Is Madewell Bags Real Leather? Let’s Find Out!
Whether you want a luxurious handbag made from genuine leather or you’re looking for a more ethical alternative, the material that a handbag is made out of is extremely important.
It’s the second important factor after the price of the handbag for many shoppers. This is even more important if the brand is a luxury.
Fortunately, brands like Madewell, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, etc., use high-quality materials in their items.
For all of these brands, leather is a staple material to use. And most customers have come to expect that.
If you’re wondering whether or not the premium handbag brands like Madewell use real leather, the short answer is yes.
For a breakdown of the materials used to make Madewell handbags, both genuine leather and leather alternatives, keep reading this article.
You’ll learn why Madewell uses leather and what the brand does to ensure its products are environmentally safe.
Does Madewell Use Real Leather?
Yes.
The majority of Madewell products have, in fact, been crafted using real leather. Even if the main part of the handbag or purse is not made out of leather, the handle or trim is generally made of leather.
To live up to a high standard of quality and luxury, the Madewell brand uses a type of leather called Saffiano leather.
It’s a textured leather with a cross-hatch finish achieved by treating the leather with a specialized stamping machine and finishing with a wax treatment.
Saffiano leather is durable, water-resistant, scratch-proof, and easy-to-clean leather.
Other luxury brands of the same caliber, such as Michael Kors, Prada, and Coach, also use this type of leather.
Another type of leather that is frequently used in the making of Madewell handbags is suede. It is derived from the underside of the animal skin, usually from lamb, deer, pig, or goat.
Suede is a soft, fuzzy leather that is comparatively more gentle to the touch than traditional leather.
Other types of leather used in making Madewell bags include pebble leather, Italian leather, and crocodile-embossed leather.
The leather that the Madewell brand uses in their handbags is usually sourced from Asia and Italy. Other animal-derived materials that Madewell bags are sometimes made from that are not leather include wool and tweed.
Why Does Madewell Use Leather?
Nearly all high-end brands use leather in their handbags. It could be real leather or man-made, depending on the brand.
Madewell isn’t different. Most of the brands using leather in their bags, including Madewell, are not cruelty-free or vegan.
This means that a lot of these options will be out for you if you’re trying to buy one that isn’t made from leather.
Fortunately, many of these brands are working towards adding a sizeable number of bags that aren’t designed with animal skin.
There are also a lot of brands that don’t use direct animal hide. Only that they’re far and in between.
Are There Vegan-Friendly Options?
Keeping up with the times and listening to the wants and needs of their customers, the Madewell brand has become increasingly more ethical and animal-friendly over the years.
They have stopped using real fur in any of their products and now have a vegan handbag and purse options.
Some handbags are completely leather-free, whether vegan or non-vegan, and made with materials such as canvas, wicker, cork, nylon, and straw.
For those who still want the sumptuous look of a leather handbag but prefer to shop ethically and cruelty-free, Madewell offers vegan leather handbags.
Some of the brand’s handbags use the materials polyurethane or PVC, which is short for polyvinyl chloride.
Although the Madewell brand does not label these products as vegan, since there are no animal products used in these bags, they can be considered vegan.
The Takeaway
The luxury handbag brand Madewell offers a wide range of both high-quality real leather and high-quality vegan leather options for their handbags. As well as handbags that were made from other materials entirely.
However, although the brand offers vegan alternatives, if you do not wish to support companies that use animal products at all, Madewell is not the brand for you.
Final Words on Madewell Leather Bags
In summary, does Madewell use real leather in its bags?
Yes.
The majority of Madewell products have, in fact, been crafted using real leather. Even if the main part of the handbag or purse is not made out of leather, the handle or trim is generally made of leather.
To live up to a high standard of quality and luxury, the Madewell brand uses a type of leather called Saffiano leather.
