Republic of Florence ad: The leather smell test

The first thing people mention in our showroom isn't a bag. It's the scent of leather. It's also the quickest way to tell if leather is real. Pick up the bag and breathe in. Smells of chemicals, or of nothing at all? You're smelling plastic, or a coating sprayed over the leather. Smells warm and earthy? You're smelling the hide. Tannins from tree bark, with nothing sealed over the top. Try it on the next bag you pick up.