Mansur Gavriel Review Mini Sun Bag

One of my last impulse purchases of 2016 was this Mansur Gavriel Mini Sun Bag.  My fever for Mansur Gavriel had cooled down quite a bit by the beginning of 2016, and I only had one MG bag in my collection (the mini lady bag, which I love but also found I wasn't using as much as I had hoped).  So I really shouldn't have been buying more MG bags, but I just felt a structured bag was missing (yes, missing!) from my closet.  I once owned the Saint Laurent sac de jour in small but ended up returning it because it was super heavy for such a seemingly simple looking bag.  I wanted something similar but lighter.  Enter the MG Sun Mini Bag.  

I decided to get it in the vegetable tanned leather, even though Mansur Gavriel has so many more leather options now (tumbled! patent!) since I knew their veg tanned leather is the most structured and well suited for this kind of bag.  Also the cheaper price point definitely didn't hurt.

The bag comes with two large compartments separated by a zippered section.  This bag fits quite a bit (though not my laptop without sticking out over the handles).  I love that it comes with a long shoulder strap (a must!) but that's also removable (and also adjustable).  And the best thing about this bag is the overall lightness (like all of MG bags).  There's nothing worse than a bag weighing 1-2 pounds empty!

For reference, the brandy mini lady bag on the left and the sun bag on the right.

And back to back.  You can see that they're quite similar in size, with the mini sun bag being slightly deeper than the mini lady bag.

At first, I wasn't really a fan of the leather string tied in a bow in the front, though now it's growing on me (at first it seemed too cutesy).  But other than that I can't find anything wrong with the bag.  So if you're looking for a well-made lady-like structured bag, this Mini Sun Bag might be the one for you.  You can find it here at Mansur Gavriel.

P.S. When I went to the MG site for that link above I just noticed that they no longer carry the mini sun bag in veg tanned leather in this style.  The veg-tanned sun bags now only have 1 large compartment and it's not lined in canvas.  They either have it coated in matte red or blue or have it uncoated.  And now there's only a single interior slim pocket, no zippered pocket.  As they have it now, I think I prefer this version with the lined canvas since at least there's a zippered pocket to contain all your loose items.  It looks like the calf-leather version still comes lined (but the calf leather version is 1) more expensive, 2) a bit heavier overall since the leather is thicker and heavier, and 3) likely to wear faster where the top handles meet the bag (I used to own the MG crossbody in calf-leather and used it a lot over a year.  By the end of the year the leather where the straps attached to the bag were all cracked and worn.  From what I understand (thanks to a reader!) that only happens to chrome-tanned leathers not veg-tanned leather).  But the new version of the sun bag does have that pop of color, which is what attracted me to the MG tote a couple years ago.

Chamberlain's Leather Milk No. 3 on my Brandy Veg-tanned Leather Mansur Gavriel Mini Lady Bag

So it all started with a bit of rain.  There's been multiple storms coming through the Bay Area in the last couple weeks and I just so happened to get caught in one of them with my new brandy Mansur Gavriel mini lady bag.  Eek I know!  And so of course I got a bunch of rain spots all over the brandy leather.  When it dried it wasn't terrible but still noticeable.  So I decided I would get rid of the spots and protect the leather from future rain storms by using Chamberlain's Leather Milk No. 3.  Since my past review of Chamberlain's leather milk and other leather cleaners/conditioners on Mansur Gavriel bags were all on black leather I wasn't sure what to expect.

But I wasn't expecting this:

I know, I did a really terrible job with the even application.  But I didn't quite know how terrible it was until I took these pictures.  I freaked out a bit but decided to wait and see how the conditioner dried before doing anything drastic.

And whew!  It dried evenly.  You can't see the conditioner despite my poor application job:

But three things I've learned from using this leather conditioner on my brandy bag:

1) It will darken the natural color of the bag.  In the picture above you can see the original color on the drawstring.  The leather milk deepend the brandy color.

2) The conditioner also changes the feel of the leather.  Before it was a much drier, stiffer leather.  Now it's definitely a little more malleable and I hope this will help prevent more superficial scratches in the future.

3) The leather conditioner will also bring out pre-existing scratches more since the scratched leather doesn't seem to absorb the conditioner like the leather area around it.

