I know what you all must be thinking (that I’m crazy for even thinking about this), but hear me out. Last week, all of you helped me make a very important decision. I was stuck between two going-out bags, one from Saint Laurent, the other from Chanel. After writing the post and reading all your comments, the decision was a no-brainer. I went out and bought the Saint Laurent and then went home that night and started wearing my new bag around my house. After wearing it for a bit, I started to notice something.
The bag is python-embossed leather, and the the Saint Laurent representative explained that the bag is made of calf skin and stamped to feel like a real python without the possibility of falling scales over time, as can be a problem with real python. I wore the bag crossbody around my house, and because this bag lacks a smooth surface, the tiny hairs of my wool sweater kept getting caught in the “scales” of the bag. Because of that friction, I also noticed that the “scales” started to lift up and bend. I’m nervous if I wear delicate blouses, like lace or silk, the bag may cause pulls. I’m also worried of the opposite effect–that wearing something of a more coarse material may damage the delicate bag.
I don’t want to worry about what I’m wearing and the repercussions when I want to carry this bag. Other than that issue, I love it so much, and I would be devastated if the leather frays from constant wear. My main concern is I want this bag to age well, and I’m not sure if this finish will look the same as it does right now in a year’s time. If you look at the close-up shot below, you can see some of the leather lifting. Although that’s the natural texture of the bag, have any of you had similar problems with embossed python? Am I better off exchanging this bag for the croc-embossed texture, which is much smoother and might wear better over the years?
Saint Laurent Python Embossed
Crocodile Embossed
[Image via Saint Laurent]
