How Teresa Protected the Vachetta Leather on her Beautiful LV Croisette Bag

Welcome to the 608th Metamorphosis Monday, a blog party sharing fabulous Before and Afters!

Sorry, this week’s Met Monday is going up a bit late. I’m still fighting a horrible sinus infection and pneumonia so not at my best right now. But enough of that, let’s have a little travel adventure and some fashion fun for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!

If you are a handbag lover, especially a Louis Vuitton handbag lover, you are going to love today’s Before and After! Recently my friend, Teresa, purchased a beautiful Louis Vuitton bag from the LV boutique. You may remember me mentioning Teresa before here on the blog. Teresa and I met through the blog when she joined me on a last-minute trip to the Netherlands. We became great friends on that trip and have since taken two more trips together, including one to Egypt a couple of years ago.

Camel Ride, Giza Plateau, Egypt

 

I love traveling with Teresa because she’s always up for an adventure!

Egypt, Camel Ride in the Sahara Desert

 

In fact, she’s more adventuresome than I am! When visiting Egypt, there are a few pyramids that you’re allowed to enter. If I’m remembering correctly, this pyramid was called the Queen’s Pyramid and we were told we could go inside. Unfortunately, to enter one had to climb backward down through this very narrow chamber underground, under the pyramid.

I have a touch of claustrophobia but what really sealed the deal that there was no way I was going inside was when the guide told us that it smells bad inside the chambers deep inside the pyramids. Ugh. I quickly decided I would pass, happy to enjoy the pyramids above ground! Teresa took on the challenge and headed down as seen in this photo I posted to the Between Naps On The Porch Instagram. (Follow BNOTP on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch.)

Going Down Inside an Egytian Pyramid

 

Would you do this, crawl through a narrow tunnel to enter into the underground chambers inside a pyramid?

Going down into a chamber inside pyramid

 

After reaching the bottom, Teresa still had to crawl further down to finally get into the main chambers/rooms of the pyramid. Can you imagine getting down there and then having the lights go out? Gives me nightmares just to think about it. lol I took this photo of Teresa with a zoom lens just as she reached the bottom and looked back up.

Egypt, Into the Chamber of an Egyptian Pyramid

 

Besides a passion for travel, another interest Teresa and I share is a love for handbags. If you were to ask Teresa, she would tell you her recently acquired love for Louis Vuitton handbags is all my fault. 😉 We both own the popular Pochette Metis in reverse monogram.

Louis Vuitton Reverse Pochette Metis

 

Recently Teresa added a second bag to her LV collection, the beautiful Croisette bag shown below. I was so excited when she told me she had purchased this bag because just this past spring I fell in love with this lighter Damier Azur pattern. Over the summer, I had been eyeing the Croisette bag but managed to appease myself by picking up a mini-pochette accessory bag and a key ring holder in this pattern.

I love the size of this bag! It’s not too big or too small. The only thing that I’ve been a tad worried about is the raw Vachetta leather that comes on this bag. If you’re an LV fan, you are most likely familiar with LV’s Vachetta leather that’s so often used on the handles and straps of their bags. Though beautiful, Vachetta leather is famous for spotting if a drop of rain or water or anything gets on the leather because Vachetta is actually untreated, unprotected, cowhide leather. In the last few years, LV has started making more bags with leather handles/straps that do not feature untreated leather, but a few of their bags do still come with the raw Vachetta leather.

After Photo, Vachetta Leather on Croisette Bag Protected from Rain-Water Spots and Stains

 

Fortunately, there’s a way to protect the leather so you don’t have to panic if you get caught out in a stray summer rain shower. A lot of the handbag Youtubers I follow online treat the Vachetta leather on their handbags with a rain/stain repellent called Apple Garde. Apple Garde is available here: Apple Garde.

How to protect Louis Vuitton Vachetta Leather

 

Not wanting the Vachetta leather on her bag’s handle and strap to be ruined by a stray drop of water or even the lotion/natural oils from her hands, Teresa decided to protect her bag. First, she protected the Damier Azur canvas on her bag by wrapping it with a saran type wrap by the brand, Kirkland. I think any brand would work well for this. I’m not sure it would hurt the canvas if it was also sprayed with the Apple Garde, but in all the tutorials I’ve seen, the canvas is always covered up since it really doesn’t need to be sprayed or protected.

Louis Vuitton Croisette Bag Wrapped and Ready to Be Sprayed with Water Repellent

 

The Louis Vuitton Croisette bag in Damier Azur canvas has a really pretty pink fabric interior. You can just see it peeking out a bit in this side view. Covering the bag with some type of protective material helps protect the lining against overspray, as well.

