I’ve been eyeing this Celine small vertical cabas bag for years (like around 5+), but never pulled the trigger because I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend $1300 on a fairly simple bag. Plus back in the day, there were quite a few dupes of this super simple crossbody tote (though a quick search today didn’t pull up anything—I wonder if the style isn’t as popular these days). But when I saw this white one on Fashionphile selling for under $350, I couldn’t resist (plus with Fashionphile’s easy return policy it was worth trying out). And once I tried it out, I loved it!
First off, this bag looks fairly small but it can hold a lot. Water bottle? No problem. Kids clothes and small towel for a trip to the splash pad? Easy peasy. This is my Mary Poppins bag, and my go-to when I know I’ll be out the my daughter all day. This bag can technically fit my 13” laptop though it does stick up over the sides since the small tote is only 11” tall. But since I’m not really a tote person (I ended up selling my small Celine cabas phantom), this crossbody tote size is the perfect fit.
I also love that the leather is thin and lightweight and that the bag has minimal hardware. When it’s empty this bag weighs about 14oz (so less than a pound). And even with the thin leather, the bag is able to sit up-right on it’s own. However, I definitely recommend stuffing the bag when not in use because it looks like the former owner(s) of my particular bag did not do that, thus there’s a large wrinkle in the leather in the front (that I’m pretty sure won’t ever go away). And therefore the uber discounted price from Fashionphile. Also when worn crossbody, the bag will concave a bit unless it’s stuffed to the brim. This doesn’t bother me since it’s a beat-up old bag anyway (not only is there a large wrinkle in the leather but there are all kinds of marks on it). But if you’re paying $1300+tax for a beautiful simple tote, I can see how you’d be annoyed at the bag losing its structure when worn crossbody.
The crossbody strap is removable and adjustable, which is nice. The interior of the bag is suede (and thus hard to clean, especially when it’s white), and comes with only one interior zippered pocket that usually holds my card case. Because it’s just one main compartment, at times it can be like a bottomless pit of stuff. If you like your bag organized, then you’ll need to get a bag organizer for this one.
As for me, I love this bag flaws and all. I checked the date code and the bag is about 8 years old now. And even though it looks a tad beat-up (especially up close) I think it was well worth the sub $350 price tag. The bag has many more years of life in it, and since it’s such a simple and classic style I expect to be able to use to for at least another decade yet!
Also if you want to see a really well-used Celine vertical cabas, check out Matilda’s insta (who also happened to be my original inspo for wanting this bag all those years ago). With use, the leather will start to look a bit stretched out.
I should also note that Celine no longer makes the small vertical cabas in simple leather anymore. They currently only sell ones with Celine logos, so if you’re looking for a simple leather one you’ll have to go the secondhand route. I highly recommend Fashionphile (see their current selection of Celine vertical cabas bags here). And here are my tips for authenticating a secondhand Celine. Lastly, you can see all my Celine bag reviews here.