So if you guys have been following along on my Insta-stories, you saw a quick unboxing of this bag and a poll asking whether or not it was a keeper (by the way thank you to everyone who takes the second to answer the poll because I really value your opinions!  I was surprised at how many of you guys thumbs-downed the Chanel bag last week and I have to say I think I agree with you guys).  Anyway from what I recall a little over half of you guys said it was a keeper (wish I had taken a screenshot of the poll but I forgot before the 24 hours was up, darn!).  And I was very much on the fence about this bag.  I purchased this bag used from Fashionphile. It's a 2015 version and there was some wear on the strap as well as the exterior of the bag, but you can hardly tell right? 

Here's what I love about the bag:

- the sturdy cloth strap never slipped off my shoulders

- the large and deep external pockets for holding my iPhone 7+ (it never fell out).  Plus by having the pockets on the outside, it was super easy to grab my phone without having to dig through the bag

- and the large capacity of the bucket bag, which allowed me to just keep throwing endless amounts of stuff inside

{Wearing: Grana cropped cashmere sweater, COS pants, Everlane Day Heels, Celine Seau Sangle bag}

Here's what I didn't like about the bag:

- the hook clasp on the bag isn't very secure and so the bag was pretty much always gaping open unless I was wearing it over my shoulder and had my arm keeping it closed.  Also the clasp would undo itself unless the bag was very full (in the pics here I'm just carrying my usual stuff: wallet, phone, keys, and a makeup pouch)

- the bag was sometimes too deep and cavernous, and I would have trouble finding things.  Also I wasn't able to reach in while the bag was still on my shoulder.  Instead I would need to take it off and hold the strap with one hand while I reached down into the bag with the other.  Maybe those with longer arms can reach into the bag while it's still on their shoulder

- the interior of this grained calfskin bag is suede and since it's already several years old, the suede started to come off and onto the stuff inside (mostly clung to my cotton canvas makeup pouch)

In the end I decided to return this Sangle bag even though I still like it.  I'm really on the fence about it, but since I didn't love it from the beginning I'm thinking I won't miss it now that I've returned it.  This would be a great work bag for those who only want to carry one bag (my 13" laptop easily fit in the bag).  But I already have a work bag and I carry a separate personal handbag for my daily needs, so this bucket bag is a bit large for my daily use.

Anyway if you would like to try out this bag (and I mean this exact bag), it's back up at Fashionphile for the time being.  You can find it here.  And currently Fashionphile also has a smooth leather version in a tan color, which I'm tempted to get (especially seeing as how I'm returning the Chanel flap bag).  

Also, when I got this bag I did some research to make sure it was the real deal (I researched online and I went to Barneys and Saks to see the authentic ones in person).  There are fake Celine Sangle bags out there so you do have to be careful.  Authentic Celine Sangle bags have the Celine embossed in gold in the front unless its a smooth leather version with an additional leather strap.  For example, I would doubt the authenticity of this Sangle (no extra strap plus you can't see any of the other markers to verify authenticity).  The interior zipper should have the word Celine on one side, and the inner view of the zipper should have a number imprinted, and on the pocket are the words "Celine, Made in Italy" imprinted on the leather in two rows.  The serial number tag should be a piece of leather and there is only one row of numbers.  The strap clasp should have the words Celine on the hardware, with the two 'e' s facing towards the strap.  Anyway I hope that helps all those looking to purchase a preowned Celine Sangle!

{Update: Ok so I returned the blue one and then saw a light caramel, smooth calfskin version and jumped on that one.  And I'm so glad I ended up returning the navy for this one.  I love the smooth leathered version (I find it much less floppy than the grained leather one) and the inside suede material isn't falling apart like the other one was (though it might be because this light caramel version is a year newer than the navy one).  The smooth leather version, however, is definitely more delicate and shows scratches easily.  But since it already came scratched and I mean to use this bag as a daily bag, I don't mind the scratches as much.  Also this came with the thick leather strap as well, but I prefer the cloth one since it stays on my shoulder better.  Anyway here are some pictures of my light caramel Celine Seau Sangle:

P.S. Here are the current offering of Celine Sangles from Fashionphile if you're interested!

Also here are all my other Celine bag reviews!

{May 2021 Update: Hi guys so just wanted to let you know that I’ve sold this bag and wasn’t missing it at all until just recently. I had no regrets selling it because it is such a heavy bag (it’s double lined in leather) and it’s best suited for a driving-all-the-time lifestyle. Also the non-adjustable shoulder strap was a pain because it was never quite the right length for me to be able to stick my arm in for a quick grab. And finally I kept “losing” my phone in one of the four outer pockets so I was constantly reaching into every pocket to find it. But in the end it was the weight that was the deal breaker. Well since then, I’ve purchased the Valextra bucket bag and it’s the perfect replacement for the Celine Sangle (the Valextra is lighter in weight yet still holds its shape better than the pebbled leather version of the Sangle). Anyway you can read my review of the Valextra Bucket Bag here.}