Rita Maas
Choosing Your Bag
Bags with piping wear faster along the corners, but piping is fairly easy to repair or replace.
White topstitching on a bag soils quickly, making the bag look older than it is. But the stitching can be cleaned or replaced by a professional.
Stay away from bags with handles that are not stitched along the edges of the straps. Handles that are only glued will eventually separate. “Nothing is stronger than stitching,” says Tony Pecorella, owner of Modern Leather Goods, in New York City.
“The fewer moving parts, the better,” says Christopher Moore, owner of Artbag, a handbag repair shop in New York City. Fewer pieces mean less possibility of breakage.
Pebbled leather will wear better over time. It shows fewer scratches and rain spots. Smooth leather, like calfskin, can be sensitive to scratches but is easily restored by a handbag specialist.