 

Teresa also ended up wrapping the gold metal parts of the strap to protect them from overspray.

Louis Vuitton Croisette Bag Covered in Plastic, Ready for Spraying with a Water-Stain Repellent

 

Since Teresa’s bag was brand new, the protective stickers that come on the metal closure/lock part of the bag were still in place, so that was helpful in protecting those.

New Louis Vuitton Bag with Protective Plastic over Gold Metal Parts of Bag

 

Before treating her bag with the Apple Garde, Teresa test-sprayed a pair of her summer sandals. The Apple Garde worked great on those so she was ready to proceed. Follow the directions on the can for spraying the protectant. It’s better to spray 2-3 thin coats than one heavy coat to avoid having the protectant run. Most people apply at least two coats of Apple Garde to ensure their Vachette leather is fully protected.

When using a product like Apple Garde, be sure to spray in a well-ventilated area, maybe a covered outdoor area on a sunny day when no rain is expected. Teresa said the Apple Garde had a very strong smell when first sprayed.

 

I’ve always heard that when Vachetta Leather is sprayed with a protectant, the leather will turn darker for a few seconds but then lightens back up as it dries. Teresa confirmed that was exactly what she saw when she sprayed the Vachetta leather on her bag. You can see the handle looks a little darker in this photo taken right after she had just had sprayed it.

Vachetta Leather Handle after spraying with Apple Guard. Turns dark but then lightens in seconds

 

Here’s how Teresa’s bag looked after it had completely dried. Argggh, I need this bag! Definitely putting it on my wish list for next summer. Sooo pretty!

Thanks so much to Teresa for sharing this beautiful Before and After! Now she can use and enjoy her bag without fear a random splash of water will stain the beautiful Vachetta Leather.

After Photo, Vachetta Leather on Croisette Bag Protected from Rain-Water Spots and Stains

 

Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters linked for this week’s Met Monday!

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Metamorphosis Monday

Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. Please link up your Before and After projects like DIY projects, room makeovers, craft projects even recipes. Any Before and After is great! Please do not link up Table Settings, save those for our Tablescape Thursday party on Thursday.

If you are participating in Met Monday, please link up using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the “url” box for InLinkz when prompted.

In order to link up, you’ll need to include a link in your MM post back to the party so the other participants will have an opportunity to receive visits from your wonderful blog readers.

Update: Please do not link up table settings/tablescapes for Metamorphosis Monday. Please save those for our Tablescape Thursday party on Thursdays. Recipes are fine because that’s definitely a “Before and After” but please save your beautiful table settings for Tablescape Thursday. Pretty vignettes (transformations) you’ve created on atop a chest or somewhere in your home are great for our Before and After party, but let’s save the actual table settings for Tablescape Thursday.

 

This party has ended, click button below for the links to all who participated.

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Comments

  1. Wow – you two DO sound adventurous, but I think I might side with you on the UnderThePyramid jaunt! 🙂 Great handbag though! Thanks to you and Teresa for the tutorial. I’m always a little nervous about spraying anything on my bags or shoes!

    SO hope you feel better soon! Take care –

  2. Cute purses! I bet you wish you were on a camel far far away again! Thanks Susan

  3. I am so sorry to hear that you have been ill. I certainly hope that you are following doctor’s orders and taking care of yourself. May I respectfully ask this question? Does that LV handbag really cost $2000.00? Does the handbag itself (not the handle) stain easily. My best friend wants her husband to buy her one for her 35th anniversary, so we are both curious as to how well these bags hold up if you were to use it everyday. Thank you. We value your opinion.

    • I haven’t checked in a while and all the handbag companies keeping having price increases, but I think the Croisette currently goes for around $1,700…even on the resale/pre-loved market. Most LV handbags hold their value very well. They also hold up very well to daily use. My daughter-in-law and I carry our Reverse Pochette Metis bags almost constantly during the fall and winter since that bag can handle any weather (even snow) and both our bags still look brand new. She and my son went out of town this weekend for a fun getaway and she texted this photo to me. She’s been using this bag fulltime all fall and winter for several years and it still looks new. So though these bags aren’t cheap, they last and last and tend to hold their value (especially with the yearly price increases) meaning you could wear it for several years and if you wished, sell it and get a large percentage of your money back. There are not too many handbags you can say that about. Hermes, LV and Chanel bags are great when it comes to value for money, but that’s really something each person has to evaluate for themselves.

