Leather Handbags & Purses

How the collection is organised

We sort handbags by shape first because shape decides how a bag carries. Structured bags such as the Ashby shoulder bag and the Rydal satchel hold their outline and stand on a desk. Soft bags such as the Hollis hobo and the Selby keep the leather loose and fold against your body. Small bags such as the Tilly mini and the Mabel clutch are for the days you carry almost nothing. Colour pages for black and brown pull from every shape, so you can start from a colour if you already know it.

Totes or handbags?

Our tote collection is built around a laptop and a full working day. The handbags here are smaller and lighter, and most have a zip or flap closure, which most totes leave out. If your day involves a 15-inch laptop, start with the totes. If it involves a phone, wallet, keys and perhaps a tablet, start here.

Sizes in this collection

Across the collection, sizes run from the 11-inch Mabel clutch to the 16-inch Selby, and drops from a wrist strap to a 22.75-inch crossbody. The table below puts all eight side by side so you can compare them before opening any product page.

Style	Width	Height	Depth	Drop
Ashby shoulder	12.5"	9.5"	4"	9.5"
Hollis hobo	15.75"	11.75"	4.75"	9.75"
Selby slouchy	16.25"	11"	4.25"	10.75"
Kendal bucket	9.75"	9"	4.75"	11" + crossbody
Rydal satchel	12.5"	9"	3.25"	4" handle + long strap
Ripley saddle	8.75"	7.5"	2.75"	up to 22.75"
Tilly mini	8.75"	6.25"	3.5"	4" handle + crossbody
Mabel clutch	11"	7.5"	0.75"	wrist strap

The leather

Every handbag in the range starts as the same grade of hide: full-grain, meaning the outer surface of the skin is kept rather than buffed away. That surface carries the strength and the character. Corrected and bonded leathers look tidy on day one and tired by the second winter; full-grain goes the other way.

How it is made

All eight styles come out of our own workshop, where each bag is cut to order rather than pulled from a warehouse shelf. Stress points get a second layer of leather and hand saddle stitching, the edges are burnished instead of painted, and the fittings are solid brass throughout the range.

Colours

Seven colours appear across the range. Black and chocolate are the steady ones, cognac and tan are the ones that visibly change, and oxblood, olive and oat appear on the shapes where they work best. Each product page shows its colour in both daylight and indoor light.

Initials, delivery and returns

Whichever handbag you choose, three initials are pressed at no charge. Orders leave the workshop within 3 to 5 working days, and any bag in the range can come back within 30 days, initials or not.

Care

One rule covers the whole range: treat full-grain like a good pair of shoes. Dust it off, keep it out of strong sun, let it dry slowly if it gets wet, and give it a neutral conditioner a couple of times a year.

Buying a handbag by occasion

Most women own a working bag, a weekend bag and an evening bag, even if they don't think of them that way. The Ashby and Rydal cover the working week with a clean outline and a closure that keeps papers flat. The Hollis and Selby handle weekends: they take an extra layer, a bottle and a book, and look fine stuffed full. The Tilly and Mabel are for evenings and for days that only need a phone and a card. If you want one bag to do all three, the Hollis is the most flexible shape we make, and the Ripley is the best one for hands-free days.

What to check on any leather handbag before you buy

Ask what grade the leather is, and expect a plain answer. Look at the edges: painted edges hide layered or bonded material and can peel, while burnished edges show solid leather all the way through. Check where the strap meets the body. It should be stitched and riveted, not just glued. Lift the bag empty, because a very heavy bag gets tiring by the afternoon. Finally, read the returns policy. A maker that trusts its work will let you send a bag back, even with initials. All of our handbags meet these points, and the product pages state each one.

How our handbags compare on price

Our handbags cost $135 to $205. That puts them below many full-grain brands that sell similar shapes for $235 to $375, and far below designer labels. The gap comes from making them in our own workshop and selling directly, not from cheaper materials. You pay for the hide, the hours of hand stitching and the brass, not a markup. We don't run constant discounts, so the price you see is the real price.

Related collections

See also leather shoulder bags, leather hobo bags, leather satchels, mini leather bags. If you carry a laptop every day, our leather tote bags are built for that.