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Ask The Bagaholicboy #112 – Caring For My Leather Wallet And Other Bits…

December 9, 2009   |   15 Comments

Q: Dear Bagaholicboy, I’ve been an avid reader of your blog for the past year or so and I must say that you’ve done a great job with regular updates and spot on reviews. In fact, I went shopping at Orchard Road today and got the Coach Leather Medium Skinny that I saw on your blog and the Miu Miu Matelasse Wallet.

What I’d like to have your opinion on is; how do I go about taking care of my Miu Miu wallet? With extreme caution? Is it okay to just dump it in my bag along with everything else? And also, do you think that it’s a good buy?
A.L

A: Hey A.L, thanks for the email! First up, let me congratulate on your new purchases (I’ve put up your Miu Miu wallet on my Facebook fan page by the way). Now back to the question at hand. Personally I like to keep all my bags and SLGs as pristine as possible and while some can call it being obsessive and ‘babying’ I don’t really care.

Here’s why. For one thing, you are ensuring that your beloved piece stays in a good condition for as long as possible, which brings me to the next point. If ever you find yourself needing to sell away said piece, you will at least be assured of a good selling price, which certainly makes sense right?

So without further ado, here are 5 quick tips (also known as PROMS) on keeping your wallet in tip-top shape.

01. Protect
Yes, I am guilty of ‘babying’ my SLGs. For starters, I keep them all in another pouch within the bag. This way, I know they won’t be rolling around getting scratched or stained by stray pens. So yes, you should keep your wallet in a pouch or a bag organiser.

02. Rotate
Don’t just use one wallet all the time (read up girls and boys, you’re all guilty of this). Very often, you will use one wallet till it falls apart. Sometimes it can take 3 months, sometimes 3 years but here’s the thing. You’ve spent so much on your wallet, so again, won’t it make sense to try and prolong its life? I own like 6 wallets myself, and I rotate them every month or so. Best thing, every time you rotate you will feel like you’re getting a new wallet all over again.

03. Organise
Greatest peeve of mine. I hate seeing overstuffed wallets on both men and women. Not only are they a huge eyesore, it completely ruins the original shape and function of the wallet. If it has 8 card slots, then make sure you have 8 cards. Not 18. Toss out useless membership/discount cards you use only once a year, loads of receipts that are already faded and forgotten lottery tickets that did not win you anything. Really.

04. Maintain
In other words, clean! Every other day get a soft dry cloth and give it a proper wipe down. If it is leather, find out from the SA the best way to care for it. Products like Apple Guard and Collonil cost next to nothing, but add so much to the shine and beauty of your SLG. In other words? Definitely worth the effort.

05. Storage
So what happens when the wallet is not in rotation but in storage? Well, keep it in its original box, along with the dust bag/storage cloth. Throw in a few packets of silica gel to keep everything nice and dry. And make sure you open the box once every 2 weeks to air it for a day or two, give it a quick wipe down (yes, again) before putting it back on the shelf.

Makes a lot of (common) sense, doesn’t it?
Love, Bagaholicboy

Image: iStockphoto

And other bits:
1. Clara, you can submit your snapshots to my email (for Bagaholicboy Mailbag), which can be found at the bottom of this page. Make sure you indicate if you wish to use an alias.

2. Yvon, for online shopping I would recommend the following sites; including Colette (France), Diabro (Japan), LUISAVIAROMA (Italy), Net-A-Porter (UK) and Reebonz (Singapore). Depending on who you shop with, different shipping rates and taxes will apply so check with the merchant first before you click ‘buy’. And check out this post for more information.

3. Ben, I’ve got good news and bad news for you. First, the bad news. SGD400 won’t get you very far if it is a designer wallet you want for your girlfriend.

Now here’s the good. It is officially sale season now in Singapore, so make sure you hit Orchard Road and check out the bargains galore. Here’s a tip; head on down to DFS Scottswalk Galleria and start looking there. Loads of brands (from 30% to 50% off), hardly any crowds and much less intimadating than other places. Check out Burberry, Celine, Chloé, Gucci, Loewe and Marc by Marc Jacobs for possible options.

4. Jeron, if you find Vutton’s Neverfull too commonplace, why not check out Fendi and Goyard. Both have totes in similar designs.

5. Ting Ting, since you’re still since in school, I would recommend any hobo from Marc by Marc Jacobs as your best bet. Besides suiting your budget, they are also on sale now which will stretch your dollar even further. Check them out at Ngee Ann City and DFS Scottswalk Galleria, as both carry slightly different selections at varying discounts.

Alternatively, check out the Mulberry Roxanne collection (now SGD1199 to SGD1699 after discount), on sale now at Mulberry Takashimaya Department Store.