My-Best Bag bags: materials, sizes and closures
My-Best Bag bags are women's bags with Italian design. The declared composition is «100% leather» on the suede and leather models; where fabric comes in, as in the embroidered velvet, leather stays on the structural parts. Suede is the most recurrent material, set against polished leather trims and gold-tone metal details.
Suede is leather worked on the flesh side, so its surface is velvety and matt rather than smooth. It is softer to the touch than full-grain leather and marks more easily: it absorbs water and holds dust, which is why it is brushed and protected with dedicated products rather than wiped with a damp cloth.
Sizes tell you more than the model name. They run from the 30 x 16 x 8 cm clutch with rigid handles to the 38,5 x 19 x 7 cm shoulder bag, with the 32 x 15 x 5 cm small version and the 35 x 27 x 12 cm flap model in between. The velvet handbag is the roomiest at 37,5 x 30 x 14,5 cm: thirty centimetres of height is the threshold above which an A4 folder fits comfortably.
The closure changes how the bag is used. A clasp opens with one hand and is the solution on clutches with rigid handles; a zip is the safest in a crowd; a flap sits in between, quick to open but covered. Where the strap is removable, the same bag is carried by hand or on the shoulder.
The most practical criterion is the occasion, not the colour. A 30 cm clutch with rigid handles holds a phone, a wallet and keys: enough for dinner, not for a full day. A shoulder bag 38,5 cm wide also takes a diary and a folding umbrella. In between, the small 32 cm format is the one you carry all day without weighing on your shoulder.
A leather bag needs little upkeep, but regular upkeep. The product instructions say to avoid aggressive washing and to use dedicated products: on suede a soft-bristle brush and a protective spray before first use, on polished leather a dry cloth and a neutral cream.
If you are looking for a different model, the full range is in women's bags; the ones made to be carried on the shoulder are in shoulder bags.