      Louis Vuitton Reverse Pochette Metis

    • Nancy, check out these prices for Teresa’s bag on the resale market. https://bit.ly/3iRTuZk . In only pre-loved “very good” condition they are going for close to what she paid. In “Excellent” or “New” condition at the resale websites, they are going for even more than what she paid at the Louis Vuitton boutique. That’s because they are often out of stock and can be hard to get. That’s what I mean about these bags holding their value.

  4. Thank you for a wonderful party, I hope you have a great week.

  5. Susan! Take good care of yourself! Sorry you’re ill.
    The bag is beautiful. Good to know about the Apple spray. I love vachetta leather.
    Later you can reward yourself for taking such good care with the new bag!

  6. franki parde says

    You’re “sounding” much better already!! Progress!!! franki

  7. I could never climb down that ladder! It looks like just enough room for your toes. How was it coming back up and what did Teresa experience when down? Glad to see you back to posting! Means you are getting better.

  8. My old LV Large I bucket bag that finally I replaced with LV Iena purse will hold my ashes after I’m cremated and will be placed on my niece’s library shelf. That bucket bag served me daily for work for over 20 years. I *think* (but not sure) I paid $750.00 for that bag from Neiman Marcus which I ordered by phone when it’s predecessor got blown away in Hurricane Marilyn in St. Thomas. Divide $750.00 by 20 and the purse was a bargain.

    Sorry to hear you’re still sick and hope your infection leaves soon. I have booked my London trip next July and am splurging on 2 nights at Egerton Gardens Hotel in Knightsbridge before m0ving to an apartment at Nell Gwynn House in Chelsea. Google Egerton Gardens. It’s drool worthy! Plan your next big trip. That will make you feel better and give you something to look forward to. Maybe it will make you feel better as well.

  9. Forgot to mention, I got a round trip business class flight to London got 136,500 AA miles. I suspect Delta might have some low mileage awards as well.

  10. Selma Kessler says

    Gosh, I’ve been out of the loop! I’m so sorry you’re ill! Hopefully, you found a steamer that will help. A sinus infection and pneumonia does NOT sound fun at ALL! You’ll probably consider me a handbag hillbilly, but I still carry my 22 year old full hide leather Coach bag! Man, and I thought I was really busting a buck when I paid $200 for it! I’m more fond of it now than when I bought it–it has worn and grown softer with age, and it has developed a certain je ne sais quoi. LV doesn’t lose any business from the women in my circle, though–my DIL is a big time LV fan, so she and her mom more than make up for my penny pinching ways when it comes to handbags. 🙂 Thanks for posting even though you are under the weather! I hope you are up for a big project soon!

  11. Do you recommend a site to buy used handbags from ? Or have you heard anything about Fashionphile

    • Fashionphile is the only site I do trust. I’ve purchased a Dior handbag, an LV wallet and a few more pieces from them and I was very pleased. I trust their ability to tell real bags from fakes, they have so much experience in that area. Also, they are the only preloved site I know of that gives you 30 days to decide if you want to keep a bag, as long as you don’t cut the tags off. That gives you time to have it authenticated by other online companies that do that, if you want to have it further authenticated. Most places, when you buy a bag, if it comes and it’s not quite in the condition that you expect or you just change your mind, they won’t refund your money and will only give you a store credit. Fashionphile refunds all your money once the item is returned and they pay the shipping both ways! So I’ve really enjoyed buying from them. I think their prices are better than what I see other preloved sites for most items. The turnover of product on their site is fast because they have so many followers, so if you see something you really, really want, if it’s a popular item, you have to go for it pretty quickly. Neiman Marcus has also partnered with them which I think says a lot.

  12. Cyndi Raines says

    I would pass on going down, backwards, especially since there was a bad smell. I would just be happy to see the pyramids above ground! Lol Hope you start feeling better soon! Are you still in Ohio or are you home?

  13. Thanks so much for taking the time to host each week!!
    It is greatly appreciated!!
    Stay safe, healthy and happy!
    Hugs,
    Deb

  14. First things, first Susan. Am so happy to learn that you are on the road to recovery and that your symptoms were not that of the virus. (Had just made a comment on your Sept. 17th post as didn’t see this current one.) Now regarding handbags; must admit they are something I don’t really splurge on since I’m not one to pamper them however I do appreciate quality. To conclude, take care and do hope you pace yourself to prevent a relapse. With warmest hugs -Brenda-

  15. Susan, I’d like to hear more about that beautiful swimming pool next to the bag! Looks gorgeous and so refreshing.

    P.S. Hope you’re feeling better every day. 🙂

  16. Thank you for hosting!

  17. Thank you so much for hosting! This week I am excited to share my fall home tour! Hope you have a great day!

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