I ordered this bag to use while I was home on vacation from deployment, I did not use the bag..eek. The bag itself is sturdy, it does have a weird smell but it goes away after a day or so. The handles seem to have pretty thorough stitching and the accents on the purse itself are nice and not tarnished. The bag's color is almost spot on in the photo, its perhaps a hair darker. I packaged this bag up before heading back to Afg because I can't wait to use it when I come home. Its gorgeous and definitely a timeless look.