In the past I would never have sold a bag without doing a full review of it here on the blog. But in the last couple of years I’ve started to let things go without a review. Is it laziness? Perhaps. It’s probably also a sign of overconsumption (I’m getting bags faster than I can review them). Though if they were all stellar bags I’d definitely be reviewing them, so maybe I’m just in my phase of not wanting to review bags I didn’t absolutely love. Anyway without further ado, this is a brief review of three bags that I sold (mostly on Fairly Curated closet) did not fully review on the blog.
Ree Projects Medium Elieze
You know I’m a fan of this Italian-made, Amsterdam-based, Black-owned brand for both their design and construction. I also think in general they’re a decent value (however I bought most of my Ree Projects bag on sale). My favorite Ree Projects bag is the Mini Ann Tote still, which seems to have earned a permanent position in my bag collection.
Unfortunately I couldn’t say the same for the Medium Elieze bag (worn in the top pic). I love the look and feel of the bag, but because the leather is on the softer side, it didn’t hold it’s shape very well (especially when stuffed). Also when the bag was full, the magnets had a hard time closing so it would gape open a bit. Of course I could just carry less, but honestly if I’m carry less I’d rather carry a cuter bag like my Loewe mini Flamenco or mini Puzzle. On the plus side, the bag is lightweight and I like the removable shoulder strap (my first gen version couldn’t be crossbodied, but I think the newer iterations now have a longer crossbody strap). And like all of Ree Projects bags, the leather is sumptuous and the construction is impeccable. But I’m very glad it went to a good home where I hope it is being put to good use.
La Portegna Adelina Bag
As I mentioned in my October Recap (the only time this bag was mentioned on the blog thus far), I purchased this bag because it was recommended by Tanner Leatherstein. Well I still love him, but I think we might have a difference in opinion when it comes to bags (since he doesn’t actually use and wear these womens’ bags daily). As a craftsman I can see why he appreciates the natural leather finish and solid construction of this bag. But as an actual user of the bag, I can’t deal with the heavy weight of the bag and the more rustic leather choice. First off, I appreciate the design of the Adelina bag (with it’s cute knots that remind of the Acne Studios Musubi Mini bag I sold). However unlike the Musubi bag, the leather on the Adelina is rustic and thick so it’s heavy. Plus the rectangular shape is reinforced with something so it’s quite solid, but again add weight. And lastly the four little heavy feet is a great design choice, but that also adds even more weight. So if I’m carrying just my essentials (because face it, that’s all this bag can hold), that’s a lot of added weight from just the bag. (For reference the bag is Height 15cm x Width 23cm x Depth 6cm. And I should add that the bag is 1.1 lbs as stated on their website and the friend that I sold my bag to said she didn’t the bag was heavy at all, so take my review with a grain of salt). And again I would rather reach for my Loewe Flamenco, or if I want something rectangular, my Loewe Puzzle bag (which I should mention can fit more, is lighter in weight—0.87 lbs to be exact, and can be carried in more ways). And the leather strap for the Adelina bag, though removable, is not adjustable.
Also the rustic leather wrinkles naturally on its own. I’m pretty sure it’s the quality of the leather choice. The bag just sat in my closet and the leather dried out a bit, leaving wrinkles. I think because they chose a smooth leather these wrinkles are even more obvious. If you’re looking for a beautiful smooth leather bag like from Celine, Loewe, or The Row this is not it. And that makes sense because the price point is also very different. But I think if you’re looking for veg-tanned smooth leather bag from a non-luxury brand I would recommend checking out the Italian-made, New York-designed Mansur Gavriel (my Mansur Gavriel reviews here) or Ree Projects (maybe just not the Elieze lol). Or if you want a solidly constructed bag form Ubrique, Spain, I would recommend the pebbled-leather bags from Polene (my Polene reviews here). Also this is not to say don’t check out the other bags from La Portegna, I’m just saying the Adelina was not for me.
Kieselstein-Cord Trophy Bag
I got this bag from the RealReal and I ended up selling it right back (I would have returned it if I could but of course TRR doesn’t take returns on bags so 🤷🏻♀️). The details on this bag caught my eye, with the fun alligator clasp and feet. The leather was also quite beautiful. But unfortunately this bag is Heavy with a capital H. I weighed it and it was about 2 pounds with the bag empty. Granted, this is quite a large bag measuring 14” (or 35cm) across. Also even though the alligator clasp is quite cute, it’s hard to open and close with one hand. Lastly, the shoulder strap is removable but not adjustable. But overall, the bag was just too heavy and not something I could recommend (or would sell) to anyone. Even though I’m going to lose money on the bag, I decided to send it back to whence it came. Also fun fact, when I was doing some research on Kieselstein-Cord (a NY-based brand, known for their metal sculptural details on accessories, formerly sold at Barney’s and Bergdorf’s, big in the 2000’s), I found that a Kieselstein-Cord trophy bag was in season 4 of Sex And the City. I was curious so I went looking for it and I took some (very low quality) photos here. Funnily enough, Carrie brings this bag to the restaurant, but it’s missing on the walk home from the restaurant with Jazz Guy. Guess she left it at the restaurant because it was too heavy 😂