Now that I know what I know would I have conditioned this bag like I did?  Probably because at least you can't see the rain spots anymore and I don't mind the slightly darker color.  Plus I know my bag is probably more protected in future storms!

{edit:  So I just read Chamberlain's Leather Milk FAQ page--which is a great resource about their products and leather cleaning in general--and have determined I way over-conditioned it and (obviously) did not apply even layers.  If you're planning on buying their products, definitely go to their site for more info.}

Mansur Gavriel Mini Lady Bag Review {Updated December 2020}

This is it guys, this is IT!  And by IT I mean this is Mansur Gavriel's IT-bag, or at least the IT-Lady Bag.  And I should know because I'm the Goldilocks of Mansur Gavriel Lady Bags.  First I tried the regular lady bag in calf-skin (review here), then the large lady bag in veg-tanned leather (review here), and finally the regular lady bag in veg-tanned leather (review here).  Today I have the mini lady bag in brandy veg-tanned leather (avion blue interior) and it's my favorite by far.

Mini Lady Bag vs. Regular Lady Bag

The above pictures show the the size difference between the regular and mini lady bags.  The mini lady bag measures: 9"H x 10.5"L x 3.5" depth while the regular lady bag measures 11"H x 12.5"L x 4.5" depth.  So it's about 2 inches shorter both in height in length but only 1 inch less deep.  So it can't hold a 13" laptop but it can hold a full-size ipad with case.  The mini lady bag works best as a day to day bag to hold all your essentials but might be too small to be a work bag.

Inside my bag in the top pic: My old Ipad in a Dodo case (I love these cases, even though they can make the ipad a bit heavy to carry), makeup case, wallet, phone, and sunglass case.  So not a whole lot of stuff but all the essentials and then some.

Another difference between the mini and the regular lady bag is the drop of the top handle.  The mini lady bag has a 5" drop while the regular has a 7" so that means for the mini lady bag, I can't get the strap around my arm if I wanted to carry it tucked under my armpit (which I sometimes did with the regular lady bag).  But I think the 5" handle drop is a good proportion for the mini. 

Strap out or tucked in?

Also the drawstring closure on the mini is a lot stiffer than the closure on my regular bag.  So the drawstring stays cinched and secure (but to be fair it might be because I've overloaded the regular lady bag in the past and it might have worn out the closure).  But this helps my mini bag to stay closed and secure, which wasn't always the case with the regular lady bag (thus my need to carry it under my armpit, especially in crowds).

Anyways I can tell this is going to be my favorite bag in the next few months!  If you want to get your own mini lady bag nab one at the Mansur Gavriel restock this month [edit: it's going to be on March 29th]!  And in the meantime here are my other Mansur Gavriel reviews!

P.S and this is for reader Svy showing a 13" macbook and the mini lady bag:

{March 2019 Update: They also have had a Mini Mini Lady bag out for a bit now. I can see that size being the best for going out and/or carrying just the essentials. Also since MG has been around for awhile now, you can score some really great deals on secondhand mini lady bags. Check out my favorite consignment sites Fashionphile (their selection of mini and mini mini lady bags) and TheRealReal (their selection of mini and mini mini lady bags).}

{December 2020 Update: I purchased and reviewed the Mansur Gavriel Mini Mini Lady Bag. Check out the post for a size comparison of the Lady Bag, Mini LB, and the Mini Mini LB}

Mansur Gavriel Mini Mini Bucket Review and Mini Bucket Review

I finally got my hands on a Mansur Gavriel mini mini bucket bag so now it's time to do another review (all other Mansur Gavriel reviews here).  I've done a review comparing the MG classic bucket bag to the mini bucket bag, but unfortunately I sold the classic bucket so I can only compare the mini to the mini mini.  I guess if you read this review and that review you'll get an idea of the sizing since both reviews include the mini size (the old review has a royal blue mini bucket).

Also, if you were wondering the difference between the cammello color and the brandy color, the mini is brandy (with cleo interior) and the mini mini is cammello (with rosa interior).  As you can see the brandy color is quite a bit more reddish in color.  My personal preference is cammello, though with the lighter color, water spots and other marks will probably be more visible.

