one is still manufacturing bags in Montreal. When Rudsak started in 1994, they used to manufacture bags and leather goods here. But they started to outsource along the way. In the local preloved market they are very popular.
Another brand I like to find second hand is Italian based The Trend.

 

[Veroyoga]

Just found this one preloved last week on marketplace for 45$. It's like new and comes with a shoulder strap that is also removable when not using it, so when one strap is in use the other one is not getting in the way. It also has the tiny flashlight inside to look into the bag in the dark. Don't have to worry if it's authentic or not! Yé! Can't resist a fringe bag...