At least once you will have happened to want to buy a bag, especially online and ask yourself if this was really real leather. Nowadays, in fact, it is absolutely not easy to recognize the difference between leather, eco-leather or even plastic!

In this article, Florence Leather Market, wants to give you some tips to be able to recognize a genuine leather bag from those in any other cheap synthetic material.

FIRST TIPS: attention to the smell!

Smell is the sense that can help us most in this mission…

Real leather has a unique and inimitable smell, different from all other materials, so it is easily recognizable. 

If the bag has an acrid odor, typical of leather goods, it will stick in your mind and nostrils. When it comes to synthetic materials you have to deal with neutral odors or they could even refer to oil and gasoline, this is because synthetic materials come from the processing of polyurethane and plastic.

SECOND TIPS: use the touch

One of the characteristics of real leather are its softness and its malleability, essential characteristics that can be found in all bags and accessories in real leather of Florence Leather Market on our website.

Genuine leather bags last perfectly for years, just take care of them with a specific moisturizer or with a neutral polish to be able to remove the imperfections due to wear and use over time.

This is not the case at all for handbags made of faux leather or synthetic, which tend to be easily damaged leading to those unsightly cracks on the fabric that surely you will have seen at least once.

THIRD TIPS: weight

Surely you happened to pick up a bag and think it was incredibly heavy even though it was empty? Well…this is not always a bad sign! When we talk about genuine leather handbag and Made in Italy quality, heaviness is a feature that is impossible to give up, especially if the chosen bag is enriched with details and pockets.

FOURTH TIPS: pay attention to the label

An important help is given to us by the label: the logo that declares “real leather” (or 100% VP according to agreements with brands) must be imprinted on the leather, printed or glued on each product and must also be indicated on the inner label where the other materials used are also described such as for lining, metals, closures etc…

Florence Leather Market is your point of reference if you are looking for high quality Italian leather products, made by artisans in Italy, we use only the best leathers, dyed in Italy and worked with care to offer you luxury products at an affordable price.

On our website you can find a wide selection of genuine leather items, the result of the best Made in Italy craftsmanship: leather bags suitable for all occasions, travel bags, messenger bags, clutch bags, hand or shoulder bags and many genuine leather accessories to complete your every look.

Normally the pochette is not chosen as an everyday bag, but more for special evenings or on special occasions.

In recent years, however, its use is having a particularly significant trend change.

In this article we will know together its history and some tips to best bring this accessory.

Where does the clutch come from?

Often, this elegant but small accessory is confused with the other small handbags on the market, thus losing its true identity.

Originally this model of bag is almost never equipped with handles and the pochette is simply carried by hand. 

At Florence Leather Market, instead, we created “Pepe” a clutch version with a click closure and an adjustable strap that will allow you to wear it comfortably at the waist or over the shoulder for a casual-chic look at all times of the day!

As we have already pointed out, one of the main features of the pochettes is precisely the small size compared to the other models of bags. The clutch bags made available by our store, however, in addition to being made of genuine leather are also meticulously made to ensure comfort: Florence Leather Market combines style with the practicality sought after in a bag. For this reason, many models of pochettes offered by us are enriched by pockets with zippers and compartments for cards or documents. 

HISTORY OF THE CLUTCH

Now we know the story of this fantastic accessory…how the pochette was born? What is its history and when did it appear?

The origins of this accessory date back to the Middle Ages, when we have the first evidence of the use, both by women and men, of small bags (usually silk) to carry valuables. At that time, however, it was not yet an accessory to be put in plain sight but to keep fastened to the waist or hidden under the coat.

The importance of the pochette took a whole other value around the end of the ‘700 when it became a real female accessory, transforming from a practical object to a decorative accessory.

The first to use it were the French women, to carry the objects they considered essential such as needle and thread or a bottle of perfume…

With the passing of the years and the advent of women’s emancipation, bags began to become more capacious to help women in their travels and work and it will be around the 1920s that clutches returned in vogue to accompany the elegant outfits of the time.

Just in these years, the pochette became indispensable : the most beloved accessory by the women of high society.

Its popularity has never stopped and the clutch is, even nowadays, an essential accessory for all women able to adapt perfectly to any type of look.

HOW TO MATCH THE CLUTCH?

We discovered together what a clutch is and what its origins are, now let’s see how to wear it and match it to the various looks.

The most classic and elegant way to wear a pochette is definitely to hold it by hand and it perfectly matches an elegant outfit suitable for an important event.

But there are also other models, such as those offered by Florence Leather Market, that allow you to wear a fabulous clutch bag even over the shoulder or under the arm like our “Be Exclusive“, “Pochette”, “Elvira”, “Giuliana” and many more…

If I were you I would take a look at the Clutch section on our website, we have a wide range of products, all Made in Italy quality!

Over the centuries, the master craftsmen have used different tools for the leather’s processing, thus achieving the perfection of processing: from tanning to finishing.

The techniques have evolved over the years, thanks to the invention of increasingly efficient machines and tools that can simplify or help the work of the artisan.

Florence Leather Market will try to briefly introduce the evolutionary processes regarding the processing of leather and the tools used by our Florentine artisans.

