DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS 2383  
First Edition  
2021 -mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS 2383 : 2021 
© UNBS 2021  
  
Ladies’ handbag s — Specification  
 DUS 2383 : 2021 
ii © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct applica tion 
© UNBS 2021   
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: 256 41 4 505 995  
Fax: 256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  DUS 2383 : 2021 
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 Categories  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  2 
5 Materials and components  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  2 
5.1 Leather outer materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  2 
5.1.1  Tannage  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
5.1.2  Grade  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  2 
5.1.3  Physical and chemical requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 2 
5.2 Coated fabric ou ter materials  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
5.2.1  Type  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  3 
5.2.2  Backing fabrics  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4 
5.3 Linings  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  5 
6.3.1  Seams  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  6 
7 Packaging and labelling/marking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  6 
7.1 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
7.2 Labelling/marking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 7 
7.2.1  Handbags  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  7 
7.2.2  Bulk package  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  7 
8 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  7 
Annex  A (normative)  Bleeding in water  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  8 
A.1 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  8 
A.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  8 
Annex  B (normative)  Bleeding in plasticized (backing fabrics)  ................................ ................................ ... 9 
A.1 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  9 
A.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  9 
Annex  C (normative)  Adequacy of plating of plated plastics components  ................................ ...............  10 
A.1 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  10 
A.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  10 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  11 DUS 2383 : 2021 
iv © UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Uganda Nat ional Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of the Laws of Uganda, as amended.  UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of Internat ional Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standard s is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of key stakeholders 
including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested pa rties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda S tandards by the National Standards Council.  
The committee responsible for this document i s Technical Committee UNBS/TC 305 , Leather and leather 
products  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS 2383 : 2021 
 
© UNBS 2021 – All rights  reserved  1 
 Ladies’ handbag s — Specification  
1 Scope  
This draft Uganda S tandard specifies the requirements , test methods and  sampling  of ladies ’ handbag s with a 
leather or coated outer fabric . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For unda ted references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
ISO 105 -E07, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part E07: Colour fastness to spotting: Water  
ISO 105 -X16, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part X16:  Colour fastness to rubbing — Small areas  
ISO 3377 -1, Leather — Physical and mechanical tests — Determination of tear load — Part 1: Single edge 
tear 
ISO 3377 -2, Leather — Physical and mechanical tests — Determination of tear load — Part 2: Double edge 
tear 
ISO 5081,  Textiles — Woven fabrics — Determination of  breaking strength and  elongation (Strip method)  
ISO 5402 -2, Leather — Determination of flex resistance — Part 2: Vamp flex method  
US 629 , Leather and fibre board - Measurement of thickness  
US ISO 105 -B02, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part B02: Colour fastness to artificial light: Xenon 
arc fading lamp test  
US ISO 11640 , Leather — Tests for colour fastness — Colour fastness to cycles of to -and-fro rubbing  
US ISO 11644 , Leather — Test for adhes ion of finish  
US ISO 3378 , Leather — Physical and mechanical tests — Determination of resistance to grain cracking and 
grain crack index  
US ISO 3380 , Leather — Physical and mechanical tests — Determination of shrinkage temperature up to 100 
°C 
US ISO 3801,  Textiles — Woven fabrics — Determination of mass per unit length and mass per unit area  
US ISO 4045 , Leather — Chemical tests — Determination of pH and difference figure  
US ISO 4684 , Leather — Chemical tests — Determination of volatile matter  
 DUS 2383 : 2021 
2 © UNBS 2021 – All righ ts reserved  
 3 Terms and  definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1  
batch  
handbags of the same materials (excluding colour), dimensions, construction, style, and design  
3.2 
defective  
a handbag that fails in one or more respects to comply with the relevant requirements of the specification  
3.3 
flaw  
a defect or imperfection that impairs appearance or structure of the bag  
3.4 
lot 
not less than 10 and not more than 2 500 handbags of the same type and bearing the same batch 
identification, from one manufacturer, submitted a t any one time for inspection and testing  
3.5 
handbag  
a bag, ofte n with a handle and/or a strap over the shoulder, used especially by ladies  for carrying small 
personal items  
4 Categories  
The handbags shall have leather or coated fabric outers  
5 Materials and components  
5.1 Leather outer materials  
5.1.1  Tannage  
The leather shall have been tanned with either an organic or an inorganic tanning agent, and may have been 
pre-tanned or re -tanned with an orga nic or inorganic tanning agent.  
5.1.2  Grade  
Leather shal l not be pipy, loose -grained, hard or bony, or excessively marked on the grain surface (unless 
emphasis on surface defects is an intended feature of the leather). Any imperfections or blemishes, if it is an 
intended feature, shall not affect the serviceabi lity of the leather.  
5.1.3  Physical and chemical requirements  
The physical and chemical properties shall comply with the re quirements given in Table 1.  DUS 2383: 2021  
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  3 
 Table 1 — Physical and chemical requirements for leather  
Property  Requirements  Test method  
Outer leath er Lining leather  
Thickness, mm, min.  0.8 0.5 US 629  
pH value, min.  3.3 3.3 US ISO 4045  
Grain cracking on double fold  Nil Nil US ISO 3378  
Tear strength, N/mm of thickness  (min) 40 30 ISO 3377 -1 
ISO 3377 -2 
Shrinkage temperature, °C, min.  
Organic tanna ge 
Inorganic tannage   
70 
90  
70 
90 US ISO 3380  
Resistance of finish to rubbing, rating, min.  
Wet rubbing  
Dry rubbing   
4 
4  
4 
4 US ISO 11640  
Flex endurance, crazing after 10 000 flexes.  Fine cracks only  - ISO 5402 -2 
Finish adhesion, N/cm of width, min.  5 - US ISO 11644  
Colour fastness on exposure to light, rating, 
min. 6 - US ISO 105 -B02 
Fastness to water spotting, rating, min. after 
16 h recovery  5 - ISO 105 -E07 
 