As for the size, you can see that the mini mini is quite a bit smaller than the mini.  I think they probably should have named the mini as regular and the mini mini as just mini (since the classic size is really a large).  The mini measures 9.5"H x 8"W x 4.5"D while the mini mini measures 8"H x 6"W x 3.75"D.  Though it's only a 1.5" difference in height, the extra inch or so makes the mini bucket feel a lot deeper.  I personally prefer the extra depth so that items feel more secure (though really with an open bucket bag your items aren't going to be that secure to begin with).  Neither bucket bag comes with the wallet (that's only available for the classic size).

The mini mini is perfect for those who don't like to carry a lot of things in their bag.  It can fit the essentials like phone, keys, wallet, sunglasses but if you're someone who also like to carry a water bottle or ipad mini then the mini size is the way to go.  I prefer the mini size over the mini mini.  But since I prefer the cammello color over the brandy, I might try my luck during the 2-minute frenzy that is the Mansur Gavriel shop relaunch happening on Tuesday December 8th at 11AM EST (so 8AM my time).  But we'll see, I might save my pennies for their Spring 2016 launch and try to get a mini lady bag.

The picture below shows the mini mini with my iphone 6s and wallet while the brandy mini bucket is carrying a mini ipad.  Both bags are really gorgeous so I can't go wrong with either of them, but I think my vote is for the mini bag since the size just works better for my everyday needs.  Since I prefer the cammello color over the brandy, I might try my luck during the 2-minute frenzy that is the Mansur Gavriel shop relaunch happening on Tuesday December 8th at 11AM EST (so 8AM my time).  But we'll see, I might save my pennies for their Spring 2016 launch and try to get a mini lady bag.  But if you're participating in tomorrow's relaunch good luck and hope you get the bag that you want!!

Mansur Gavriel Crossbody Bag Review {updated Feb 2017}

After doing 7 kinds of Mansur Gavriel reviews (including multiple Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag Review, the Mansur Gavriel bucket bag review, the tote review and a general review of their leather quality and care) you would think I would have run out of things to review.  Well not quite!  This is possibly my last Mansur Gavriel review, at least for the near future, since this is the last of my MG collection.

source

I originally never planned on getting the crossbody since I had so many other MG bags already (read about my bag addiction here), but I loved all the other MG bags that I had so I thought I would give this new style a shot.  And I'm so glad that I did!  Unexpectedly, this is one of my favorite bags from their collection.  These are the reasons why I love it so much:

Pros:

-The bag is super simple but really stylish at the same time.  Plus it's versatile enough to go from casual day bag to a night bag.  I especially love the neutral sand color.

-The calf leather on this is great.  There was a faint chemical-type smell that I also noticed on the Lady Bag, but it was much more faint on the crossbody.  I only noticed it when I put my nose right up to the bag, but that's about it.

-There's no color transfer from jeans to the bag (always something to worry about on a light colored bag) {update 11.16.15: actually I wore a semi-new pair of black jeans and now my sand cross-body is looking a little gray on the back, so yes color transfer is possible, but I blame the jeans, and me!}.  {update 11.21.15: I just used Chamberlain's Leather Milk No.1 (featured here) and all the streaks and transferred color is gone.  Looks like new again!}

Pro/Con

-The size is something that can be seen as both a pro or a con, depending on what your needs are.  I love that this bag fits the essentials: phone, wallet, keys, and sunglasses.  But if you're looking to fit anything more than that this bag will be too small for your needs.  It measures 7" x 9.25" x 2.25" and it's that 2.25" that makes this bag feel extra small.  The crossbody is a really structured bag so there's no give to that depth.  If you're looking for a small bag from Mansur Gavriel that can fit a bit more than the essentials then I would recommend the mini mini bucket bag or the mini bucket bag.  Both fit more than you would expect.

But if you're looking for a classic and timeless bag, but don't carry a lot, then the cross body is the bag for you.  Lately, it's been my go-to when doing errands.  It's so easy to just throw everything in there and head out the door (and the magnetic closure makes it super easy to open and close, no fiddling with clasps or drawstrings).

