A New Arrival in the (Purse) Family

Yes, I am very close to my purses.  I may not have many, but each one has been carefully curated with strategic intention.   Aesthetics, quality, purpose, and happy-factor are all considered before a new one is brought along into the family.

Last week I attended a Chanel trunkshow on the hunt for a neutral or black clutch.  They didn't have quite what I was looking for, but I ordered two variations, one of whom I hoped would fit the bill.  They arrived in the mail yesterday, so without further ado, here they are:

Here is a slightly better picture of the taupe wallet (they call the color "bronze"):

As you can see from the photo, the color is a lovely neutral which reminds me of Hermes Etaupe shade, one of my all  time favorites.  However, that's basically all I like about it.  I have a love-hate relationship with patent leather, which this is.  Sometimes it feels fun and rich and luminescent, and other times it feels sort of plastic-y.  This would be one of those other times.  It just feels squeaky in the hand, and one of my things about buying luxury leather goods is, well, it should feel sorta luxurious, no?  Anyway, if I could get over the squeak of the patent, I am still not wild about the zipper - a wide one with lots of material on either side, with some loose hanging strings and poor stitching (quite similar to the "sample" I'd seen at the trunk show, albeit in a different color).  Or the textured double C logo, which looks slightly bedazzled and a bit large for the proportion of such a small bag.  And one last gripe - it was made in Italy.  I love Italy, and I love many things made in Italy, including leather made by Italian design houses.  However, Chanel to me is quintessentially French,  I think it should still make their product in France after all, as it is a French design house.  Am I being too picky?  Anyway, I guess you can guess this one is going back to the store.  I should have gone with my gut instincts, but the color swayed me...

Okay, here is the second option:

First good sign - the box was twice as heavy, which largely has to do with the chain strap.  Yet I was already more thrilled with the feel of it overall.  The leather body itself has more heft, and feels nice and thick to the touch.  The stitching is even and leather is cut straight with even diamond quilting.   Yes, I made a careful quality inspection, especially after the taupe bag.  It even has this rich leather smell to it, which I like in a bag.  And more good news, it actually made in France!

This  design is the Chanel classic WOC (wallet on a chain) design, which can be worn on the shoulder, cross body, or as a clutch.  It has room for a phone, wallet and keys, maybe even a small compact and hankerchief, along with zippered compartments for change and slots for credit cards.  I am totally in love!  I can see wearing it for a hands-free day of touring or to a nice dinner out.  I expect it will quickly become a new favorite, as it seems so very versatile.  Welcome to the family, little bag!


Side Rant on Quality

I'll be returning the other one, and I won't be shy about pointing out some of the flaws in workmanship when I do.  Not that the sales associate can do anything about their quality, but maybe the feedback will be passed on.  I feel like a lot of their more seasonal bags are being made as throw-away bags - the kind you wear a year or so and shove to the back of your closet because they look beat-up and ragged.  Well, I would never make a such a significant purse investment if I thought it would only last a year!  If something looks a little rough around the edges before I've even had a chance to wear it, I doubt it will wear well long into the future.  The fact that I even had to carefully inspect the black WOC itself tells me I don't trust Chanel quality implicitly anymore, not for purses anyway.  (In fact, this will probably be my last Chanel bag.)  Their prices are getting closer to Hermes, but the quality is getting further away... I expect the small purse collection I have to last a lifetime, so quality is important.  It goes for Louis Vuitton too, in my opinion.  I had a recently purchased Damier briefcase whose strap broke and canvas actually tore after a couple of months of use.  My older Damier pieces are still going strong - and when I compared the leather straps, appeared almost twice as thick as the newer piece.  Is quality going down, or am I getting pickier?  Have you noticed quality decline in certain high-end manufacturers?  Has it made you change your purchasing habits?