The tools evolution

Leather processing has undergone several changes. Processes have not always been like the ones we know today; this evolution has brought more safety in the working environment and also better results in terms of article accuracy and speed in creating it.

Starting from the first steps that a craftsman must make, we talk about the cutting of the leather.

This procedure, in the past, was carried out by hand through a blade, obtaining a result that was not precise and defined. Nowadays, however, the cutting of leather for any article you want to create, is done by a machine that allows you to get clean and precise cuts: the slice.

This is then also rounded and redefined edge beveler, whose name effectively explains its function.

The sewing machine

Another machine came to the aid of master craftsmen by simplifying their work is definitely the sewing machine.

This phase of processing, a few years ago, it was possible to perform it only by hand with needle and thread; it could represent a difficult task for craftsmen if they found themselves working a harder and thicker leather, also leading to a mediocre resistance of the article created.

At the present time, this working phase, however, requires a component of manual work but is facilitated by the use of modern sewing machines.

Other work’s tools…

Two other very important machines during processing are the curved needle, which is used for the stitching of the corners of all leather goods and the pyrograph, a tool used by craftsmen that allows you to make incisions and decorations on leather.

The last tools we want to talk about in this article are the die-cutting pliers and the brush; the first is used to make various types of changes on the leather because it allows to create holes in the belts and shoulder straps; the second tool is one of the most used because it distributes and spreads the glue between several pieces of leather allowing you to create more complex products that require the use of more pieces of leather.

Care for details

However, there is also the other side of the coin…

Nowadays, due to the continuous technological innovation, many leather goods manufacturers no longer commission items to master craftsmen and tend to completely entrust the work processes to machines that do not require a large manual intervention.

As a result, this type of decision has led to neglect the true founding values of craftsmanship: the care and attention devoted to the creative process of a quality product!

At Florence Leather Market, fortunately, we still believe in the importance of manual work and attention to detail to create resistant products guaranteed by the true Made in Italy quality.

True artisans take care of and work the skin with care and great professionalism, choosing to use fewer technological and fast tools that “steal” beauty to their artifact.  

Take a look at the wide selection of handmade leather bags that we have created to meet your every need and follow us on our social networks to stay updated!

One of the main enemies in our house is mold, due to the moisture that can attack the walls, the cabinets but especially our leather bags.

In fact, leather bags, easily attract moisture and therefore are inclined to mold formation. The bags are covered with many small stains of dirt and the proliferation of annoying spores, which make the accessory wearable.

Often we tend to leave the bags in a slightly damp and dark corner of the house and it is right there that it happens that a small mold stain appears that then quickly extends into most of the bag.

Don’t let the mold ruin your favorite leather bag!

To prevent mold from spoiling the bags, you need to know how to store this accessory properly. In this article of our blog, we at Florence Leather Market, will give our readers some useful advice to avoid this unpleasant phenomenon.

Let’s see what are the effective remedies to eliminate moisture and mold and wear our favorite bag as if it were new.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT MOLD?

To prevent or somehow prevent mold from forming in the leather bag, especially when we know we don’t have to use it for a long time and place it safely in a closet or other, a useful tip is to insert inside it sachets containing silica gel or mothballs that are used to protect products from moisture because they have a dehumidifier function.

After inserting one of these two anti-humidity products inside, to have more care is also recommended to insert the bag in a dust bag.

These are two useful indications to try to prevent the unpleasant formation of mold, but if the “damage” is already there?

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO ELIMINATE MOLD?

Removing mold from the leather bag is a process that can also be done at home quickly, if you do not have specific detergents, thanks to the use of household products.

If it is a genuine leather item, with a little care and patience you can get your bag back in its total beauty!

Just follow the process…

• Surely, the first thing to do, will be to empty the bag from any object inside it, then you can proceed to clean the skin with a very delicate brush or with a soft microfiber or cotton cloth.
• At this point you must immerse the cloth in the chosen product to eliminate mold, that is, a detergent, which can be vinegar or lemon juice diluted with water and you must rub all the areas of the bag, even those where there are no mold or moisture stains. The cloth should be well wrung out of excess water, the bag should not get soaked with product.
• After having carefully cleaned with the help of the cloth, leave the bag a few hours in the open air so that the sunlight dries the product.

I recommend: do not leave your favorite bag under the direct rays of the sun, prefer the morning or late afternoon, so you do not risk to discolor or dry the leather!

After performing all these steps, to ensure that the skin returns to its original state (soft and smooth) it is advisable to apply a specific nourishing cream for leather that will return the natural shine to the accessory.

HOW TO REMOVE THE SMELL OF MOLD?

Once you have done all the steps and removed the stains from the bag, there is still the problem of the typical unpleasant smell of moisture and mold.

The advice of Florence Leather Market is to spray inside the bag an air freshener or a specific spray and let it air for a while. Avoid leaving the bag to dry at night because the humidity level tends to rise and this would lead to frustrate the work done.

It is however advisable, at least a couple of times a year, to leave open the doors of the closet where we store our bags, to let light and air through and thus prevent the formation of mold and bad smells.

Take care of your favorite leather bag, so it will last over time!