Happy Saturday Folks!
Welcome back! Today we will be exploring part 2 of the ‘this or that’ Chanel luxury tag video originally created by Tarina of @LuxHandbagLover. This is a sequel to my first post, where we went through This or That LV Luxury Tag.
How was your week?
I definitely underestimated mine, considering we are here now 6 days after my original post to do part 2 of this tag! My overly amibitous expectations of myself… 3 posts, 1 week! Ha! Who was I kidding??
Welcome to Part 2, where we discuss the world of Coco Chanel!
This or That (Chanel) Tag, here we go!
1. Caviar or Lambskin
(Chanel Small Classic Flap with Caviar Leather & GHW: $5800)
(Chanel Medium Classic Flap with Lambskin Leather & GHW: $6500)
Caviar Leather
This is a classic Chanel aged-old question, it is deemed as one of the most classic dilemmas when making your first purchase.
– Caviar is a pebbled calfskin leather and more scratch resistant.
(There are exceptions to this rule, but when it comes permanent classic flaps, this is generally the leather used.)
– Lambskin is a smooth buttery leather and more prone to surface scratches, however a lot of the light scratches can be buffed out and repaired.
For my classic flap purchase, I decided to go with caviar, simply because it is more scratch resistant. I don’t believe that emotionally speaking, I can withstand sustaining a scratch on precious lambskin.
2. Quilted or Chevron
(Chanel Small Classic Quilted Caviar Flap in Violet: $5800,
Chanel Medium Classic Chevron Lambskin Flap in Blue: $6500)
Quilted
It actually pains me to answer this question in this way, but in my eyes Quilted is quintessential Chanel. If this is your second piece, or you’ve got your eyes on a mini square or rectangle then Chevron would add wonderful variety to your collection.
3. Slingbacks or Espadrilles
(Navy Blue Tweed Slingbacks: $875, Pink Tweed Espadrilles: $725)
Slingbacks
In this scenario, I would personally choose the Slingbacks because they are more suitable for all occasions. The heel height enables the shoe to be dressed up for a night out, and casual enough for a teatime date!
4. Coco Handle or Trendy CC
(Chanel Coco Handle in Medium (previously known as Small) 20K Burgundy Caviar with GHW: $4000)
(Chanel Trendy CC in Small with Black Lambskin and GHW: $5600)
Coco Handle
Once again I went with one that would be more practical and carefree. Trendy CCs are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, but lack the durability I want from this style of bag. The Coco Handle essentially has all the features that the Trendy CC has but costs $1500 less.
They both feature a top handle, removable shoulder strap (this may have changed for newer models on the Trendy CCs), and internal partitions. The Coco Handle has two sections, while the Trendy CC has three sections in an accordion-style expansion. Personally I feel that the Trendy CC costs a premium because the lambskin is beautiful, and there is a huge metal plate running across the top of the bag that has “CHANEL” embossed on it.
5. Chanel 19 or Deauville
(Chanel 19 in Burgundy with Shiny Crumpled Calfskin: $4800)
(Chanel Deauville Small Tote in Mixed Fibers: $2600)
Deauville Tote
Sadly due to COVID, the Deauville Tote that I purchased has never had a chance to make it’s debut into the outside world yet. The Deauville tote was to create more diversity in my tote collection (I find myself gravitating towards my Iena MM and Longchamps a lot!).
Although the Chanel 19 is a very intricate and beautiful bag, it doesn’t add enough variety to an existing collection. For a person to be looking at a Chanel 19, they usually already own a Chanel flap bag of some variation. And, for those that are attracted to the mixed hardware may already own a Gabrielle. The Chanel 19 isn’t special enough to fill in voids within bag collections. Nonetheless, the bag is absolutely beautiful and features a full length back pocket which is definitely a pro in my book!
6. Boy or Gabrielle
(Chanel Old Medium Boy Bag in Yellow Caviar Leather with Shiny GHW: $5000)
(Chanel Small Gabrielle Hobo in Metallic Gold Aged Calfskin with Mixed Hardware: $4100)
Gabrielle
This question is a no-brainer for me — although a lot of people dislike the shape of the Gabrielle hobo, I find the different ways to wear it to be very intriguing. The Gabrielle line gives more versatility due to the multi-colored hardware, regardless of the jewelry that you may wear day to day.
Although the Boy bag was a much earlier creation by Karl Lagerfeld, it features more cons than pros.
Here are my three cons for the Boy bag:
– The clasp mechanism on the bag requires applied pressure to the leather in order for it to close properly.
– The leather part of the strap can sometimes thread itself through the metal rings which causes the bag to be lop-sided.
– Even in brand new condition, there is always a gap between the arch of the flap and the main body of the bag which can result in losing personal items.
7. Classic Flap Bag or Reissue Flap Bag
(Chanel Medium Classic Flap in Ecru Tweed Ribbon with Champagne GHW: $6400,
Chanel Small Classic 2.55 Reissue (225) with Aged GHW: $6400)
Reissue Flap Bag
This may come as a shock to a lot of bag lovers out there. If I were ever given the option to choose a Reissue or a Classic for free, I would still choose the Reissue. For those that know me, know that I really take a lot of pride in brand heritage and purse knowledge.
My preference of the Reissue is due to it’s direct connection to Coco herself. Karl Lagerfeld released the Reissue in 2005 after retrieving Coco Chanel’s own Reissue from storage. The newly released Reissues would feature as many of the same attributes as possible to the original bag that he had found.
Chanel Portion: Completed
Well, it seems that I’ve managed to post twice in a span of 7 days — it shall get better!
I hope that you had enjoyed my picks for the this or that Chanel luxury tag. Some of these decisions were quite the challenge because what is not to love about Chanel bags? Feel free to let me know in the comment section down below, which ones you would have chosen out of each #thisorthat question!
**All bags featured are either from 20C, 20A, or 20B**
Disclaimer: Please note that all images unmarked are my own and those marked are credited and not intended for any copyright infringement. All images and links are not affiliated. This post is not sponsored and not paid for, all opinions are my own and always will be.