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| Tee: Club Monaco | Jeans: Rag & Bone (old, similar) | Bag: Balenciaga |
For my first bag review on my blog, I thought it would be fun to write about the Balenciaga City Mini, which I contemplated about getting for the longest time.
I had watched a ton of YouTube videos, consulted my fashionista friends and did research for months, and I finally purchased it this summer.
TL;DR: I love the bag and reach for it more often than I thought I would, even though I have some trouble being creative when styling it.
I’ll keep this review short and simple: my purchasing thought process, what I like and don’t like, and thoughts on styling.
For measurements and other details, please see the link here.
To walk you through my thought process more thoroughly… I had seen the bag plenty of times, and I never really cared for it. I think I started to see the appeal when I saw the bag paired with sleek, all-black outfits (the uniform of the quintessential New Yorker). Although I liked how it looked on other people, I thought the bag was too edgy for my style. After watching a lot of YouTube videos on the bag, it seemed like a lot of other people felt the same way.
What ultimately got me to make the purchase was my desire for a small, lightweight black bag that not only fit my essential items, but also added a unique edge to my otherwise simple outfits. I basically lived in jeans and plain tees all summer and thought a small, edgy accessory would complement it really well (styled here).
I had previously carried my Prada bag (styled here, here and here), which was too big for small errands and was very heavy on the crook of my arm. I love my Gucci GG Marmont Matelasse Mini Bag (styled here and here), but the structured shape of the bag does not fit as much as I would like.
I think this is a bag that people either love or hate. When I told my mom I got the bag, she actually told me to return it! Many people just do not see the hype of the bag. There are plenty of people on YouTube who love it and many people who eventually sold it. To each his or her own.
What I love about the bag: The bag is extremely light and big enough to carry just the essentials for going out or running errands. For me, this consists of a small wallet, keys, iPhone X, AirPod case, portable phone charger (mine is huge) and sunglasses with no case.
The mini size comes with a strap, which I love, because (1) the length is adjustable, (2) there is a thick shoulder pad on the part of the strap that actually goes on your shoulder for maximizing comfort and (3) there are multiple ways you can hook the shoulder strap onto the bag to make it either shoulder bag or crossbody length. I also really like holding it by the handles as well.
Although I normally avoid lambskin handbags due to its delicacy, I find that it is fine for the Balenciaga City, since the “distressed” look is the appeal. Because of this, you do not have to baby it.
What I don’t like about the bag / thoughts on styling: I think the bag itself is great, aside from the super long tassels. Given that my style is mostly on the feminine side, my major complaint is that I still am not sure how to incorporate this bag into my wardrobe besides the denim + simple top combination. I literally made a Pinterest board to get some styling inspiration, and it has actually been helpful… Below are a few of my favorite finds.
Pictured on the left, I love how Chiara Ferragni paired her bag (which I think is navy) with a casual sweater and preppy loafers. In the middle, Kendall Jenner wore a feminine, off-the-shoulder top with boyfriend jeans and a gray Balenciaga City Mini. The black would look great with this outfit as well. On the right, I love how Lauren Conrad incorporated the bag with a chic, all-black look with a pair of classic black pumps.
