A Few More Tips to Find the Perfect Investment Leather Handbag

Purchasing a leather handbag as an investment isn’t complicated... as long as you keep these things in mind.

Buying designer handbags can be fun. Thankfully, it can also be a great investmen 

Last month, we wrote about ‘Six Great Reasons to Invest in a Luxury Handbag,’ Here we’ll dive a little deeper into some things to keep in mind when selecting a bag for both looks and posterity. 

Price 

The best designer handbags aren’t always the priciest. 

Great bags bring together beautiful design, quality materials, and expert workmanship. The cost of that timeless combo varies widely depending on where, when, and from whom you buy the bag. 

The best way to determine a bag’s worth, regardless of the number on the tag, is to inspect its details. You shouldn’t see double stitches, seams too close to borders, loose lining, hazy coatings, straps and handles without proper reinforcement, a base without protective metallic feet, or poorly-sewn zippers. 

You should see clean seams, aligned with borders, that don’t pull on the fabric. Leather handbags should have covered stitching to prevent the sides from separating. The hardware should function smoothly and not feel “tinny.” Straps and handles, meanwhile, should be sturdy and reinforced because they wear out the fastest. 

Above all, look for handcrafted bags, which are essential to quality. Never settle for a mass-produced bag. You want to feel confident and proud of your outfits and accessories. Those feelings will manifest in your body language.

Brand 

Luxury brands like Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Goyard, Dior, Céline and Louis Vuitton undeniably stand out. They set trends on the runway each season with their designs for women’s handbags. 

There’s a good reason for that. Those brands are based in France and Italy, where designers and manufacturers have been honing their craft for centuries. That long heritage has positioned them as icons in the industry. However, it also means they're mainstream and, therefore, the default choice for those who don’t know what else is out there or how to select something unique. 

The good news is that small brands, thanks to modern communications and innovations, now have access to the same French and Italian manufacturers used by large brands. Consequently, handbag design has blossomed over the last decade. 

Independent designers are producing handbags on par with the icons. They're innovating in design, experimenting with new materials, and shaking up tradition. Many also have a compelling origin story or mission, which enhances their appeal. For women who love singular accessories, these new players have expanded the realm of what it means to be a handbag connoisseur. 

Furthermore, it's worth pondering your motives in buying a well-known brand. Do you feel, authentically, that the piece matches your style? Or are you aspiring to a look or image? The first motive is always the better one. Elegant handbags, made of high-quality materials, say more about you than any brand you're wearing. 

Don't fall for logos. Fall in love. 

Material 

Even well-known design houses sometimes use, or incorporate, low quality materials, cheaply produced, that are made to last no longer than a season. If you want a bag that endures, however, leather is the best choice. And Italian leather handbags are the most highly regarded. 

The quality of Italian leather speaks to more than just one sense. It impresses the hands and nose, as well as the eyes. More importantly, it’s durable and gets better with age. 

Many Italian leather bags are manufactured by people whose families have been in the craft for centuries, so they work with only top quality materials from tanneries that produce the softest leather. All this, of course, is now done with an eye on environmental sustainability. That means humanely-raised cattle and minimizing waste and water consumption. 

At Nantív, we strive to create bags that surpass traditional brands in quality and innovation. Read ‘Our Story’ to learn about our origin, process, and purpose — and why our bags flow with your movements and lifestyle. 

Our VITA, EVE, VINT, and TIV handbags are handcrafted by the best Italian artisans, using the softest leather and highest quality hardware. They’re beautiful, functional, and a great investment. 

Where better to invest than in lasting beauty? 

Love & Flow, 

Nantív

     Text taken from Nantív

How To Choose A Perfect Bag For The Workplace

For meetings, lunches, after-work drinks, you need a modern work bag that works for you. This handbag should perfectly coincide with your needs, style, comfort and desire. 

Modern women play many roles. On top of traditional responsibilities, they’re holding down 9-to-5 jobs, running businesses, and working in professional positions. Some have gone back to school to launch or better their careers. 

In the past, all that striving involved lugging around a lot of dead trees. Today, digital devices have replaced many of the books, publications, and printouts of earlier professional and collegiate life. The bulky briefcases of the 80’s and 90’s (think Melanie Griffith in ‘Working Girl’) have given way to slimmer, more stylish laptop bags for women. 

Even better, many modern handbags for women now pull double-duty, transitioning seamlessly from the office or classroom to happy hour or daily errand runs. 

Here are some basic guidelines to help you choose a modern work bag that works for you: 

• Size: Don’t buy an unnecessarily large work bag. Find one that fits the main device/s you plan to carry (laptop, iPad, audio gear, etc.). Keep in mind, a handbag should suit your body like a favorite dress or pair of jeans. Generally speaking, smaller bags are better for petite women, while larger bags work for bigger or curvaceous women. 

• Protection: How well do your devices need to be shielded from your environment? Every handbag and briefcase offers different amounts of cushioning, pockets, and straps to secure your items. Those extras can sometimes add weight. So, if you don’t need them, skip them.

• Additional Gear: The more compact a bag, the better. But choose a bag with enough room for additional gear: a mouse, charger, makeup, sunglasses, wallet. Again, watch the weight. Small items add up fast. 