{2.28.17 edit: I thought I should probably let you know that I ended up selling this bag awhile ago because after daily use over 6 months, the leather straps that attach to the body started to crack and crumble.  From what I understand though, this only happens with the calf skin leather versions and veg-tanned leather should crack and soften like that.  Oh also, as the leather softened, the imprint of the magnet closure became more visible and took away from the overall clean look}

Mansur Gavriel Leather Care: Leather Conditioners and Protectors

Since my first Balenciaga bag over 10 years ago, I've loved high quality leather bags.  Like good wine and good people, good leather bags get better with age.  But of course there's some upkeep involved.  I used to condition my Balenciaga bags with Lovin my Bags, which was alright. I didn't actually love Lovin my Bags.  So when I bought my Mansur Gavriel bags, I did some research on the type of leather conditioners and protectants out there.  And since I couldn't find any in-depth reviews of these products, I ended up buying a few to test out.  

[edit: These products are recommended for darker colored veg-tanned leather or calf-skin leather bags.  These products can be used on cammello or brandy veg-tanned leathers but just be warned that it will darken the natural leather color.  Read all about it here.]

I purchased the following conditioners and protectors: 

Chamberlain's Leather Milk Natural Leather Care Liniment No. 1 | Leather Conditioner and Cleaner

Chamberlain's Leather Milk Water Protectant No. 3 | Natural Leather Protector and Conditioner

Leather Honey Leather Conditioner

Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich Cleaner Condition Preserver 4 Oz

Apple Brand Garde' Rain & Stain Repellent

Chamberlain's Leather Milk Natural Leather Care Liniment No. 1

This is a water-based leather conditioner (more FAQs about it here) and it was the most liquid of all the formulas.  It smelled and looked a lot like almond oil.  The Chamberlain's products all come with a terry-cloth like sponge, which is great.  Put some of the leather milk on the sponge and buff it into the leather.  The formula does go on a bit streaky so you have to be careful to use thin even layers.  There is also some color transfer onto the sponge when using it on veg-tanned leather but no color transfer onto the sponge when I treated my navy calf-leather lady.  

Chamberlain's Leather Milk Water Protectant No. 3

I didn't know what the difference between no. 1 and no. 3 were, and since both seemed like great leather conditioners, I wanted to try out both.  No. 3 is a wax/oil-based leather conditioner and protector, while no. 1 is more of a leather conditioner/cleaner.  I think if people purchase both, they usually treat with no. 1 first and then follow it up with no. 3, but for this review I just tested it out on the veg-tanned clutch that comes with the MG tote.  No. 3 has a gel-like consistency and has no smell.  There is also no color-transfer when used on the veg-tanned leather.  This product, unlike no. 1 didn't go on streaky.  I can't say how well it protects since I haven't taken it out in damp or rainy conditions yet, but I might do an update when I do just to let you all know how well it works.

Leather Honey Leather Conditioner

The Leather Honey is super sticky, exactly what you would expect a product called leather honey to feel like.  On the bottle it recommends using it in a warm room to help spread the product easier.  So you can imagine a little goes a long way.  They recommend using a lint-free cloth, so I tried it with a microfiber cloth I had lying around.  It definitely was not the easiest to use but thankfully the product was not streaky so it didn't require perfect application.  The smell was not great, but faded when you let the product dry.

Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich Cleaner Condition Preserver

The Blackrock cleaner/conditioner has a creamy texture with a bit of a chemical smell which went away when it was fully dried.  When I applied it using the same cloth that I used for the leather honey, there was A LOT of color transfer from the leather to the cloth.  When I was done with the sample spot, I was surprised there was any color left on the leather.  The application was noticeable but not too streaky.

Apple Brand Garde' Rain & Stain Repellent

Finally the Apple Brand spray is just a protectant.  It is meant to protect your leather against rain and salt {it's also great to spray on leather shoes}.  I sprayed my veg-tanned tote and first the spray droplets were visible, but in several seconds it faded.  I haven't encountered any rain yet so I won't know how it holds up, but after I treat both the tote {with the Apple Brand Garde} and my veg-tanned lady bag with Chamberlain's no. 3 I might try a small experiment with some water and let you know how the hold up.

Here are some of the test samples:

Chamberlain's no. 1 is on the left, untreated in the middle, and Blackrock on the right.  The picture above is in full sunlight and the picture below is the same thing in indirect sunlight.  You can see how you have to be careful of application and make sure you treat all areas of the bag.

