Caviar or Lambskin: Which Chanel Leather Lasts
Choosing caviar or lambskin is the single decision that most affects how a Chanel bag ages. Because the two leathers behave differently under daily use, the right answer…
Guides
The Journal
Notes on leather, value and provenance — how the pieces are made, how they wear, and what actually moves their worth.
Buying
Hermès Bolide: Sizes, Leathers and What to Check
The Hermès Bolide put the first zip on a handbag in 1923. Here are the sizes, the leathers that suit it, and what to check when buying one.
Guides
Chanel Classic Flap Sizes Explained
The Chanel Classic Flap sizes confuse most first-time buyers, because Chanel never printed a tidy size chart. However, the differences are consistent once you know what to measure.…
Authentication
How to Spot a Fake Hermès Birkin
Spotting a fake Hermès Birkin is less about one giveaway and more about a stack of small things that must all agree. Because the counterfeit market has improved,…
Buying
Buying Hermès in the UK: VAT, duty and the true landed cost
A $28,500 bag does not cost a UK buyer $28,500. How import VAT and duty work, what DDP and DDU mean, and the questions to ask any overseas seller.
Buying
Kelly Sellier or Retourne: Which to Buy
Kelly Sellier or Retourne? One is stitched outside and holds its shape, the other is stitched inside and softens. Here is how each wears.
Buying
Cartier Tank or Santos: Which to Buy
Both watches were born early in the twentieth century, and both are still made today. However, choosing between a Cartier Tank or Santos is really a choice between…
Value
What actually moves the value of a Birkin
Size, colour, leather, condition, hardware — in order of how much each matters, and an honest note on what does not matter at all.
Guides
The Row Margaux Sizes: 10, 12, 15 or 17
The Margaux carries no logo, yet it is one of the most recognisable bags of the decade. Because it is sold in four numbered sizes and several constructions,…
Buying
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Sizes, From 33mm to 41mm
Few watches are recognised from across a room the way the Royal Oak is. However, Royal Oak sizes change the watch more than most buyers expect: the octagonal…