I know this club is more subdued than other forums, but i thought i'd do a small reveal.
For a little (oops long) background. The first bag i fell in love with was a Kelly bag at age 10 give or take. At some point in my 20s i pondered looking into it as my first grownup purse. That led me to TPF. Reality hit me, it was far out of my price range. And i realized it was just too much in terms of extravagance for me. In retrospect, with all I have spent on pretender bags i might have had one.
But my love of Kelly has also made me love bags with structure and top handles. Over the past 7 years give or take i have considered, bought and rejected many a top handle. The first i recall was a great looking MK bag i got for a steal. Unfortunately the clap was flaky and never stayed shut. I returned it. There were a few Coach ones that caught my eye but i kept feeling like i wanted something nicer. Then the Phillip Lim Pashii arrived. I thought it offered a funky twist on my top handle, but i tried it on and found it difficult to close and operate while standing. And while 2x the price of coach it did not feel nicer.
I landed on an MK Selma right after launch. It met my requirements and looks great. But as it enters the 3rd year it feels too common. It is relegated to my rain bag. Great shape and has help up well.
I finally thought i hit the jackpot with a great looking Kate Spade top handle. The KS bow was reimagined into a pretty large format clasp. The closure worked well, but the construction left a lot to be desired. I went through 3 top handle repairs (loose screws) and recently consigned it after the last repair. It wasn't trustworthy enough for daily use.
Finally in early fall i thought i had found my dream bag. A Max Mara top handle scored for a discount. Initially it was love, but it turned out to be a little too slouchy. The shoulder strap was thin when i loaded it up. The zipper/turnlock combo ended up being to annoying to go in and out of during my transit commute.
So this week i hit the wall. I realized it was time to stop getting the wrong bag and buy a nice one. About a year and a half ago i put the Sofia on my list. The pics looked amazing.
I zoned in on key requirements: shoulder/crossbody option; structured but suitable for casual wear; discreet branding; under the radar and not too common; leather interior; premium feel.
I went to my local department store and saw Sofias on display. They looked less structured than i imagined. I didn't like the fabric lining. I did not even try it on. I posted a thread this week looking for recommendations. I ended up thinking Smythson. I saw a nicely executed bag at the Barney's outlet. It looked great but was not my shape. One reco included Ferragamo. I thought it would be interesting to revisit.
I have picked up many totes and still dreamed of a top handle. I did a scoping mission and hit all of the department stores skimming brands to see what called out. As i went past Ferragamo, i noticed the sofia looked different. I chatted with the SA and she filled me in with this season's updates. It looks like my beefs were gone.
I slept on it. Skimmed ferragamo's site. I looked at a large, but it wasn't available in pebbled at bloomies. I decided to head to the boutique today to compare. The large was out of budget. The medium was roomy enough for all but my macbook air. Which didn't really fit in the large either. It was a nice to have not a requirement.
I tried on all the medium bags in the boutique. But i was still drawn to sofia. The leather is lovely. The wide crossbody and shoulder strap is very comfy. I took the plunge going over budget a bit. But i committed to purging and consigning all of my black bag pretenders and unused ones. The splurge is well worth getting my dream shape in a practical package.
What i love about the sofia is the classic shape and discreet branding. I loved the new more structured silhouette with the ease of pebbled leather. I also like that i do not see it everywhere. It's recognizable to aficionados. Discreet for average joes and not too flashy. I just wanted a nice looking bag that would not go out of style yet felt special in an incognito was. The more relaxed silhouette, and roomy yet not huge size are good for dress and everyday occasions without feeling overdressed for casual california.
Now for some pics with my stuff.
Initial thoughts:
Construction is excellent, though my strap is a little rolled. Would love one extra loop for the end. The interior has three pockets and is full leather. I'll miss the interior zip for my feminine products but i was pondering moving them in my mini cosmetic pouch. Things are very roomy. I was happy to fit my swell bottle, kindle scarf, typical stuff even with a bit of room to spare. The wide shoulder strap makes it a bike friendly bag for me and i should be able to fit my normal stuff and my bike lights! I can smell the leather even with my congestion!
It also met me operation via shoulder strap. The extra gancino details are awesome all over the place, subtle and distinctive!