In the picture above, you have Leather Honey on the left, untreated in the middle, and Chamberlain's no. 3 on the right.  The picture above is in direct sunlight and the one below is in indirect sunlight.  You can see the with these two products, the treatment itself is not so noticeable.

So my final conclusion?  Chamberlain's no. 1, Chamberlain's no. 3, Blackrock, and Leather Honey all work well, even though they're all really different.  But if I were to choose just one of these products it would be Chamberlain's Leather Milk no. 3 since it is both a conditioner and a protector.  With the other products, once you condition and/or clean the leather you would still need a protector, like the Apple Brand Garde {which I don't have any pictures of, but really there's nothing to see since it dries invisible}.  My second favorite is probably Blackrock since it was easy to work with and wasn't really streaky.  The Leather Honey was hard to work with and Chamberlain's No. 1 was too streaky.  However, I did use it to fully condition my calf-leather lady bag below and it helped lessen the smell immensely.  It also got rid of some dirt marks and gave it a subtle shine {see the picture below of my fully treated lady bag}.

I used the Blackrock conditioner to buff out some of the scuff marks on my tote.  Before picture on top and after picture below.

Well I hope you found this useful and not too long!  And if I ever try out the bags in the rain, I'll update you all on how the the leather holds up {let's hope the products do their job!}.

Mansur Gavriel Bag Leather Quality {Updated Feb 2018}

There has been a noticeable difference in the quality of the calf leather before and after the summer restock.  Any calf leather purchased before April, was a high quality smooth leather with a sheen to it.  But calf leather bags purchased after April, mostly those made for the June restock is a seemingly lower quality leather that feels spongy/rubbery, is matte and smells a bit like chemicals/bleach {this was my major complaint with the navy lady bag from the first Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag Review}.  The picture above are all my calf leather bags.  The navy blue Lady Bag and sand Crossbody are from the recent restock while the royal blu bucket is from earlier in the year.  You can't see the differences there, but the picture below shows the difference.  The older, better calf leather is on the left while the newer and but lower quality calf leather is on the right.  It's only a subtle difference, but in-person the differences are huge.  

via from frankiextah

Another comparison shot with the older, better calf leather on top and the newer calf leather on bottom.

If you are new to the Mansur Gavriel market, stay away from the calf-leather and stick with the veg-tanned leather bags.  The calf-leather is more expensive and at the current quality, it's not worth the money.  Meanwhile the veg-tanned leather seems to be of the same quality and at a lower price point, it's just a smarter purchase.  If you did end up already getting a calf-leather bag from the last restock, don't despair.  The smell does go away after awhile.  Also by using a leather conditioner, like Chamberlain's leather milk, Leather Honey, or Black Rock the smell fades much quicker {and it makes your bag look better}.  If you're interested, I reviewed different leather conditioners and protectants for Mansur Gavriel bags.

MG calf-leather bag owners, is your leather like mine?  Or I wonder if it was just a bad batch?

Feb 2018 update: I feel compelled to update my post even though this is several years old with this review I just found.  It seems that MG leather quality isn't as good as I initially thought it was.  Also I can attest to this because my calf-skin crossbody leather began disintegrating where the straps met the body of the bag.  

Mansur Gavriel Large Tote Review

It's becoming almost a regular Monday with Mansur Gavriel on the blog here.  Here are past MG posts if you're interested: Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag Review Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 and the Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bags Review.  But since I have the large tote bag as well, I might as well review it here.  I don't use totes very often, but I did occasionally use the Louis Vuitton Damier Neverfull GM {the largest size} for the times I traveled.  But I found that the Longchamp Le Pilage was so much more useful {and light} for traveling and so I sold my LV {having a tote that can zip up at the top is pretty clutch for traveling}.  Then when the MG tote came out, I decided to try it out as a work/school bag.  I also have Everlane's Petra Tote, but that's quite narrow and doesn't work as well when you want to carry bulky things {it's perfect for laptops and textbooks}.

Pros:

-The veg-tanned leather is amazing!  Smells great and feels super durable.

