Vintage never goes out of style. When investing in authentic, luxury collectibles, you also invest in keeping them looking brand new. Bags, like your shoes and clothes, deserve tender loving care because it is an item where you place the most random and foreign objects. God forbid, when the night goes wild, you even vomit on your precious satchel.
Unlike your shoes that cushion your feet or clothes that go over your body, bags don’t really know what you’re going to place in them unless it’s your staples bag. Here are tips to add energy and style to your vintage bag collection.
Finding a new shell for your satchel
Like structures, handbags also have their season of wear and tear. They gain dents, creases, and distortions. This is evident in most leather bags.
You probably won’t fix and restore a damaged designer bag by yourself. A trace of accidental food spillage on a Birkin bag might end up worse. Find trusted restoration shops equipped with technical skills that include cleaning, repair, and maintenance of luxury pieces. Some shops provide leather deodorizers to preserve that fresh leather smell.
Sometimes, we are in a hurry for work that we don’t notice scratches on our bags. To add insult to injury, inked stains are pesky and stubborn so better leave it to a bag professional to remove them. Your vintage bags could have a chance at a second life.
Structure loss is not a major dilemma for some, but others buy a bag for their structure, alone. There is a handbag clinic that gives yours a fix from its piping, lining, and hardware.
Just think of giving your bag a much-needed spa to restore color and be in its original shape. Other services include hardware electroplating for padlocks. Also, some bag treatments consist of take-home first aid kits for accidental mishaps.
Painting on your vintage bags
Gone are the days when you only painted on easels or walls. Painting on your vintage bags can be a stress reliever. Acrylic paint is the way to go as it dries faster, enabling you to add layers and incorporate crisp strokes. One has to factor in the texture and surface of the bag because acrylic paint might be ideal, but the color blending could be a challenge
On different canvasses, the paint also dries differently…some darker, some lighter. It’s the same with wearing clothes in natural lighting as opposed to studio lights. Or like when a hair color looks different on various skin tones.
Be it your linen tote bag or crocodile skin Hermes, it’s wise not to jump to coloring the bag right away. Test first on a sample piece of fabric similar to your bag’s fabric. For all you know, you can experiment with other paint types.
Putting scarfs and other embellishments
It’s not a new trick. Putting a scarf in appropriate places of your body makes you look sophisticated and regal. If you’re still growing your vintage bag collection, you can use this styling technique, and no one would suspect you’re reusing the same bag. Putting other embellishments like a keychain or a little trinket can also make a difference.
The way you carry your favorite carry-all can also mislead people for a bit, as most bags come with double straps. Adorn your purse with a bandana for a boho-chic vibe. A dainty, boxy-shaped bag does well with a scarf wrapped around its handle.
A cotton crossbody juxtaposed with durable and resistant gold loops or chains can balance out the softness of the natural fibers. A playful and colorful sequined bag can be paired with a light and airy scarf. You can also give a very feminine-looking bag a rugged twist.
If a bag is already a statement piece by itself, you don’t have to add to it anymore. If you’re in the mood to be a little extra, incorporate more of your styling into other accessories like the necklace or bracelet you’re wearing. You could also wear neutral clothes to blend the elements better.
Repurposing your old purposes
Adding panache doesn’t mean that you forcibly resuscitate your vintage bag. Sometimes, it’s time for a change that won’t just satisfy decorative purposes but also utilitarian purposes. You might find this cruel, but you can convert your old purse to an emergency car kit containing snacks, medication, flashlight, etc. Your glove compartment deserves to breathe.
Create an ornate piece of wall art with your elegant handbags, or make it a unique vase for your dried flowers and green plants. You’re not just being resourceful but also creative and cost-efficient.
Your worn-out bulky designer bag can be used as a filing manager. You can store pertinent, paper documents which will come in handy for filing tax returns or processing a sale of real property.
Lastly, probably the most simple thing to do is hand it down to a sibling or cousin. You can save yourself the trouble of figuring out how to recycle your old Prada sling bag. In addition, giving a prized possession to someone equally as valuable is rewarding.
Design to Sell
Embellish your handbag so you can sell it as a preloved item. While many people have adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still a few people who are still recuperating their losses. Buyers resort to purchasing pre-loved goods in order to save money.
You can sell your painted Chanel handbag, so it doesn’t look used and abused. It all comes down to how you apply your artistic sensibilities. You can sew fringe-y decorations and attach small gems or holographic art.
An authentic luxury item plus your own creative input will have it sold. There’s an added perk since you don’t just enjoy a hoppy, but you also earn extra income. Pour your personality into the bag you design.
Whatever you decide to do with your vintage bag stash, make sure you think it through. Do your research about the different kinds of fabric, patterns, and structures that make them special. How you take care of it would also inspire the next user or inheritor to care for it as much as you do.