Can't wait to debut it soon in the real world.
For a little (oops long) background. The first bag i fell in love with was a Kelly bag at age 10 give or take. At some point in my 20s i pondered looking into it as my first grownup purse. That led me to TPF. Reality hit me, it was far out of my price range. And i realized it was just too much in terms of extravagance for me. In retrospect, with all I have spent on pretender bags i might have had one.
But my love of Kelly has also made me love bags with structure and top handles. Over the past 7 years give or take i have considered, bought and rejected many a top handle. The first i recall was a great looking MK bag i got for a steal. Unfortunately the clap was flaky and never stayed shut. I returned it. There were a few Coach ones that caught my eye but i kept feeling like i wanted something nicer. Then the Phillip Lim Pashii arrived. I thought it offered a funky twist on my top handle, but i tried it on and found it difficult to close and operate while standing. And while 2x the price of coach it did not feel nicer.
I landed on an MK Selma right after launch. It met my requirements and looks great. But as it enters the 3rd year it feels too common. It is relegated to my rain bag. Great shape and has help up well.
I finally thought i hit the jackpot with a great looking Kate Spade top handle. The KS bow was reimagined into a pretty large format clasp. The closure worked well, but the construction left a lot to be desired. I went through 3 top handle repairs (loose screws) and recently consigned it after the last repair. It wasn't trustworthy enough for daily use.
Finally in early fall i thought i had found my dream bag. A Max Mara top handle scored for a discount. Initially it was love, but it turned out to be a little too slouchy. The shoulder strap was thin when i loaded it up. The zipper/turnlock combo ended up being to annoying to go in and out of during my transit commute.
So this week i hit the wall. I realized it was time to stop getting the wrong bag and buy a nice one. About a year and a half ago i put the Sofia on my list. The pics looked amazing.
I zoned in on key requirements: shoulder/crossbody option; structured but suitable for casual wear; discreet branding; under the radar and not too common; leather interior; premium feel.
I went to my local department store and saw Sofias on display. They looked less structured than i imagined. I didn't like the fabric lining. I did not even try it on. I posted a thread this week looking for recommendations. I ended up thinking Smythson. I saw a nicely executed bag at the Barney's outlet. It looked great but was not my shape. One reco included Ferragamo. I thought it would be interesting to revisit.
I have picked up many totes and still dreamed of a top handle. I did a scoping mission and hit all of the department stores skimming brands to see what called out. As i went past Ferragamo, i noticed the sofia looked different. I chatted with the SA and she filled me in with this season's updates. It looks like my beefs were gone.
I slept on it. Skimmed ferragamo's site. I looked at a large, but it wasn't available in pebbled at bloomies. I decided to head to the boutique today to compare. The large was out of budget. The medium was roomy enough for all but my macbook air. Which didn't really fit in the large either. It was a nice to have not a requirement.
I tried on all the medium bags in the boutique. But i was still drawn to sofia. The leather is lovely. The wide crossbody and shoulder strap is very comfy. I took the plunge going over budget a bit. But i committed to purging and consigning all of my black bag pretenders and unused ones. The splurge is well worth getting my dream shape in a practical package.
What i love about the sofia is the classic shape and discreet branding. I loved the new more structured silhouette with the ease of pebbled leather. I also like that i do not see it everywhere. It's recognizable to aficionados. Discreet for average joes and not too flashy. I just wanted a nice looking bag that would not go out of style yet felt special in an incognito was. The more relaxed silhouette, and roomy yet not huge size are good for dress and everyday occasions without feeling overdressed for casual california.
Now for some pics with my stuff.
Initial thoughts:
Construction is excellent, though my strap is a little rolled. Would love one extra loop for the end. The interior has three pockets and is full leather. I'll miss the interior zip for my feminine products but i was pondering moving them in my mini cosmetic pouch. Things are very roomy. I was happy to fit my swell bottle, kindle scarf, typical stuff even with a bit of room to spare. The wide shoulder strap makes it a bike friendly bag for me and i should be able to fit my normal stuff and my bike lights! I can smell the leather even with my congestion!
It also met me operation via shoulder strap. The extra gancino details are awesome all over the place, subtle and distinctive!
Can't wait to debut it soon in the real world.
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