5.2 Coated fabric outer materials  
5.2.1  Type  
A coated fabric outer material shall  be one of the following types and shall comply with the relevant 
requirements given in Table 2, Table 3 and Table 4:  
a) Type 1: a plain jersey knitted fabric with a coating of PVC, and with or without an additional surface finish 
of polyurethane.  
b) Type 2: a pla in jersey knitted fabric with a thicker coating of PVC, and with or without an additional 
surface finish of polyurethane.  
c) Type 3: a queen’s cord type warp -knitted nylon fabric with a coating of PVC, and with or without an 
additional surface finish of po lyurethane.  
d) Type 4: a woven cotton fabric with a coating of polyurethane.  
e) Type 5: a heavier woven cotton fabric with a coating of polyurethane.  
Table  1 — Physical requirements fo r coated fabrics  
Property  Type of coated fabric  Test method  
 
Grade of backing  Type 1  Type 2  Type 3  Type 4  Type 5  
Grammage , g/m2, min.       US ISO 3801  DUS 2383 : 2021 
4 © UNBS 2021 – All righ ts reserved  
 Coating  
Coated fabric  510 
620 630 
720 800 
755 120 
320 110 
400 
Bleeding in water  Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Annex A  
Resistance to wet and to dry 
rubbing , permissible colour 
transfer   
Nil  
Nil  
Nil  
Nil  
Nil ISO 105 -X16 
Resistance to flex cracking ,  
cycles before signs of 
cracking, min.   
2 x 105  
2 x 105  
2 x 105  
2 x 105  
2 x 105  
Colour fastness to light , rating 
min. 6 6 6 6 6 US ISO 105 -
B02 
Volatile matter content , g/kg, 
max.  25 25 25 - - US ISO 4684  
Peel strength of coating, N/50 
mm of width, min.  
Nylon backing  
Other backing   
15 
25  
15 
25  
15 
-  
- 
25  
- 
25  
Tearing strength  , N, min.  28 20 25 50 50 ISO 33 77-1 
ISO 3377 -2 
 