• Style: Most laptop bags and briefcases are more structured and rectangular than your typical leather handbag, which can be unappealing to some women. They want function, but elegance too.

Remember that a bag helps define your style. Your choice should perfectly coincide with your needs, style, comfort, and desire. As for material, a genuine leather handbag is often the best option. Leather is timeless and sturdy and gets better with age. 

Handbags come in all kinds of colors, prints, and textures, too. Consider the kinds of outfits you typically wear. Do you like bright colors? Or are you a monochromatic kind of girl?
Whatever style you choose, your bag should be easy to match with many outfits and be appropriate for many occasions: meetings, lunches, after-work drinks, and so on. 

What about carrying two bags—a traditional handbag and a briefcase? Some women do it. A few pull it off. If you’re one of them, more power to you. 
We’ve got a better idea. 

We designed TIV, a medium leather satchel, to fit most 13-inch laptops and tablets, a thin pouch, and a wallet. It feels like a zipper clutch and has the coveted inside pocket. It has a briefcase’s rectangular geometry to accommodate your devices, but features Nantív’s signature corner grooves, giving it a chic-ness missing from most briefcases and laptop bags. 

TIV is not heavy-duty. It isn’t very wide and has no padding. That’s by design. We wanted it to look and feel compact. We also use only the softest, authentic Italian leather without the plastic coatings that many other handbag-makers use today. The result is a handbag that feels amazing and doubles as a work of art. 

Nantív is all about designing bags that move the way women do. We focus on posture and movement. For that reason, we included different ways of carrying TIV. It has two adjustable handles, so you can carry it by hand or hang it from your shoulder. It also has a long strap for crossbody wear. 

If you’re looking to buy ladies’ bags online, TIV is available at nantiv.com in four beautiful colors: black, forest green, chocolate and cream. 

Women have come a long way professionally. We’ve still got a long way to go. Let’s do it in style. 

Love and flow, 

Nantív

     Text taken from Nantív

Here Are Six Great Reasons To Invest In A Luxury Handbag

When you buy a handbag, think of it as an investment. Choose a quality bag for the long run.

Fashion trends change fast. Collections are no longer seasonal. We now see brands launching collections every two weeks to keep up with expectations and competition. Designers, meanwhile, are combining bows, laces, stripes, dots, flowers, trims, metals, and other features in surprising new ways everywhere. Even luxury products from well-known design houses are starting to include unusual new embellishments. 

As women, we feel the need to integrate these new styles and elements to always look fresh and new. 

In a way, this new reality reflects our fast-changing, modern lifestyles and is emblematic of the noise and frenzy we now live with. There's too much to read, too much to buy, and too many plans to make. We're overstimulated, yet insatiable.

This fast and persistent change can be disorienting, even when it comes to our fashion choices. When buying an investment bag, however, it's important to slow down and consider these six things: 

• Material: Fast fashion uses all kinds of low quality materials, cheaply produced, that are made to last no longer than a season. Fake leather, for example, looks...well...fake. It's the opposite of sophistication. 

• Impact: Low cost materials will very quickly become pollutants. Our planet has enough to worry about already without millions of extra pounds of discarded handbags. 

• Brand: Elegant handbags, made of high-quality materials, say more about you than any trending brand you might be wearing. It's not about wearing a logo. Subtlety while carrying a brand, often speaks volumes. 

• Quality: Consider the craftsmanship. Look for clean lines, straight stitches, softness, and color. Don’t forget to smell a brand new handbag. A genuine leather handbag speaks to more than one sense. It should impress your hands and nose, as well as your eyes. 

• Origin: A beautiful designer handbag should always have a compelling origin story. Where was it made? Who designed it? A great way to find such handbags is to search for, and follow, craftspeople with a strong tradition. Many Italian leather bags are manufactured by people whose families have been in the craft for centuries. They have the skills to innovate without compromising their traditional values. And, of course, they work with only top quality materials from tanneries that produce the softest leather. 

All this, of course, should be done with an eye on environmental sustainability. That means humanely-raised cattle and minimizing waste and water consumption. 

• Collect: Don't just buy one handbag. Become a handbag collector! Create a beautiful, timeless collection curated by your own sense of style over time. Having a variety of handbags of different sizes and shapes on hand to match any outfit is the best reason to collect luxury handbags. But it's also a smart approach to diversifying your fashion investments. Demand for certain bags often skyrockets years or decades later based on cultural changes and celebrity influence. 

Most importantly, find the romance! 

Yes, it's a challenge to choose luxury handbags. Handbags are everywhere and accessible to everyone. The thrill, though, is in finding "the one," in discovering a diamond in the rough, a fresh design, a bag that "gets" you. That means getting to know what and who is out there. Look for innovation but, at the same time, timeless designs. 

No matter what, though, handcrafted bags are essential to quality. Never settle for something mass-produced. At Nantív, every bag is designed and handcrafted to transcend the norm and last a lifetime. We want you to make an investment. More importantly, we want you to fall in love. 

Visit our online store to see our current collection of bags: EVE, TIV, VINT and VITA. 

Love & Flow, 

Nantív

     Text taken from Nantív