In short: designer bags lose their shape mainly through three habits: overloading them, hanging them by the handles for long periods, and storing them flat with nothing inside. Light dents can usually be worked out, while a collapsed base or a failed lining has to be dealt with from the inside.
This article sets out each level of shape loss, how much you can keep up yourself and what the shop does. See also bag refresh and bag cleaning. Foxpro is an independent service provider and is not an authorised dealer for any brand mentioned in this article.
- Why bags lose their shape
- Four levels of shape loss
- Keeping the shape at home
- Shape restoration at the shop
- Patent leather in particular
- Real results
- Pricing
- Frequently asked questions
Why bags lose their shape
- Overloading: laptops, water bottles and books stretch the base and the sides.
- Hanging by the handles: all the weight lands on the two handle joints, so over time the handles stretch and the opening pulls out of shape.
- Storing it flat: with nothing inside, the sides fold along a crease that eventually becomes permanent.
- Heat and humidity: leaving a bag in a car boot or a hot room softens the leather and makes it deform easily.
- Stacking bags in a cupboard: the bag at the bottom carries the weight of everything above it.
Four levels of shape loss
- Light dents and fresh creases: packing it full and letting it rest for a few days helps a great deal.
- Set creases in the leather surface: the surface has to be treated; packing alone does nothing.
- A collapsed base with the sides falling inwards: the padding or the lining inside has failed.
- Stretched handles and a misshapen opening: the handles have to be dealt with, not the body.
Keeping the shape at home
- Pack it with white paper or a shaper pillow whenever you store it, never old newspaper, whose ink transfers to the lining.
- Stand the bag on a shelf, do not hang it by the handles for long, and do not stack bags.
- Limit heavy contents, especially in soft leather bags and bags without a stiff base.
- Store it in its fabric dust bag somewhere airy, with a moisture absorber in the rainy season.
- Take it out and use it now and then, or at least air it; a bag sealed away for months tends to grow mould and set creases.
Shape restoration at the shop
The technician cleans it first, because dust and damp trapped in a crease keep that crease in place. The creased leather is then treated and the bag shaped back to its original form. If the base has collapsed or the lining has failed, it has to be handled from the inside rather than pushed out from outside, and the related item is a new lining.
The result depends on how far it has deformed and on the leather. Firm leather holds its shape well once reshaped; soft leather goes back to how it was if you keep loading it as before. The technician sees the actual bag and says beforehand what is achievable, and work starts only once you agree.
Patent leather in particular
Patent leather holds its shape well but marks very easily and picks up colour from anything stacked on it. A dent in patent leather is not fixed by packing; the surface has to be worked. In bad cases the whole bag is redyed for an even finish, see bag colour restoration.
Real results
Pricing
Shape restoration has no fixed price, because the work differs with every bag; the technician quotes once the bag has been seen. The items usually done alongside it:
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Luxury bag cleaning | 600,000d – 900,000d |
| Leather bag colour restoration | 850,000d – 1,500,000d |
| Bag lining replacement | 1,500,000d – 2,500,000d |
| New straps and shoulder straps | 550,000d – 950,000d |
Guide prices, confirmed once the technician has seen the actual bag or the photos you send on Zalo. See the full list at bag repair pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Can a bag that has been flat for years be reshaped?
A great deal can be recovered if the leather is still good and the lining is sound. If a crease has broken the surface of the leather, that break stays visible; it only fades.
How much does shape restoration cost?
There is no fixed price, because every bag deforms differently. The technician looks at the bag, or the photos you send on Zalo, and quotes before starting. The items done alongside it have set prices in the table above.
What should I pack the bag with for storage?
Unprinted white paper or a ready-made shaper pillow. Avoid old newspaper, whose ink transfers to pale linings, and avoid packing it too tight, which stretches the sides.
Where do I send my bag?
Bring them to the shop at 1/56 Nguyen The Truyen, Tan Son Nhi, Tan Phu, open 8:00 to 18:00 every day, or book a slot and we collect them anywhere in Ho Chi Minh City. The technician gives the turnaround together with the quote.