5.2.2  Backing fabrics  
5.2.2.1  General  
A backing fabric shall be of the appropriate grade given in T able 3, shall comply with the rele vant 
requirements given in 5.2.2.2 or 5.2.2 .3  
5.2.2.2  Knitted backing fabrics  
A knitted backing fabric s hall be of cotton or nylon, and comply with the relevant requirements given in  
Table 3.  
Table  2 — Knitted backing fabrics  
Property  Grade of backing  Test method  
Type 1  Type 2  Type 3  
Grammage , g/m2, min.  110 90 45 US ISO 3801  
Structure  Plain jersey  Plain jersey  Queen’s cord   
Finish  Dyed or bleached  Dyed or bleached  Dyed  - 
Bleeding in plasticizer  Nil Nil Nil Annex B  
 
5.2.2.3  Woven backing fabrics  
A woven backing fabric shall be of  cotton, have a plain or twill weave, be raised on one side, and comply with 
the relevant requirements given in Table 4.   DUS 2383: 2021  
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  5 
  
Table  3 — Woven backing fabrics  
Property  Requirement  Test met hod 
Grammage , g/m2, min.  200 
 US ISO 3801  
Breaking strength, N, min.  
Warp  
Weft  
500 
500 
 
 ISO 5081  
Finish  Dyed or bleached  
 - 
Bleeding in plasticizer  Nil 
 Annex B  
 
5.3 Linings  
Lining fabrics shall be such that the lining of a handbag is free from flaw s. 
Linings for use with leather outers  
Linings used w ith leather outers shall comply with the relevant re quirements given in  Table 5  
Table 4 — Fabric lining materials  
Property  Type of lining  Test method  
Woven nylon 
or polyester  Queen’s cord 
warp -knitted 
nylon or 
polyester  Woven 
polyester or 
cotton  Woven 
cotton or 
viscose  
Mass/unit area, g/m2, 
min.(free from piling)  - 100 80 100 US ISO 3801  
Filling content, %, max.  10 10 10 10  
Breaking strength, N, 
min. 
Warp  
Weft  
450 
450  
- 
-  
300 
300  
300 
300 ISO 5081  
 
