1. It's not made of leather. It's not even made of good faux leather.
I'm not talking about evening bags, which can be made out of everything from silk to hard plastic and still look totally luxe. I'm talking about everyday bags made out of canvas and polyester and polyurethane.
Spring for real leather whenever possible.
I'm not talking about evening bags, which can be made out of everything from silk to hard plastic and still look totally luxe. I'm talking about everyday bags made out of canvas and polyester and polyurethane.
Spring for real leather whenever possible.
If you must go faux, make sure it has a rich texture. Texture is essential if you want to get the look of real leather on a budget. Embossed and suede faux leathers are the most consistently real-looking. There are good pebbled and smooth faux leathers out there, but there are also tons of bad ones. If you look at a smooth or pebbled leather and it looks fake to you, just stay away. And keep in mind that rich jewel tones and black tend to look better in faux leather than bright colors or pastels.
Be especially wary of brown faux leather. Ninety-nine times out of 100, flat, brown faux leather just looks cheap. Stay away from bright caramel browns in favor of richer chocolate browns.
2. It's obviously a knockoff of a trendy, high-end designer bag.
Not being able to afford a $2,700 bag is nothing to be ashamed of.
Not being able to afford a $2,700 bag is nothing to be ashamed of.
3. It's dirty and/or falling apart.
Those little threads sticking out where the two pieces of faux leather are sewn together are way more noticeable than you think. So is that pen mark on the front and those dirty, discolored corners.
Those little threads sticking out where the two pieces of faux leather are sewn together are way more noticeable than you think. So is that pen mark on the front and those dirty, discolored corners.
If you are really hard on your bags, stick to black or other dark colors that won't show dirt so easily. When you see a loose thread, trim it. When you see two pieces of leather pulling apart, glue them back together. When you get a mark on your bag, clean it before it can set in
4. It's covered in contrast stitching.
Cheap brands try to pass off obvious stitching as some sort style-enhancing design detail, but it's not. It's distracting. Just because your eye is drawn to something doesn't mean it's good. "Expensive" is all about subtlety.
When stitches are visible, they should be straight, small, and unobtrusive.
Cheap brands try to pass off obvious stitching as some sort style-enhancing design detail, but it's not. It's distracting. Just because your eye is drawn to something doesn't mean it's good. "Expensive" is all about subtlety.
When stitches are visible, they should be straight, small, and unobtrusive.
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