It was once we reached the end of the last century really, that the demise of the handbag as a girl’s most essential item began!  As we’ve progressed into the 21^st century, more and more of us have been ditching our hand-held carry-alls in favor of more useful items, such as a womens leather backpack, laptop bag or messenger bag.   So why is this exactly?

• Handbags have sort of become more hassle than they are worth – a veritable pit in which you can never find the items that you are looking for because there are too many pockets in which to lose essentials, or items just sink to the black hole at the bottom of the bag, never to be seen again.  With womens backpacks there is just as much space but it is not so easy to lose things: essential grab-quick items – keys, mobile, lippie are in the small pocket, whilst bigger, valuable or less-used items are safely stowed inside.
• When find yourself accidentally shopping (as you do), with a handbag you still end up with a carrier or two in tow by the time you’ve visited a couple of shops, even if you are just buying DVDs or make-up.  Carrying carriers as well as a handbag quickly makes you bogged down with baggage, whereas by using a backpack instead it’s easy to just pop purchases all into the big pouch and carry on your way – with still just the one bag and all hands-free!
• When handbags were ‘invented’ women carried little more than cosmetic, sanitary or small domestic necessities.  In contemporary society we have a much greater variety of necessary items, including social, entertainment and even business hardware such as mobile phones, ipods, MP3s, netbooks and laptop computers, most of which we carry with us either out of on-the-move necessity or to transport them  between home and work.  For the most part, a womens laptop backpack fits the bill for carrying such items safely and easily, much more than a handbag.
• Women in cities have long since learned that handbags are not the best portable system for valuables.  Inside pockets of a jacket are deemed to be the safest of all but, given the space needed for the other essential items for transportation, this is not always possible.  A womens leather backpack fulfils space and safety criteria, particularly where the backpack can be worn across the front, limiting any interference or theft from behind (as it were)!
• Part of the appeal that kept handbags in front in terms of lingering preference is the sheer range of styles, colors and sizes that make them so attractively versatile.  However, since female backpacks have grown in popularity we now have options that mean we can have a pink leather backpack or chic Italian leather backpacks if we choose – we’re not limited to bri-nylon sports versions!

So, plenty of reasons why backpacks for babes are in and handbags are out, so be assured that your womens leather backpack not only keeps your items as safe as can be, but also keeps you right on-trend!

Now, I always dismissed one batch of leather as being pretty much the same as another, until I had call to research saddleback leather on behalf of a friend.  It’s interesting to note that it’s a fabric that actually does as it says, being very suited to saddle manufacture as it can withstand the rigors of horseback riding much more than some of its contemporaries, that is to say ‘other’ leathers.  So, what do you need to look for to ensure you are closest to getting the genuine saddleback leather that you want?

Firstly, it’s possible to buy this genuine quality leather from specific manufacturers, for example it is easy enough to find a saddleback leather company on-line and then, on-line or on premises, genuine saddleback leather manufacturers will guide you to their own outlets or be able to signpost customers to retail outlets that they regularly supply.

Once you are in a leather store (recommended or not) and you are not sure if an item is manufactured from genuine saddleback leather, there are a few tell-tale signifiers that you can look out for.  For instance:

• Saddleback leather has a thicker, fuller ‘grain’ than other leathers.  This means that as saddleback leather ages, it does not weaken, hence its durability in the saddle!

• Saddleback leather prices tend to be higher because you are paying for the durability and the additional expenses incurred in the manufacture of genuine saddleback leather.  For example, a lesser quality leather may be significantly cheaper because it is only partially tanned, whereas saddleback leather is fully tanned so that it will not be prone to cracking or drying out (which can be a problem with only partially tanned leather items).   This is why even smaller items such as backpacks and satchels could be more expensive: because they are made to be long-lasting.

• Look carefully at the seams and bindings of leather items.  Items made from saddleback leather will include industrial-strength sewing (necessary because of the thicker quality of the leather) and will be completed with similarly industrial quality thread, which is should be fray, water and UV resistant.  In this way, you can be sure that your saddleback leather satchel will not fall apart at the seams after the second use!

• Similarly, look closely at finishing pieces or attachments to leather items.   A genuinely handcrafted saddleback leather backpack, for example, should have hidden reinforcement to parts such as straps.  This reinforcement should come from nylon straps which are sewn into the leather straps, because these will be the parts of the leather that are under the most stress.  Nylon is particularly used because it does not stretch itself, so will support the leather, thus reducing its wear and tear through stretching – a common complaint of inferior leather backpacks.

Happily, as we have become more eco-conscious, there is more demand for durability rather than disposability of items and saddleback leather fits this bill entirely!  So if you are shopping around for hardwearing and serviceable leather items, from furnishings to accessories, think about spending a little more to saddle up to a bit of quality!

Leather is a tough fabric that can take a lot of punishment. That does not mean it is invulnerable, however, and it will tear under the right circumstances. The easiest way to repair leather is to sew it. There are no super-special techniques to sewing leather, but there is a certain skill to it and you have to treat the leather with respect. It was once part of a living creature, after all, and therefore it is different from most fabrics. Also, there is no need to sew it by hand – you can use a sewing machine, which makes it a lot easier.

You will need to use a leather needle instead of a regular needle. Due to leather being so durable, it will snap a regular needle in two. Using a leather needle will prevent this problem. For the thread, use polyester in the dye of your choice. Cotton is too weak to hold leather together. You will also need two-sided leather tape, a rotary cutter, and a leather presser foot; again, for reasons of strength, ordinary materials just will not do.

Remember, you cannot rip out sections you didn’t sew well. This can make it hard to repair leather. It might be better to practice on a cotton sample of the area you want to repair. This way you will get a better idea of the manuevers to use when you repair the actual leather. When you sew up torn leather, take the cotton practice sample and lay it over the leather so you can get an even clearer idea of how to sew it. It is important to make it as clear as possible to yourself because you probably will not be able to undo any mistakes. You can even mark the pattern on the leather with chalk if you feel comfortable doing that.

When sewing, use a long stitch. Using a short stitch will create a perforating effect that will actually render the leather more vulnerable to tearing. If your machine skips a stitch, go back later and do the missing stitch by hand using your leather needle.