5.4 Threads  
The threads shall be polyester, polyamide, cotton -polyester, core -spun cotton -and-polyamide, or linen 
threads.   
5.5 Metal components  DUS 2383 : 2021 
6 © UNBS 2021 – All righ ts reserved  
 All metal components, whether func tional or decorative, shall be mainly of corrosion -resistant metal or shall 
have been so coated as to rend er them resistant to corrosion.  
5.6 Plastic components  
All plastic components, whether functional or decorative, shall have been properly plated and, when tested in 
accordance with Annex C , shall show no sign of cracks or pit marks.  
6 General constructional requirements  
6.1 General  
All handbags shall be acceptably lined. The shape, dimensions, fittings, style, and stitching shall be as 
specified by the purchaser.  
6.2 Riveting  
All rivets shall be securely and neatly attached and of sufficient length to allow the caps to be firmly clinched.  
6.3 Stitches, seams and stitching  
6.3.1  Seams  
Seams shall be free fr om twists, pleats, and puckers.  
6.3.2  Stitching  
Stitching may be f unctional or decorative or both. The ends of all stitched seams shall be back -stitched and 
free from loose threads.  
6.4 Handles and shoulder straps  
The construction of a carrying handle or shoulder strap made from a plastic material shall be such that the 
handle or shoulder strap is interlined with a leather strip of thickness at least 0.5 mm or with any other 
acceptable material of similar strength. The interlining shall be stitched in with the turned -in edges of the outer 
covering materia l along the entire length of the handle or strap (including the points of attachment to the body 
of a handbag).  
6.5 Attachment of handles  
Handles shall be securely attached either to the front and back panels or to reinforced gusset panels. The 
attachment of a handle to the top of a closure flap shall not be permissible unless the entire length of the top 
(fold-over) portion is adequately reinforced with an acceptable metal strip.  
6.6 Workmanship and finish  
A handbag shall be clean, well made, and free from  any defect that affects the appearance or may affect the 
serviceability of the handbag. Sewing shall be uniform and double rows of stitching shall be uniform unless 
intended to be otherwise. Linings shall have been so treated as to prevent fraying.  
7 Pack aging and labelling/marking  
7.1 Packaging  
The handbags shall be packed in suitable packages so as to protect them from damage during transportation 
and storage.  DUS 2383: 2021  
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  7 
 7.2 Labelling/ marking  
7.2.1 Handbags  
Marking or a fabric label that is securely sewn to the lin ing on the inside of each handbag shall be neatly, 
legibly, and indelibly marked /labelled  with the following information:  
a) the manufacturer’s name , address and/ or trade mark;  
b) the outer material such as  leather, PVC -coated fabric , or polyurethane -coated fabr ic; and  
c) country of o rigin 
7.2.2 Bulk package  
The following information shall appear in legible, and indelible marking /labelling  on the outside of each bulk 
package : 
a) the manufacturer’s name , address  and/or trade mark ; 
b) the type and category  of the hand bag; 
c) the colour (s); 
d) number of products in the pack ; 
e) gross weight; and  
f) country of origin . 
8 Sampling  
The following sampling procedure shall be applied in determining whether a lot complies with the relevant 
requirements of the specification. The  samples so taken shall be deemed to represent the lot.  
Table 5 — Sample sizes  
Lot size, handbags  Sample for inspection, handbags  Acceptance No  
10-100 
101-500 
501-1 000  
1 001 -1 500  
1 501-2 500  10 
20 
30 
40 
55 0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
 DUS 2383 : 2021 
8 © UNBS 2021 – All righ ts reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Bleeding in water  
A.1 Apparatus  
An oven maintained at 70 °C ± 1 °C.  
A.2 Procedure  
A.2.1  From the sample under test cut a specimen of size approximately 100 mm x 100 mm, and cut it into 
test pieces o f size 10 mm x 10 mm.  
A.2.2  Place the test pieces in a beaker containing 100 ml of distilled water and place the beaker in the oven 
for 24  h ± 1 h.  
A.2.3  After removing the test pieces examine the water for discolouration (bleeding) against a white 
backgro und, and assess the extent of bleeding on the following scale:  
0 = No bleeding (water free from colour)  
1 = Slight bleeding  
2 = Moderate bleeding  DUS 2383: 2021  
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  9 
 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Bleeding in plasticized ( backing fabrics ) 
A.1 Apparatus  
An oven maintained at 100 °C ± 2  °C. 
A.2 Procedure  
A.2.1  From the sample under test cut a specimen of size approximately 100 mm x 100 mm, and cut it into 
test pieces of size about 10 mm x 10 mm  
A.2.2  Place the test pieces in a beaker containing 10 0 ml of Di -iso-octyl phthalate.  
A.2.3  Cover the beaker with a watch glass  and place in the oven for 1 h.  
A.2.4  Remove the beaker from the oven, remove the test pieces from the plasticizer, and examine the 
plasticizer for bleeding (discoloration) against a white background. Assess the extent of bl eeding on the 
following scale:  
0 = No bleeding (i.e. no colour change)  
1 = Slight bleeding  
2 = Moderate bleeding  
3 = Severe bleeding  
 DUS 2383 : 2021 
10 © UNBS 2021 – All righ ts reserved  
 Annex  C 
(normative)  
 
Adequacy of plating of plated plastics components  
A.1 Apparatus  
A microscope or other device capable  of 8x magnification  
A.2 Procedure  
A.2.1  Heat the plastic  component under test in boiling water for 5 min  
A.2.2  Remove and allow it to dry and cool for 1 h  
A.2.3  Using the magnifying apparatus, examine it for signs of cracks or pit marks or both  DUS 2383: 2021  
© UNBS 2021  – All rights reserved  11 
 Bibliograp hy 
BOS 424:2012,  Ladies’ fashion handbags  – Specification  
 DUS 2383: 2021  
© UNBS 2021 – All rights  reserved  13 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Cer tification Mark is governed by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant  Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and testing in accordance with the 
certification mark s cheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 DUS 2383: 2021    
 
ICS 59.140.35  
Price based on nn pages  
© UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved