Bag
Facts About Leather Bags
Facts About Leather Handbags
What’s so special about leather handbags?
Leather is created through a tanning process of skins from an animal. While cows are the most common source of skin for leather, leather also comes from the skins of pigs, goats, sheep, alligators, ostriches and lizards. Leather is durable and easy to care for and ages gracefully. Because of its resiliency and diversity, leather is a popular choice for handbags.
Handbag fads come and go, but a fine leather handbag never goes out of style. If you think leather handbags might be unimaginative, think again. Modern tanneries produce leather in hundreds of different ways creating almost unlimited choices in leather handbag finishes and colors. Going for an interview or attending a lunch with the board of directors? Sophisticated and professional, a black Italian leather handbag is always a good choice. Want to make a fashion statement? Heads will turn when you walk into the room with a chic red Tignanello leather purse or a supple indigo Osprey shoulder Stone Mountain leather handbag.
Once upon a time, tanning leather was a very time-consuming and expensive process and leather handbags were out of reach for many budgets. Today, modern tanning processes make owning fine leather handbags in a variety of styles and colors affordable. Treat yourself to several colors and styles.
Leather Used for Handbags
What kind of leather is used in leather handbags?
There are many grades and types of leather used in handbags. Here are three basic types of leather used in fine leather handbags:
Full-grain leather is made from the finest natural hides with no imperfections. This natural grain is extremely durable. It simply does not wear out and over time develops a rich patina that increases natural beauty. Full-grained calfskin handbags are made from the skins of young cattle and are prized for their smooth texture and fine quality.
Corrected-grain leather (also called top-grain leather) is smooth on one side and fuzzy on the other side. On the smooth side, the natural grain of the hide is sanded off and an artificial grain is applied with a stamping process. This process hides imperfections and adds interest to the leather finish.
Suede is an interior split of the hide. A velvet-like, soft and fuzzy look and feel makes suede a popular choice for leather hobo handbags and backpack style handbags. Check out suede shoulder bags, suede satchels and suede handbags.
In addition to these three basic types of leather, don’t overlook exotic leather handbags such as ostrich, python, crocodile, lizard, stingray and many others.
Image from Bottega Veneta
Related pages: Types of Bags, Bag Maintenance
