Care
Everything here is made of something that changes. Leather takes color unevenly, straw shifts with the season it was cut, enamel is mixed in small quantities at a time — so your piece will not match a photograph exactly, and that is the material rather than a fault.
What follows is the smaller matter of keeping it in good condition while it does what it does. Find your material below.
Leather
Every day. Empty the bag when you set it down for the night and let it keep its own shape rather than the shape of what was in it. A soft dry cloth is all a wipe-down needs. Overloading is what actually ruins a bag — the base and the handle attachment carry the weight, and both remember.
Water. Blot, never rub. Let it dry at room temperature, away from radiators, vents, and hairdryers. Heat is what stiffens leather and cracks it, and it does so faster than water ever will.
Conditioning. Twice a year is plenty, less in a humid climate. Use a colorless conditioner sparingly and test it on the base first, where a surprise costs nothing. More is not better — over-conditioning softens leather past the point where it holds a shape.
The edges. Painted edges are the first place a bag shows its age. Don't pick at a lifted spot; it spreads. If one opens up, write to us.
Storage. Dust bag, lightly stuffed with acid-free tissue, standing upright. Not hanging by the handle for months, which stretches it, and not in plastic, which traps moisture against the hide.
Never. Solvents, alcohol, baby wipes, or saddle soap. The lining is cotton and can be spot-cleaned, but should not be soaked.
Silk
Cleaning. Dry cleaning is the safe answer and the one we'd give first. If you hand wash, use cool water and a mild detergent, keep it brief, and don't let the scarf soak.
Drying. Never wring. Roll it in a towel to take the water out, then dry flat and out of direct sun. Sunlight is the fastest way to lose the color.
Getting dressed. Perfume, hairspray, and deodorant all mark silk, and antiperspirant is the worst of them. Spray first, dress second, and give everything a minute.
Pressing. Low heat, reverse side, slightly damp. Or hold a steamer at a distance and let the steam do the work without touching the cloth.
Snags. Silk is woven from long continuous filaments, which is what gives it the surface — and it's also why a single thread pulls so easily. Don't cut it. Work it back through from the reverse side with a fingernail; a snag is recoverable, a cut is not.
Storage. Rolled loosely or laid flat, never hung by one corner from a hook. No plastic.
Jewelry
Last on, first off. Put jewelry on after lotion, perfume, and hairspray, and take it off before swimming, showering, exercising, and sleeping. Chlorine and salt water are the two worst offenders, and both work faster than anything else on this page.
Cleaning. A soft dry cloth after wearing, and that is genuinely the whole method. Skip polishes, dips, and ultrasonic cleaners — they are formulated for solid stock and take finish off everything else.
Enamel. Enamel is glass and behaves like glass. It survives daily wear and does not survive being dropped on tile. No abrasives, no scrubbing, and no ultrasonic cleaner, which can craze it.
Openwork. Cut and pierced designs catch on knitwear, hair, and other pieces in a drawer. Take a moment getting a sweater off, and give openwork its own pouch.
Chains and clasps. Fasten a clasp before putting a piece away — an open clasp is how chains knot themselves. If a chain does knot, work it loose with a pin rather than pulling.
Storage. Each piece separately, in a soft pouch, somewhere dry. Humidity is the quiet one; a bathroom shelf is the
Trim and fittings
Wicker and rattan. Woven pieces vary in color and weave from one to the next — that is the material, not a flaw. The surface is sealed rather than raw, so what wears it is friction: shoulder bags rubbing against a coat, a bag set down and dragged. Keep it dry, and let it dry slowly if it gets caught out.
Wood. Wood moves with humidity and heat. Keep it away from radiators and out of a hot car, and treat knocks as the real risk — a dent in a wooden handle or clasp doesn't come back out.
Straw and raffia. The most fragile thing we sell, and the most seasonal. Fibers lift and open with abrasion, so it wants a shelf rather than a hook, stored loosely stuffed and not crushed under anything. Color varies between pieces and softens with sun.
Metal fittings. Zip pulls, clasps, feet, and hardware all take the same care as jewelry: a dry cloth, and nothing else. Skip polishes, dips, and anything abrasive — they are formulated for solid stock and take finish off everything else. Keep perfume and hairspray off them, and work a stiff zip rather than forcing it.
Natural materials vary from piece to piece, and yours will not match a photograph exactly. Leather takes color unevenly, straw shifts with the season it was cut, and enamel is mixed in small quantities at a time.