Let's give fabric a hand!

The "hand" or the way the fabric feels to an individual, in my opinion is of the utmost importance to the success of a handbag's design and execution.  Of course, we all want to use a piece of fabric that is sturdy and suits the design of the bag. But by using our sense of touch we are assisted in selecting the perfect piece of goods.

You've all watched cooking shows on TV, especially the contests where the chefs run into a grocery store and are seen smelling the fish, inspecting the fruits and veggies and basically feeling, touching, looking and smelling everything that they want to use for the dish they intend to make.  Well the same can be said for how I find myself shopping for the fabrics that I use to make my handmade handbags.

I tend to use all my senses, short of smelling (although I have put an iron to some really funking smelly goods) when I go on my fabric buying trips. I find myself scanning until my eye catches either a color or texture that I find appealing.  Then the most important things happens, I reach out with my hands to run my fingers over the piece.  I want to feel the "hand" of the fabric.  Is it soft and supple, is it stiff and tight, does it feel rough or slick?

As important as the "hand" of the fabric is to me as a manufacturer, I find it just as important to my customer. Each woman has a her own personal feeling for the type of bag she wants to carry. There are women who will only carry a genuine leather bag, because they like how it wears and how it feels.  At the same time there is that special woman who loves a fabric bag and you can bet that when she opens up that box and takes out the bag she ordered she will look at it - and then she will run her hands across the fabric and she will be judging the "hand" of the fabric that you chose for that bag.  If you paid attention to the "hand" of that fabric from the start, then you'll have a success.

Wendy Weston-Scott is the Purchasing Manager for Toby Weston Handbags , manufacturer of custom made handbags.