-The coated pink color on the inside is the perfect pop of color to a normally boring black tote. And since there is no closure at the top, the pink is really easy to see.  I also learned that the coated interior gives the bag more structure so it won't become super slouchy with time {which is great for a tote}.

-It comes with an attachable wallet, perfect for the small things that might end up lost in a big tote.

-The large tote size is perfect as a work bag or even an overnight bag, since you can really pile things into it.  

-Also the minimal hardware and the veg-tanned leather choice means this bag is super light!

The cons:

-Since there's no closure to the top of the bag, you not only can see the pink interior but also everything else that's in your bag.  So I wouldn't recommend using this bag if you're going to be traveling or in crowds.  It might be too tempting for sticky fingers.

Here are some other great reviews of the MG tote bag: a cammello/rosa tote bag, a black/flamma tote bag, and a review of the small tote bag.

Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag Review part 3 {Updated December 2020}

So if you've been following my Mansur Goldilocks problem with my Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag review and Mansur Gavriel Large Lady Bag review part 2, you know that I've purchased 2 different lady bags and still haven't found the right one. Well my search is finally over!  Last week at the Mansur Gavriel shop relaunch I was able to pick up a regular veg tanned lady bag in black and oro {gold}. And this is it, no more lady bag purchases!

What I love about this bag:  

- the veg-tanned leather: it smells amazing and it's super structured which works out perfectly for this bag style. I've been consistently using the calf-skin lady bag and I've been finding it too slouchy, which makes closing the bag through the loops much harder when carrying it from the top handle. But I find I don't have those minor inconveniences when using the veg-tanned version 

-the size is perfect. I can even fit my dslr and extra lenses, which I did on my recent trip to Chicago. It was the perfect travel bag with the ability to carry it from the top handle or cross body. 

-and that pop of gold whenever you open up the bag.  Yes, it is kind of flashy but that's okay since it's just flashy on the inside.

One thing to be aware of for this bag:

-the gold interior is just a coating on the leather so from reading other people's experience with the metallic interiors in the bucket bags, I know that the coating can scratch and fade.  So I'm taking precautions and putting my keys and any other sharp objects in pouches.  Also, since there is only one pocket on the inside, it can't hold much {I just put my phone in there so it's easy to reach}.  But you can always do a pro-bag lady trick and use purse organizers {which also makes it really easy if you're constantly switching which bags you use}.

{December 2020 Update: Since writing this post I’ve reviewed the Mansur Gavriel Mini Lady Bag (where I’ve compared this bag to the Mini) and I’ve reviewed the Mansur Gavriel Mini Mini Lady Bag.}

Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag Review Part 2: the large lady bag

I've already done a Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag Review Part 1 and a Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bags Review, but this is to introduce/review my newest addition, the large veg-tanned Lady Bag.  If you read Part 1, you know my main gripe about the smaller calf-leather lady bag was the funky smell.  {And an update on that, after a couple weeks it still smells if you put your nose close to it.  But at least it doesn't smell up the whole room anymore--yea for the first week it was that bad.  I had to "quarantine" my bag in an unused room in my house because the smell was so strong.}

I purchased the large lady bag from The Line, and it was an easy and painless transaction.  The bag shipped the next day and I got it 2 days after that (and there was no tax!) so The Line might quite possibly be one of my new favorite online stores.

Without further ado, here's the review:

Pros:

-Smells perfectly fine.  No strong smells, and in fact it has a good leather smell.

-The veg-tanned leather works really well for this bag.  I would say the veg-tanned leather is way better for the shape of the lady bag than it is for the bucket bags.  Since the bucket bags are so round, the stiff leather makes it too bulky.  But the lady bag doesn't have any of that bulk.  I even prefer the veg-tanned over the calf leather because for the veg-tanned the flap doesn't pucker like it does for the calf leather one {see pic above}.

-Cute contrasting interior.  This one is Ballerina on the inside {though you can't really see it when it's closed.}

-The classic style and the ability to securely close the flap.

Cons:

-The size!  This bag is so enormous! (I'm 5'4" for reference) It's 16.5 x 6.5 x 12.75 inches and it's just too large for me to carry.  Plus I just don't have that many things I need to carry on daily basis.

