While genuine leather bags are generally considered expensive and highly durable, it's not uncommon for them to lose their shape soon after purchase. Here, we'll show you how to easily maintain the beauty of such leather bags at home.

■Preventing Your Leather Bag from Losing Its Shape

We will introduce care methods to keep your genuine leather bag beautiful for a long time. Leathers vary widely, from soft textured ones with grain, to firm, vegetable-tanned leathers, and special resilient materials like Saffiano leather.

<Tips for Preventing Loss of Shape>

• Do not overfill your bag.
• Empty your bag as soon as you get home.
• Insert stuffing (padding) to maintain its shape.
• Store your bag in a way that prevents wrinkles.

As a characteristic of natural leather, deformation and changes from use are unavoidable. However, if stored in an undesirable shape, it can easily lose its form.

Examples: Storing the bag in a cramped space while crushed, or storing it in a wrinkled state.

Considering these points, the most effective method is to stuff the inside with newspaper (paper) or soft cloth. This is particularly suitable for tote bags with curves and rounded leather bags.

■Care Procedure

1. Gently pull the misshaphapen parts of the bag to reshape it.
2. Stuff the bag generously with rolled-up newspaper. (Adjust the amount to achieve the desired shape.)
3. Store in a well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, for approximately 3 days.

+α Advice
If you want to correct the bottom part, follow the steps above and then hang the bag on a pole or similar, with all heavy contents removed. However, please be aware that the weight of the bag may alter the shape of the handles, so it is safer to fold a towel and place it under the handles.

As an important point, when stuffing with newspaper, make sure to consider spreading out the deformed parts. By applying pressure from the inside, the shape will naturally recover. Furthermore, using paper or cotton cloth helps maintain the internal condition of the bag, especially during the upcoming humid season. However, to prevent ink from the newspaper from adhering to the bag, please take precautions such as covering it with non-woven fabric.

This method is very basic, but it can be said to be a care method that leverages the inherent properties of leather.

■Finally

For daily care, after use, always remove heavy items such as laptops or books from your bag, and store it upright to prevent it from losing its shape. Also, do you use the same bag every day? Just like people, bags made of natural leather can maintain their beauty for a long time by taking a rest. Try to set aside one day a week when you don't use it, or alternate between your bags to give them a rest.