Chanel Leather Choices
When we looked to relaunching our website we tapped all our friends for amazing contributions. One of our favorite fountains of knowledge are the amazing ladies at LePrix! When we found this article we just had to ask and were given permission to share all this fabulous information with our Chic VIPs.
LePrix and Guide to Chanel Leathers:
Chanel is what designer dreams are made of! Few handbags spark as much excitement as a Chanel can, and with the myriad of bags being launched every season, we’re spoiled with all the choices.
For many first-time Chanel customers, they’ve settled on the bag they want, but haven’t put too much thought towards the leather they should get. We’ve put together a guide on the four most popular types of Chanel leathers, and how to care for them.
Caviar Leather:
Caviar leather is the most resilient of the Chanel leathers. Made of pebbled calf leather, Caviar has a grainy texture, is less susceptible to scratches, and tends to hold its “puffier” appearance better than lambskin. If you’re a girl on the go and plan to live by your new Chanel, then we definitely recommend the Caviar Leather Options.
Having said that, Caviar leather does still require some Tender Loving Care. Store in its original dust bag, fill your bag to hold its shape and remember to only pat your bag with water and a soft towel. Also, light colored Caviar leather isn’t completely immune to stains and color transfer, so be cognizant of what you’re wearing, or what surfaces you place your handbag on.
Lambskin Leather:
Any Chanel fan would probably tell you that Lambskin leather is the most gorgeous, silky-smooth and iconic of all the Chanel materials. The leather is treated, leaving it with a slightly glossy appearance. With its luxurious properties, however, it’s also extremely delicate and will flatten over time. Lambskin scratches, dents, and wrinkles fairly easily but with proper care, your Lambskin leather bag can be carried for years to come.
To maintain its appearance, keep it stored properly with the chains tucked inside, to keep it from damaging the exterior. If your bag looks in need of a little cleaning, use a gentle, alcohol-free baby wipe or a good leather conditioner. The conditioner will help to create a light barrier over the material and keep it moisturized.
Calfskin Leather:
Calfskin leather is one of the brand’s more versatile materials and comes in different forms such as Aged Calfskin and Metallic leather. Calfskin is smooth and lands somewhere between Caviar and Lambskin in terms of texture.
Like the Lambskin and Caviar, Calfskin leather must be stored properly and wiped with a soft dry cloth as often as possible. In the long run, this will help the leather maintain its shiny appearance.
Patent Leather:
Patent leather isn’t normally what comes to mind when selecting a Chanel, but you can find it in any of the classic styles. Patent leather is beautifully glossy and easy to clean. Although it is one of the easier materials to maintain, color transfer can happen with this leather and stains are particularly difficult to remove. Be sure to keep any patent leather items in their dust bags and away from items that can cause damage. For regular cleaning, wiping it with a damp cloth or patent leather cleaner is probably the best way of preserving the leather. For more stubborn smudges, we advise taking it to the Chanel store to get cleaned. If you’re willing to take the risk, cleaning the bag with a cloth and Windex is said to do a trick. Test a small area first and dry immediately with a clean cloth.
As one of the top luxury brands in the world, Chanel is often imitated. We wanted to include a quick guide to the date codes inside authentic Chanel bags. Aside from quality construction and impeccable feel, date codes are a wonderful way to feel confident when buying Chanel on the resale market.
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Serial Number |
Year Manufactured |
Style of Serial Number Sticker
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0XXXXXX
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1986 to 1988
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos and left-sided cutout. Opaque film covers sticker. Note that early serial numbers (starting with a 1 or 2) did not have a leading "0". Therefore, these were six-digit serial numbers. Also, the sticker was larger than the stickers produced later in the series.
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1XXXXXX
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1989 to 1991
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos and left-sided cutout. Opaque film covers sticker.
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2XXXXXX
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1991 to 1994
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos. Opaque film covers sticker.
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3XXXXXX
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1994 to 1996
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos. Opaque film covers sticker.
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4XXXXXX
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1996 to 1997
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos. Opaque film covers sticker
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5XXXXXX |
1997 to 1999
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos from 57XXXXX on. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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6XXXXXX
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2000 to 2002
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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7XXXXXX
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2002 to 2003
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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8XXXXXX
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2003 to 2004
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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9XXXXXX
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2004 to 2005
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Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos." X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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10XXXXXX
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2005 to 2006
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker. 11XXXXXX
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11XXXXXX
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2006 to 2008
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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12XXXXXX
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2008 to 2009
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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13XXXXXX
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2009 to 2010
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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14XXXXXX
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2010 to 2011
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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15XXXXXX
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2011
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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16XXXXXX
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2012
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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17XXXXXX
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2012 to 2013
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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18XXXXXX
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2013 to 2014
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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19XXXXXX
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2014 |
Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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20XXXXXX
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2014-2015 |
Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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21XXXXXX
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2015 to 2016
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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22XXXXXX
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2016-2017
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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23XXXXXX
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2017
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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24XXXXXX
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2017-2018
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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25XXXXXX
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2018-UP
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Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos. "X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on right side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
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Now that you’re well versed on the different leathers and what it takes to properly maintain them, pick out your Chanel treasure hereon the Chic to Chic LePrix page.
Thank you to our Always Chic Friends at LePrix for sharing these amazing Chanel facts and care instructions with us at Chic to Chic!
XOXO,
The Chic Girls
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