So as I mentioned before, this Acne Studios Musubi Mini bag was my one purchase for the month back in February and I purchased it secondhand (and for 20% off) at TheRealReal. I’ve been eyeing this bag for over 6 months and I still loved the look, so I decided to go for it. And I have to say, I have zero regrets!
I first was influenced to wanting this bag via Eva Chen’s Instagram (darn you Instagram) but when I polled y’all on stories only half of you guys liked it (which also truthfully sways my opinion). I myself was intrigued but wasn’t sure if it was cute or just too much. And I’m so glad I did hold off on impulsively purchasing right then and there because it gave me time to ruminate on it and now I know I really do love it. Also, during those 6 months, I got my favorite Celine soft cube bag (which I still really love but am currently letting it “rest” so I don’t wear it out too soon) and realized I love leather bags that look soft and pillowy. So I was pretty sure when I bought this in February that I would love it.
If I had a choice, I might have gone with the tan colored one, but since the black one was what’s available on TheRealReal, black it is! As for the quality of the calf leather of the Acne Studios bag, it’s really gorgeous. Comparing it to the calf leather of my Celine soft cube bag, I would say the grain of the Celine bag is slightly finer but not by much (but the Celine bag also retails for $700 more). And while the Celine bag is lined with calf leather, the Acne bag is lined with lambskin making the inside buttery soft but also helps keep the bag light (lambskin is lighter than calfskin).
Since I’ve been using this bag during the rainy California winters, I first protected it with some Chamberlains Leather Milk No. 3 (reviewed here). It gave the leather a slight sheen, due to the slightly waxy formula that’s meant to repel water, but the bag has held up in downpours with no issues so far. Also the durable calfskin has held up great with zero scratches or nicks.
The interior of the bag is divided into 2 sections with a zippered pocket divider. It’s perfect for keeping my things organized with my wallet and phone in one section, my keys in the zippered pocket, and everything else in the other section. The bag closes easily with snap buttons at the top, but I’m also not too worried about the security of the bag when wearing it over my shoulder or crossbody because the thick top handle tends to hide or cover the opening of the bag.
Currently all my bags have pretty thin crossbody or shoulder straps so I love the thickness of the Acne Studios strap and top handle. It makes carrying the bag super comfortable. Also the long crossbody strap is adjustable via some pegs on the sides of the bag that’s hidden by the mini knots.
Having never tried Acne Studios clothing before, I wasn’t sure what to expect about the quality of these bags. But I have to say I’m quite impressed (and this is coming from a long time bag lover). These made in Italy leather bags are really beautiful and durable. Also the design is different enough so even though it’s a pretty minimal black bag, it’s not plain or boring.
Also the word musubi refers to my favorite rice ball snack (and in Hawaii, my favorite spam rice snack) which maybe makes me love the bag even more. But the word also works for the tying of the Obi sash on Japanese kimonos, which is what Acne Studios was referring to. Either way, I love this snack of a bag and can’t wait to get over 100 good wears with it!
{2022 Update: So I sold this bag to a good blogger friend Andrea last year and she reviewed it on her YouTube channel here. Here are my last pictures of it before I sold it:}
{January 2024 Update: Even though I no longer have this bag (and neither does Andrea, I helped her sell it to know of my readers here) I thought this review of the Musubi bag from a leather crafter was interesting.}