{Wearing top: SEA NY sweater from the RealReal, Quince silk skirt, Birdies swan shoes, and The Curated Classic shoulder bag}

So I actually ordered both the Classic Shoulder Bag and Classic Teddy Jacket from The Curated in 2020 when I was still in Hawaii. Both were sent to Hawaii while we were there, but I obviously couldn’t wear the Teddy Jacket. And tbh I wasn’t a fan of the Classic Shoulder Bag (more on this below), so I left them in Hawaii when I couldn’t fit them into our already seam-busting suitcases. Well I finally had my mom ship both to me in California, and now I remember why I left them in Hawaii (and forgot about them 🙈) lol.

Well let’s start with the one that I actually like, and that’s the Classic Teddy Jacket (pictured above). I first tried on a teddy jacket when I was pregnant (and it was still trendy) back in 2019. I rented it from Rent the Runway and loved the soft coziness of it all. And I got a lot of compliments on it as well. But I wasn’t a fan that it was 100% polyester, aka basically a future sad sack of non-biodegradable plastic. So when I saw that the Teddy Jacket from The Curated was 100% wool and lined with 100% silk, I knew it was probably the best quality Teddy jacket I’d ever find (and some day in the far far future it would be able to biodegrade for the most part). And I was 100% satisfied with my purchase. The quality of the wool and silk are superb and frankly I feel a bit like a rockstar when I wear it lol. Sadly I don’t wear it very often because it’s so dang warm. Definitely too warm for Hawaii and also sadly too warm for even California winters. I would need to live in colder climates to get more use out of this jacket. But I’m holding onto it for now because it really is such a beautiful Teddy jacket, the likes of which will probably never be seen again (also due to the fact that Teddy Jackets are no longer really “in”).

Oh and a note on sizing for the jacket: I ended up getting it in an XXS because I got it on sale and that was the only size left 🤦🏻‍♀️. Luckily it’s oversized so it does fit me and can actually close in the front even though I’m normally a medium in most things. I wouldn’t be able to layer a thick sweater under the jacket, but seeing how warm it is already I doubt I would ever need to layer anything underneath. The jacket runs quite long and as you can see in the picture ends past my hips (I’m 5’4”). I belted it in the picture above so it would look less bulky but overall it is a bulky jacket (and that’s probably why it’s so warm).

It’s currently on mega sale under The Curated Archive sale, so the only one in this style that’s still available is the dark camel one. They have longer teddy coats for sale as well.

Ok so about the bag (pictured at the very top). Let me just start off as saying I’m in love with my Classic Coat from the Curated and I really love the quality and ethics behind brand. But I’m not a fan of the bag. Yes it does look a lot like the Celine box bag without being a total copy of the bag. I once had a Celine box bag that I loved but sold because it was too heavy and I never wore it. And I miss it time-to-time, so maybe that’s why I decided to try out The Curated’s version (and for 10% the cost of a used Celine box bag, it felt like a minor risk). Unfortunately I don’t like it at all. If I found the Celine box bag too heavy, well this one felt twice as heavy. Granted I got the original version of the Classic bag, which is lined in leather. I think the current one is lined in cotton twill, which may be less luxe, but also shaves off at least half a pound from the weight of the bag. As it stands, this bag with the leather lining weighs almost 2 pounds empty. And even though the smooth leather looks gorgeous, it’s quite stiff and thick. Thus it just feels really bulky to carry overall. The leather is budget leather on the inside so it feels a little rubbery (and it’s a good thing they changed it to a cotton lining). The exterior leather is nice and smooth, but since I haven’t used the bag I can’t say how durable it is. I did run my nail across the bottom and it does leave a small mark (which is fairly common for most smooth leather bags).

Inside, the bag has some nice compartments, including a zippered pocket. But since the bag is so stiff it doesn’t fit much. I can only fit my medium wallet, a rather bulky sunglasses case, and my keys. If I also try to fit my phone in there, the bag doesn’t close (the flap can’t be secured by the buckle). I would probably have to switch my wallet to my card case or go without the sunglasses for everything to fit.

On the plus side, this bag comes with two different straps (that you buckle on each side like a belt). This is a nice touch since it allows you to choose how you want to carry the bag (on the shoulder or as a crossbody). But you wouldn’t be able to change how you carry it while you’re out (unless you bring the other strap with you), though I’m not sure how often that would happen. I have a bag that has one long strap with multiple holes so that one strap can be shortened or lengthened to allow the bag to be a shoulder bag or crossbody bag, which IMO is a better design feature than two straps you have to completely remove to change the length (maybe tuck the excess strap inside the bag or underneath when it’s on the shortest length?).

So overall I would say the Classic Shoulder bag looks luxe, but it’s not. It’s also not a practical bag. If I were to keep the bag, it would be one that I only use for a blog or instagram picture to get “the look” (but I don’t do fake stuff like that anymore lol). This is not a bag I would reach for when going out and doing things (thus I sold it for about $250 on eBay—which isn’t a bad resell price IMO). And as much as I love Nicola’s coats, bags are not The Curated’s strong suit yet. I know she’s working on more bag designs, and this is not to say her bags won’t be better in the future. So I would say this is a great first draft, but it’s just not there yet. If you’re looking for a luxe feeling bag without the budget-killing prices, I think Polene bags are a better bet (just don’t go with the textured leather because that’s a mixed bag in my personal experience) or Verlein (both brands make their bags in Ubrique, Spain, which is known for their leather bag industry). Cuyana also makes some beautiful leather bags (from Turkey). For a bit more money, I also recommend Ree Projects, a brand that makes gorgeous and unique bags out of Italy. Or if you can (and if you envision yourself using it a lot), save up for an old Celine box bag and purchase it used from Fashionphile.