Hello! I'm looking for a new wallet and was hoping to get some opinions, as I'm not super familiar with the YSL brand. Right now I'm contemplating the black patent Y-mail zip wallet or black leather muse zip wallet (pics from the website below).

I would love your opinions on either of these, especially with regard to quality and durability. I've heard good things about the black patent, but will the gold lettering wear off? Is the black leather of the muse just as durable? Are the leather pieces attached to the padlock likely to tear?

I really want to get a wallet I can use for several years, and I'm considering several brands, YSL among them. I take good care of my items but don't baby them, and I don't switch wallets so this will have to be a work horse.

Anything you can offer in the way of advice would be greatly appreciated!

Originally Posted by VT/GT

Hello! I'm looking for a new wallet and was hoping to get some opinions, as I'm not super familiar with the YSL brand. Right now I'm contemplating the black patent Y-mail zip wallet or black leather muse zip wallet (pics from the website below). I would love your opinions on either of these, especially with regard to quality and durability. I've heard good things about the black patent, but will the gold lettering wear off? Is the black leather of the muse just as durable? Are the leather pieces attached to the padlock likely to tear? I really want to get a wallet I can use for several years, and I'm considering several brands, YSL among them. I take good care of my items but don't baby them, and I don't switch wallets so this will have to be a work horse. Anything you can offer in the way of advice would be greatly appreciated!

wow, both are stunning

I have many Y-mail patent accessories, YSL patent leather is the most durable, black is perfect against any colour transfer or leaking of thread colours (which is rarely happening on YSL patent, but ivory has its troubles). My coin purse, mirror pouch and cosmetic bag (all the same black patent with gold letters) have being abused for two years straight now, and look like they are brand new just taken out from the box...patent Y-mail is the recipe for lonevity and brand new look forever

Muse wallet is gorgeous, but leather will show nail scratches and wear in a year or so (I have Muse bag in the same leather). You will have to polish it with Apple conditioner to look fresh. Having said that, I LOVE the look of older regular leather, and patina it develops. Leather on padlock did not tear after 6 years of using my muse, quality of both leathers is superb. The one thing I do not like about this wallet is that the padlock is not having any function (it does on the bag, locks it and you have a key). It is quite a heavy piece of metal, pretty but not necessary at all.

Hope this helps a bit

Originally Posted by vesna

wow, both are stunning I have many Y-mail patent accessories, YSL patent leather is the most durable, black is perfect against any colour transfer or leaking of thread colours (which is rarely happening on YSL patent, but ivory has its troubles). My coin purse, mirror pouch and cosmetic bag (all the same black patent with gold letters) have being abused for two years straight now, and look like they are brand new just taken out from the box...patent Y-mail is the recipe for lonevity and brand new look forever Muse wallet is gorgeous, but leather will show nail scratches and wear in a year or so (I have Muse bag in the same leather). You will have to polish it with Apple conditioner to look fresh. Having said that, I LOVE the look of older regular leather, and patina it develops. Leather on padlock did not tear after 6 years of using my muse, quality of both leathers is superb. The one thing I do not like about this wallet is that the padlock is not having any function (it does on the bag, locks it and you have a key). It is quite a heavy piece of metal, pretty but not necessary at all. Hope this helps a bit

That is super helpful, thank you so much for your reply! You've given me a lot to consider...decisions decisions!

I know, right ? Such tough decision. For my taste, every Y-mail item I have in black with gold letters and patent leather are "out there" flashy.....but I love each one of them because they are small, not like a bag with a huge logo, and they represent an icon, now when Yves is gone, and when Y is going out from some YSL collections...it is like a part of history for me :)

Hmm, I love the second wallet, but as Vesna has suggested, leather will indeed show some wear eventually, but YSL patent from what I have seen (a friend has a patent wallet) is almost indestructible. And while patent pieces, and these Y mail pieces especially, are very flashy, because they are small pieces that will be in your bag, I think it's perfectly fine. And as stated, these pieces are indeed a part of YSL history what with the crazy changes to come.

Best of luck, whatever you choose. I too am looking for a new wallet and can't believe how different my top 3 picks are in finishing and pricing. "Decisions, decisions" as you say OP.

Originally Posted by vesna

I know, right ? Such tough decision. For my taste, every Y-mail item I have in black with gold letters and patent leather are "out there" flashy.....but I love each one of them because they are small, not like a bag with a huge logo, and they represent an icon, now when Yves is gone, and when Y is going out from some YSL collections...it is like a part of history for me :)

I totally agree with you with the patent being flashy (I tend to prefer bags that are a little more subtle) but working because it's small, and such a great icon. I think the black with gold writing looks very elegant, although I've never seen it in person. And the patent being so durable is great.

I also really love the muse, as it's understated but still has some beautiful details like the "Y" and stitching, as well as the padlock. The muse is currently on Bluefly so I could save some money, although it will probably sell out before I ever make a decision!

Originally Posted by Aluxe

Hmm, I love the second wallet, but as Vesna has suggested, leather will indeed show some wear eventually, but YSL patent from what I have seen (a friend has a patent wallet) is almost indestructible. And while patent pieces, and these Y mail pieces especially, are very flashy, because they are small pieces that will be in your bag, I think it's perfectly fine. And as stated, these pieces are indeed a part of YSL history what with the crazy changes to come. Best of luck, whatever you choose. I too am looking for a new wallet and can't believe how different my top 3 picks are in finishing and pricing. "Decisions, decisions" as you say OP.

Thanks for your input, Aluxe! I'm usually pretty decisive, but this is a big purchase for me and I'm having trouble deciding. More and more I'm leaning towards the patent, because of it's iconic look (and I do like that while it is clearly recognizable as YSL if you're familiar with it, I don't feel like it's overly branded) and durability.

