Get it in the Bag: Storage Tips for Your Designer Bag Collection
Maintenance of your luxury-brand bags includes proper storage – here are some tips to do it right
When you pay between $2,000 and $7,000 for a well-crafted piece of leather that bears a designer tag and authenticity card, you’ll want to take care of it. I have friends who’d gladly be drenched by rain so that their 2.55 double flap black caviar is amply sheltered under their umbrella. It’s not called an ‘investment bag’ for nothing.
Climate control
If you want your bags sitting out in open shelves – the better to see these beauties, of course – invest in a dehumidifier for your walk-in wardrobe, or desiccant dehumidifiers such as Thirsty Hippo. Make sure there’s enough space between bags so that the leather can ‘breathe’, and air can circulate between them.
“To help air circulation and avoid the bags flopping, stuff the inside with tissue paper,” Wong says.
It may not sound glamorous, but Wong also advises, “Should you no longer have the dustbag, replace with white pillowcases.”
If you want your bags sitting out in open shelves – the better to see these beauties, of course – invest in a dehumidifier for your walk-in wardrobe, or desiccant dehumidifiers such as Thirsty Hippo. Make sure there’s enough space between bags so that the leather can ‘breathe’, and air can circulate between them.
“To help air circulation and avoid the bags flopping, stuff the inside with tissue paper,” Wong says.
It may not sound glamorous, but Wong also advises, “Should you no longer have the dustbag, replace with white pillowcases.”
Size matters
“How best to store your bags often is determined by the size,” Wong says. “For clutch and hand-held bags, it’s more space-efficient to stand upright on a shelf. However for larger tote and backpacks, use an over-the-door hook or suspend with S-hooks from the rod inside a wardrobe”, she says.
See more wardrobe ideas
“How best to store your bags often is determined by the size,” Wong says. “For clutch and hand-held bags, it’s more space-efficient to stand upright on a shelf. However for larger tote and backpacks, use an over-the-door hook or suspend with S-hooks from the rod inside a wardrobe”, she says.
See more wardrobe ideas
Make it part of the decor
Picking up from Wong’s suggestion, tote bags can be stored hanging on hooks – so incorporate them in your decor. In this statement-making foyer wall, the designer put up wall hooks against a temporary vinyl adhesive wallpaper-clad wall so that the homeowner can customise her bag display.
Picking up from Wong’s suggestion, tote bags can be stored hanging on hooks – so incorporate them in your decor. In this statement-making foyer wall, the designer put up wall hooks against a temporary vinyl adhesive wallpaper-clad wall so that the homeowner can customise her bag display.
Bag and shoe storage is smack-front in this studio apartment, where designer Marina Cheban of Cheban Interiors used the customisable Billy bookshelf from IKEA to display the fashionista homeowner’s collection in the open-plan living area and eat-in kitchen.
Read about this stylish yet space-starved home
Read about this stylish yet space-starved home
Improvise storage
Another IKEA find is the Trones shoe/storage cabinet. Says Wong: “I discovered that Trones sorting bins from IKEA make ideal handbag storage. Firstly, they are shallow and stackable or wall mountable. Stash your designer bags in their dustbags or line the flip-out lids with fabric to avoid scratches.”
Another IKEA find is the Trones shoe/storage cabinet. Says Wong: “I discovered that Trones sorting bins from IKEA make ideal handbag storage. Firstly, they are shallow and stackable or wall mountable. Stash your designer bags in their dustbags or line the flip-out lids with fabric to avoid scratches.”
If you’re not too precious about your bags, a coat rack works well for hanging those large totes and trendy backpacks.
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How do you store your designer bags? Share a photo in the Comments section.
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Read wardrobe stories
Georgina Wong, home storage organiser and CEO of Asian Professional Organisers, says: “In the Singapore humidity you should always store your bags separately, especially exotic skins such as python, suede and ponyhair. Suede bags especially should be stored vertically to avoid dents from the pressure of buckles and straps.”