Materials and Measurements
This page applies to every bag listed on prettypettymerch.com and explains what the material is, how to read the figures on a listing and how to keep the surface in shape.
Unless a listing uses the word leather
PU faux leather: polyurethane, a flexible plastic layer bonded to a woven or knit backing and embossed or coated to look like leather. Every bag on this site is made of it, and the word leather on its own appears on no listing. PU is lighter than leather, holds a uniform color and costs less. It also wears differently: the coating can crease at the folds, scuff at the corners and, over years of use, lift from its backing. The store makes no claim about how many years a bag lasts.
If the listing names a finish
Finish: the surface treatment the maker gave the PU. The listings use six words for it: smooth, meaning a flat even surface; pebbled grain, meaning a small raised pattern pressed into the coating; glossy, meaning a shine that shows reflections; crinkled, meaning a deliberately creased surface; distressed matte, meaning a dull surface with worn-looking patches that are part of the design; and aged or vintage, meaning a two-tone surface darker at the edges. A crease, a shine or a worn patch that the finish word describes is not a fault.
Whenever the inside of a bag is in question
Lining: the inner fabric. Where the maker names one, the listing says polyester or nylon. Where the listing names none, the inside is the back of the PU itself or an unlisted fabric, and support cannot say which. Pockets are listed only when the maker counts them; a listing that says one inner pocket means one.
Whenever metal appears on a bag
Hardware: zippers, snaps, push locks, buckles, studs and rings. The listings describe them by tone, gold-tone, silver-tone or bronze-tone, meaning plated base metal in that color. None is solid gold, silver or bronze. A decorative zipper that does not open is named as decoration in the listing when the maker says so.
Once the three numbers are read
Size: the maker’s figure for the bag, written as width x height x depth in centimeters, with the inch conversion in brackets. 41 x 26 x 12 cm reads as 41 cm wide across the front, 26 cm tall from base to top edge and 12 cm deep from front to back, which is 16.14 x 10.24 x 4.72 in. Width is measured across the widest point and height without the handles or strap.
If the listing gives a strap figure
Strap drop: the distance from the top of the bag to the top of the strap when the strap hangs, which decides where the bag sits on your body. A 27 cm (10.5 in) drop sits under the arm; a 120 cm (47 in) strap, which is a length rather than a drop, crosses the body. A strap described as adjustable moves within a range the maker did not always publish; a strap described as fixed does not move.
Unless the bag measures within 2 cm of the figure
Tolerance: the difference allowed between the maker’s figure and the bag in your hands. Soft PU bags are measured by the maker on a flat surface and change shape when filled or hung, so up to 2 cm (about 0.8 in) in any one dimension is within tolerance. Past 2 cm in any one dimension the bag is not as described, and its return under the Refund and Returns Policy costs you nothing. Measure the bag flat, empty and zipped or snapped shut, and photograph the tape against it.
If a listing shows a weight
Weight: the maker’s figure in ounces for the empty bag, given on some listings and absent on others. Support does not weigh the bags and cannot supply a missing figure. A weight is a guide to how the bag feels on the shoulder when empty, not a load limit.
If the question is what fits inside
Capacity: what the figures imply about use. A 13 x 18 x 5 cm phone bag takes a phone, a few cards and a key. A 26 x 17 x 12 cm shoulder bag takes a wallet, a phone, sunglasses and a small bottle. A 36 x 28 x 11 cm crossbody or a 41 x 26 x 12 cm hobo takes a 10-inch tablet. Measure the item you want to carry and compare it with the inside dimensions, which are a little smaller than the outside ones.
Whenever the surface gets dirty
Cleaning: wipe the PU with a soft cloth dampened in water, then dry it with a second cloth. For a mark that water does not lift, add a drop of mild soap to the water. Do not use alcohol, acetone, bleach, solvent cleaners or leather conditioner on PU; they soften or strip the coating. Let a wet bag dry at room temperature, away from a heater or direct sun.
Until the bag goes back on the shelf
Storage: keep the bag in its dust bag when the maker supplied one, stuff it lightly with paper so the front keeps its shape, and stand it upright rather than hanging it by the strap for months. Keep it out of direct sunlight, which fades PU, and away from damp, which can lift the coating. Do not store it pressed under heavier bags.
Whenever heavy things go in
Load: the weight a bag carries in use. The stitching that holds a strap or a handle is the first thing to give under a heavy load, and a thin strap cuts into the shoulder sooner than a wide one. The listings give no load limit, so judge by the strap width and the hardware size, and spread a heavy load across the base rather than hanging it from one pocket.
Whenever you need a person
| Who | What they do |
|---|---|
| You | Compare the maker’s figures with a bag you own, measure flat and empty if something seems off |
| The maker | Supplies the material, finish, size, strap and weight figures on each listing |
| Support | Email contact@prettypettymerch.com, call +1 (708) 621-4769 on weekdays, 8:00 AM through 4:00 PM Central Time, or send the form on the Contact Us page; every message is answered no later than 1 business day after it arrives |