-I don't think it's The Line (the shop I purchased this from) that did this, but my lovely MG bag came pre-scratched.  I don't know how it already got so many scratches, but I've read else where that someone else had this problem.  So I'm wondering if it's a problem somewhere along the distribution channel.  For over $1000, you'd hope your bag wouldn't have large gouges all over the body.  

So the final verdict on Mansur Gavriel Lady bags?  Not to sound like Goldilocks here, but I'm still having trouble finding the right one.  I think the one that will best suit my needs is the regular size, in veg-tanned leather.  Will I be able to get one during this Tuesday's Mansur Gavriel relaunch?  I have my fingers crossed!

{Some tips about the relaunch on the Mansur Gavriel website: it's on Tuesday 7/28 at 11AM EST, so that's 8AM for us Californians.  And I would say get on the site around 7:45AM, already have the bag you want picked out and just keep clicking refresh from 7:55AM or so.  And if you're lucky enough to snag the one that you want, go to checkout asap.  You only have 5 minutes to complete the purchase once you get it into your cart.  Also, they have a limit of one bag per customer.  If you don't get your first choice, you probably won't be able to get your second unless it's a tote or backpack but it doesn't hurt to try.  I predict the regular Lady Bags are going to go first followed by the bucket bags.  So good luck y'all}

{9.24.15 update: if you're interested, I've decided to sell my MG tote.  Details here on how to buy.}

Mansur Gavriel Classic and Mini Bucket Bag Review

Last week I did an impromptu Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag review, so this week I wanted to do a review on Mansur Gavriel's Bucket bag, which is their most well-known bag.  

{Update 12.7.15: I managed to get my hands on the mini mini bucket bag so here's a review of the Mansur Gavriel Mini Mini bucket bag compared to the Mini bucket bag.}

It comes in 3 sizes: The classic or large (which is the largest, and the one in cream canvas below), the mini (which is the royal blue one in the pictures), and a mini mini (which I don't have).

The measurements:

Classic Bucket bag: 12.25” H X 10” W X 6” D

Mini Bucket bag: 9.5” H X 8” W X 4.5” D

I've used the larger canvas bucket bag for traveling and though there's no way to fully close the bag, I felt my items were safe since the bag is so deep.  Also it was really awesome to be able to open up the top and overload the bag with stuff when we went shopping.  The mini bucket bag is not that much smaller and fits a lot of items as well.  I used to have the veg tanned leather one, but it's very stiff and requires some breaking in.  I don't really have the patience for that breaking in period so I rather like the calf leather version (the mini one) and the canvas one.  Both are malleable and easy to carry from the get-go.  However the veg tanned classic bag has fun interior colors and comes with a detachable pouch (these two versions of the bucket bag doesn't come with the pouch).  The straps are adjustable so it's easy to carry it over the shoulder or as a cross-body.  

I used the black canvas one here for traveling and it held up like a champ.  The white canvas one got dirty after the first time I used it (some black scuff marks and color transfer from my jeans).  Even though the cream canvas with natural leather is a cute combo, it's not worth the maintenance.  

You can still find these bags sporadically at various small boutiques.  I got the royal blue mini and the black canvas bucket bags at Mohawk General Store in LA, and the white one at ShopBazaar.  If you want to buy one of your own, the Mansur Gavriel site is going to have a restock in August (but be ready for it, because bags sell out in less than a minute), or just sporadically check Google shopping for stores that might have it in stock.

Not everyone loves a bucket bag, but if you like the style, Mansur Gavriel is the new classic.

{update: I have also written up a new post on how to care for the leather of your Mansur Gavriel bags.}

Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag Review {Updated March 2019}

Hi fellow purse fanatics!  This post is for you!  I usually try to keep my review posts to Wednesdays but I just got this bag and since they haven't been shipped in the US stores yet, as far as I know, I thought I would go ahead and give all the deets for those thinking of buying it.

So this is the Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag Review.  I think the Lady Bag is their next hit after their bucket bags.  I got this one online at the French shop Colette, and lucky for me the Euro is at a fairly low point so I got the bag for only $12 more than if I had waited to buy the Lady Bag at Barney's (which not only doesn't have this color but is also shipping out in October).  $12 more is a small price to pay for next-week gratification.

