Here's the leather Elliott Luca bag I bought for $15 at the flea market in Huntington Beach. Marley convinced me to buy it (I had never heard of Elliott Lucca and this one retailed for $209 spring 2011) and Rae encouraged me to dye it.
I waited awhile to order the Tarrago self-shine leather dye because I couldn't decide on the color of blue. I ended up ordering two kits, one in Tourmaline (see pic 3 right hand side of bottom--very pale blue) and Blue Moon. The Tourmaline looked like it might be a perfect match to the original color, but it was chalky looking and much lighter. I didn't care for it, but was prepared to mix the two colors to get the shade I wanted.
Next I tried the straight Blue Moon and I liked it, so I just went for it. In broad daylight, it is an EXTREMELY bright blue (how's that for a pop of color) and I think it will be perfect for summer. The color and the wave stitching design on the front scream Caribbean holiday to me.
You can see the scuffing and damage on the bag in picture 2. I think the shinyness of the dye finish and the bright color make it look a bit....vinyl? But I know it's real leather and it will wear well. The condition of the leather now is completely restored and it really does look like a brand new bag.
This is not the be-all and end-all bag for me (re: Suz's bag post), but for fifteen bucks and the price of a few dye kits, it was a great way for me to try two new things: a hobo style bag and a bright "pop of color". For more details on dyeing leather, make sure to visit Rae's website.
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