A suede bag for autumn and winter: colors, shapes and how to wear it in rain and snow
A suede bag looks its best in autumn and winter: its matte, soft surface goes with wool, cashmere and corduroy. The easiest colors to wear are choco, caramel and navy blue. Suede is natural leather with a velvety surface, so there is no need to put it away for the winter. All it takes is a protective spray before the season, a soft brush and one rule: a wet bag dries away from the radiator.
Below we explain which colors and shapes to choose and how to wear suede in rain and snow. Basic care and the comparison with smooth leather are in our guide leather or suede.
Colors: choco, caramel, navy blue
Choco is the calmest brown in suede: on the soft nap it looks deeper and warmer than on smooth leather. It goes with a cream coat, camel, grey and black. We make it in Josefine, Cecilie, Untitled Small, Carolyn Medium, Debut and Prima.
Caramel looks lighter by day and deeper in the evening. It goes with cream, chocolate, olive, white and denim. Cecilie, Carolyn Medium, Jane, Elza, Cleo, Sophie and Object №03 come in caramel.
Navy blue is a calm alternative to black: in dim light it looks almost black, by day you see the blue. It goes with grey, cream, camel and a white shirt. Josefine, Cecilie, Carolyn Medium, Jane, Elza and Sophie Small come in navy blue.
Milky suede (Elza, Object №03 Small and Medium) looks fresh in winter with grey and camel, but it needs more attention: dark raw denim can stain it. For a touch of color there are Debut in lime, olive and orange, Prima in lime and Untitled Small in orange.
We don’t have a burgundy suede bag at the moment. Burgundy, which we call marsala, comes in smooth leather, for example in Cecilie and Josefine.
Shapes: from a tote to a small top-handle bag
Suede tote. Carolyn Medium, 40 × 26 × 14 cm, has straight sides and takes a 13-inch laptop; it is too small for a 15-inch one. Jane, 48 × 27 × 15 cm, takes a laptop up to 14 inches and weighs 700 g. In suede Jane, the body is suede and the handles are smooth leather.
Hobo. Josefine, 30 cm wide and 20 cm high, has a V-shaped zipped top and a short handle on metal rings. The nap plays with the light, so the color looks darker one moment and warmer the next.
Baguette. Cecilie, 33 × 14 × 9 cm, is worn on the shoulder or carried in the hand. Untitled Small, 29 × 15 × 10 cm, is a trapezoid with a flap and a slim handle.
Clutch. Elza is 43 × 25 × 15 cm unfolded and holds a phone, a wallet, keys, a make-up bag and sunglasses. By day it replaces a handbag; in the evening it goes out to dinner.
Small top-handle bag. Debut, 25.5 × 9 × 11 cm, is a gathered shape with one short handle, carried in the hand or on the wrist. Prima has a wavy top line, slim handles and a zip: Mini is 30 × 9.5 × 14 cm, Large 34 × 11 × 16 cm.
Our suede models start at €250 (Sophie Small) and €290 (Cleo); Elza costs €460, Josefine €480, Debut in choco €500, Jane and Untitled Small €520 each, Cecilie €530 and Carolyn Medium €550. They are all among our suede bags.
How to wear suede in autumn and winter
Suede likes texture: a chunky knit, a wool coat, corduroy, tweed. Next to something smooth and shiny, like silk or patent shoes, it becomes a clear accent.
A suede bag and suede boots in a similar brown make a calm, tonal outfit. If your shoes are smooth, shiny leather, a matte bag balances them.
The hardware on our bags is gold-tone metal. It looks warm on brown, caramel and navy, so there is no need to match your jewelry to it.
Rain and snow: what to do
Before the season. Spray the bag with a protective suede spray. Always test any product on a hidden spot first.
In heavy rain or wet snow. Keep the bag under your coat, or take a smooth leather bag that day. Suede doesn’t like long exposure to moisture.
If it gets wet. Gently blot it with a soft cloth, without rubbing. Fill the bag with tissue paper so it keeps its shape and let it dry away from radiators and hair dryers. Once dry, brush the nap with a soft brush in its direction.
Marks and dirt. Remove them with a dry suede eraser, not water. Keep light suede away from dark raw denim.
After the season. Store the bag in its dust bag, filled with paper, in a cool, dry place.
Suede or smooth leather for winter?
If you have one bag for all weather and walk a lot, choose smooth leather: you just wipe it dry. If you already have a bag for rainy days, the suede one can be your second — for dry days, the theater and meetings.
Delivery is free. Bags from our warehouse in Poland arrive in 1–2 business days within Poland and in 1–3 business days elsewhere in the EU. If the color you want is not in stock, our atelier in Horodok, Ukraine, makes the bag in 10–15 business days. You have 30 days from delivery to return it.
Questions
Is suede leather?
Yes. Suede is natural leather with a buffed, velvety surface. It is soft and matte, but more sensitive to water than smooth leather.
Can I wear a suede bag in winter?
Yes. Protect it with a suede spray before the season, keep it under your coat in heavy rain and wet snow, and if it gets wet, dry it away from the radiator and brush it.
How do I clean a suede bag?
With a soft brush in the direction of the nap, and marks with a dry suede eraser. Don’t use water.
Which suede tote takes a laptop?
Carolyn Medium (40 × 26 × 14 cm) takes a 13-inch laptop, and Jane (48 × 27 × 15 cm) one of up to 14 inches.
Do you have a burgundy suede bag?
Not at the moment. Burgundy, our marsala, comes in smooth leather: in Cecilie, Josefine, Jane, Carolyn Medium, Elza and other models.