This is the lady bag in the smaller size (only comes in the small or large size), and is the calf leather, not the veg tan leather.  So that means it comes lined instead of the contrasted coated color inside and it also means the leather is softer and doesn't require a breaking-in period.

The measurements:

10" x 13"x 4.5" 

The long strap is adjustable and goes from 18-20.5" and the short strap is about 6.75 inches (which is just enough to fit my arm in the summer, but definitely wouldn't fit under my arm in the winter when wearing a thick coat).  The bag can be worn over the shoulder or cross body when using the longer strap.

Like I said, this one is lined on the inside with a beige canvas (kind of boring, it would have been cooler if they had gone with different colors).  Inside there's two pockets on either side.  The bag closes using their signature drawstring.  The string can be passed through a loop on the flap and/or a loop on the front of the bag to secure the flap in place.

The pros:

-Love love love the style.  I'm particularly partial to this style of bag with both a handle and a long cross-body strap (see the picture below of the lady bag and the Givenchy pandoras-they're quite similar).  But the simplicity of the lady bag makes it look even more classic.

-Thick durable calf skin, with a canvas lining on the inside

-Ability to close the flap securely using the loops on the flap and on the bag.  This is actually fairly well-designed so that even if you have something heavy that's pulling the flap forward, the flap stays in place when holding it by the short handle.

-Fits a lot of things inside!  I was able to put in my 13" macbook, an old iPad with a bulky case, and still fit my essentials (phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses).

-The bag itself is not that heavy.

The con (wish I could say this bag is perfect, but unfortunately its not):

-My biggest gripe would be the quality of the leather.  Mansur Gavriel is supposed to be all about quality so I'm kind of shocked that the leather on this is kind of funky.  It smells.  It kind of reminds me of the leather in car upholstery.  So in a way it has that "new car smell" except I don't want my bags smelling of car interiors.  Even my Everlane petra tote, which feels like it's made from a similarly thick durable leather, doesn't smell like this.  If I didn't know any better I would think that Colette is selling a fake (especially since the MG stamp is also not perfect on this bag and it didn't come with the usual pink tag, just the white one).  But it's a bit early to be making fakes of a bag that hasn't even been available yet (plus its Colette, a really reputable store).  Also I read that the tumbled leather bucket bags also had a smell so maybe it's just a problem with some of their bags.  I know MG is in a rush to capitalize on the MG craze but if they're not careful they might lose some support.  I'm going to wait and see if the smell goes away, and if possible (and it's a big IF) get my hands on the veg tan one (which is the one I really wanted anyway).  But if anyone has any tips on getting the car leather smell to go away I would really appreciate the help!

Knowing what I know now, would I have still purchased the bag?  Yes, I really love the style of the bag and I'm willing to see what happens with the smell.  I'll keep y'all posted.  Below are various comparisons with other bags just so you get an idea of the size.

For other MG fans, if you were wondering about the measurements:

Classic Bucket bag: 12.25” H X 10” W X 6” D

Lady Bag: 10" H x 13" W x 4.5" D

Mini Bucket bag: 9.5” H X 8” W X 4.5” D

{08.13.15 update: So I've had the bag for about a month and a half now and the bag still slightly smells.  It doesn't smell up the whole room but I can smell it when I put my nose to it.  I also got an MG cross body in calf leather and that smells too, though not as strong.  So I'm thinking it's an issue with their batch of calf leather in general.  I used Chamberlain leather milk on the whole bag and it did help the smell some (I plan to write a whole review of that process soon).    For now here is the rest of the story of my search for the perfect lady: Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag Review Part 2 (the large lady bag) and Part 3.}

{3.25.16 update: And now I have a Mansur Gavriel Mini Lady Bag Review up!}

I also now have a post up about how to condition and protect your Mansur Gavriel bag.  And find all my other Mansur Gavriel reviews here.

{March 2019 update: Wow I can’t believe it’s already been almost 4 years since I wrote this early review and I’m glad to see the MG is still popular and their styles are still holding people’s attentions. Since the MG craze has died down a bit, you can find quite a few wonderful deals on secondhand MG lady bags. My favorite consignment sites for preowned bags are Fashionphile (find their selection of lady bags here) and TheRealReal (find their selection of lady bags here). If you can score this bag secondhand, you’ll get way more bang for your buck!}