The Librain……retired

In this post I am going to round-up a few items that you may find helpful or fun to use with your handbags. Once again, I must repeat that I am showing items from my internet bookmarks or products that I use myself and that I am not making any money from writing about them.

Handbag organisers

A few years ago, I found that I owned quite a few handbags and that I was using them in rotation. I would get to work and realise that I had left something vital in my other main bag, such as my reading glasses or even my work keys. Something needed to be done! Short of memory training, there was only one thing I could think of: some kind of handbag organiser. Nowadays, there are loads of these around and if you search you will find them for sale all over the place from Amazon to eBay to Etsy. MaiTai offers organisers for Hermès bags in her shop.

Blue handbag organiser by Tintamar

Back in the day, I could only find one place in the U.K. to buy products like this. I came across the Tintamar VIP handbag organisers on the flyDRAGONfly website. I must have bought mine about nine years ago and have used it every day since then, transferring it from bag to bag as needed. I can really recommend this product. It is available in a range of sizes and colours and has really neat pockets, both open and zipped, which hold all kinds of stuff: glasses, purse, pens, make-up, tickets, receipts, keys, mobile, USB sticks etc. I will never accidentally leave my reading glasses at home again!

As well as flyDRAGONfly, Tintamar products are also available from Amazon and probably other sites outside the UK.

Massaccesi also make organisers in two sizes for their handbags:

Large handbag organiser by Massaccesi

Instead of an organiser, some people use a selection of pouches to hold items in their handbags. Again, these are available from a range of sources. I bought one from Massaccesi in Bronze Africa leather – the Penelope is available in different sizes, mine is the midi.

Leather items by Massaccesi, silk items by Hermès

Handbag shapers

Many of us own handbags which slouch as the leather begins to wear in. Some enjoy this effect and are happy for it to develop further, others prefer their handbag to retain its original shape for as long as possible. Handbag shapers can help with this issue and also act as organisers too. The ones I have seen (I don’t use them myself) tend to come in thick felt in lovely colours and some companies can customise them to fit individual handbags. So, unlike the organisers I wrote about above, you could have a shaper for each bag if you wished.

I had a look on Etsy and found a lot of these from around the world. Here are some examples:

SENAMONbagORGANISER

soonibaginbag

Handbag storage

I do think that it is important to store handbags properly and I am certainly very careful with mine even though I have very limited space. One issue in our house is damp. We use a dehumidifier all through the Winter months, but we still have problems with mould spores and these can absolutely ruin leather. So, this section is more about tips than products:

• Try to keep handbags in original boxes.
• Store with plenty of tissue paper inside to retain the shape. Do not use plastic bubble wrap as this can make damp problems worse. You can buy special cushion-like products for designer handbags if you prefer.
• Never put away a damp handbag. After taking it out in the rain, wipe the bag carefully with a soft cloth and allow to dry fully before storing.
• Keep your bag in its dustbag when not using. If the bag did not have a dustbag when purchased, I find that new cotton pillowcases substitute really well.
• Try to store with a little space between your handbags. If you squish them onto a shelf, you will almost certainly end up with dents in the leather.
• Regularly tip out any stuff that might have collected at the bottom of your bag. If you are like me, random fluff, coins and general “ick” tends to come out when I do this.
• Before you store a bag, make sure you have removed any dirt from it. Never use products such as baby wipes to do this, but have a look online for proper leather wipes and conditioners. There are sections on The Purse Forum that can help with cleaning and restoring handbags.

There are also loads of tips on handbag storage and cleaning available online:

Cosmopolitan: 20 handbag cleaning hacks you need in your life

Fellows Auctioneers: Top tips for caring for your designer handbag

WhoWhatWear: 7 Tricks to Ensure Your Handbags Will Last for Years

There are numerous storage solutions for handbags that you can find online, varying from simple hacks using shower rails and hooks to more sophisticated shelving for walk-in closets. Have a look on Pinterest for ideas. Mine are stored on shelving in my fairly small wardrobe. Oh, for a walk-in!

Handbag decoration

I am not one for adding lots of frilly stuff to my handbags, although I can see why people do. So I am not going to list loads of bling in this section as I don’t think it looks good at my age. Ooh, getting stuffy here!

Dans un Jardin Anglais twilly by Hermès tied on Massaccesi handbag

There are some kinds of decorations I do like. I have bought only one H twilly so far, but I love how it looks tied on my navy metallic Massaccesi handbag. If twillies are too expensive for you, and I can definitely see why they might be, you could perhaps look for some really pretty ribbon instead. Again, I had a search on Etsy and other specialist sites and found loads that might be suitable – why not have a look? Or you may be lucky enough to have a haberdashers in your area.

I must admit that I have a tiny hankering for a pretty faux fur pom-pom for my Massaccesi, but will (probably) resist. Something like this from Helen Moore perhaps?

Petrol faux fur pom-pom by Helen Moore

There is a Purse Forum member who makes lovely leather handbag charms in a really wide range of colours and shapes – LuxeLeatherCrafts. Unfortunately, she appears to be on holiday at the moment, so it would be a good idea to visit in a while to see what she offers.

LuxeLeatherCrafts

Handbag hangers

One last recommendation! This is a really neat gadget that I use almost every time I go out. It is called the Clipa 2 handbag hanger and it is used to protect the bottom of your bag from dirty floors or chairs. You NEVER put your handbag on the floor do you???

Handbag hanger by Clipa

This item comes in a range of metallic finishes and simply clips to your bag’s handles when not in use (or you could put it in your handbag organiser!). When you need to use it, you open it up and slip it over the table, chair, hook or pole and then hang your bag from it. It is really neat and easy to use. I bought mine from Amazon and you can see it in use on there.

Yes, there are loads of other hangers available if you search online – cheaper ones with loads of bling if you want that. This one has worked well for me so far.

I hope you have found this post both interesting and useful.

Best wishes,

❤️💚💜💙💛