I'd love to know what wallets you're considering if you don't mind sharing.

Originally Posted by VT/GT

Thanks for your input, Aluxe! I'm usually pretty decisive, but this is a big purchase for me and I'm having trouble deciding. More and more I'm leaning towards the patent, because of it's iconic look (and I do like that while it is clearly recognizable as YSL if you're familiar with it, I don't feel like it's overly branded) and durability. I'd love to know what wallets you're considering if you don't mind sharing.

I completely agree with your statement. That, I think, is one of the reasons why in spite of the oncoming changes, I will always love me some YSL. Classic, well made pieces that are understated but fashionable. (Hopefully, that won't change).

As for my wallet dilemma -

I love the yellow LV epi zip around wallet. Saw it in the store last week and want it badly. However, at over $800, I figure I could simply catch a sale on a bag of some sort when I roll into my local Saks But, that wallet is droolworthy!

Then there is the Fendi Fendilicious black patent zip around wallet. I like it (maybe because I own another Fendilicious piece), but I don't think I LOVE IT.

And there is the shocking Coach Madison zip around wallet in grey python. I do not own any Coach pieces and frankly stay away because, well, where I live, there's just too much of it Anyway, with the Olympics going on, I feel patriotic and think that my next piece should be American. The wallet is deliciously lovely and was a steal at just over $100 (due to a sale at the outlet).

*sigh*
I remind myself that if this is the only problem for me, I am truly blessed. I'm just gonna wait it out. Something will speak to me eventually and compel me to take it home. Sorry to bore you with my wallet search.

Are you any clearer on which wallet you will get?

Originally Posted by Aluxe

I completely agree with your statement. That, I think, is one of the reasons why in spite of the oncoming changes, I will always love me some YSL. Classic, well made pieces that are understated but fashionable. (Hopefully, that won't change). As for my wallet dilemma - I love the yellow LV epi zip around wallet. Saw it in the store last week and want it badly. However, at over $800, I figure I could simply catch a sale on a bag of some sort when I roll into my local Saks But, that wallet is droolworthy! Then there is the Fendi Fendilicious black patent zip around wallet. I like it (maybe because I own another Fendilicious piece), but I don't think I LOVE IT. And there is the shocking Coach Madison zip around wallet in grey python. I do not own any Coach pieces and frankly stay away because, well, where I live, there's just too much of it Anyway, with the Olympics going on, I feel patriotic and think that my next piece should be American. The wallet is deliciously lovely and was a steal at just over $100 (due to a sale at the outlet). *sigh* I remind myself that if this is the only problem for me, I am truly blessed. I'm just gonna wait it out. Something will speak to me eventually and compel me to take it home. Sorry to bore you with my wallet search. Are you any clearer on which wallet you will get?

You SO didn't bore me. First, I really like the way you put "if this is the only problem for me, I am truly blessed" :) I'm using my "wallet dilemma" as a welcome distraction when I need a break from school.

I'm not familiar with the Fendi but I've had some lovely pieces from Coach over the years. The thing that's turned me off from them recently is I dislike the carriage logo on some of their items. The look of it is fine, but (and perhaps things have changed since I bought this a while ago) the carriage logo on the bag I have seems sort of flimsy. I have a legacy bag from years ago and it is so gorgeous, though.

I have also considered an LV wallet. The one LV bag I have is in the old red epi leather with gold hardware and it is so beautiful! I would love a black epi wallet, but the prices for LV wallets in general are out of my price range right now (although I still keep and eye on resellers just in case), and complaints about quality has me even more hesitant.

I'm still undecided about the ymail vs. muse. I don't mind some scuffing and scratches on regular leather, but I'm concerned about wear on the corners. I've found a lot of pictures of the ymail and I'm getting a better sense of what it looks like in person, but I've only found stock photos of the muse so it's hard to tell what it really looks like and how it wears.

Apologies for the long post! I'll let you know what I end up deciding, even if it's not YSL.

Originally Posted by VT/GT

You SO didn't bore me. First, I really like the way you put "if this is the only problem for me, I am truly blessed" :) I'm using my "wallet dilemma" as a welcome distraction when I need a break from school. I'm not familiar with the Fendi but I've had some lovely pieces from Coach over the years. The thing that's turned me off from them recently is I dislike the carriage logo on some of their items. The look of it is fine, but (and perhaps things have changed since I bought this a while ago) the carriage logo on the bag I have seems sort of flimsy. I have a legacy bag from years ago and it is so gorgeous, though. I have also considered an LV wallet. The one LV bag I have is in the old red epi leather with gold hardware and it is so beautiful! I would love a black epi wallet, but the prices for LV wallets in general are out of my price range right now (although I still keep and eye on resellers just in case), and complaints about quality has me even more hesitant. I'm still undecided about the ymail vs. muse. I don't mind some scuffing and scratches on regular leather, but I'm concerned about wear on the corners. I've found a lot of pictures of the ymail and I'm getting a better sense of what it looks like in person, but I've only found stock photos of the muse so it's hard to tell what it really looks like and how it wears. Apologies for the long post! I'll let you know what I end up deciding, even if it's not YSL.

Ah, thanks for making that point about the carriage logo. There is a small metal carriage on the front of the Coach wallet I saw and it was the main reason (other than the preponderance of Coach pieces around me ) I just couldn't commit. I prefer that my wallets to have no prominent metal logos on them.

Just last night I went to look at the patent Fendi wallet I mentioned earlier. I confess - I DO LOVE IT. But, I have a rule this year about not buying any brands I already own. There was another red Fendi I liked, but it didn't have enough card slots. Same problem with a lovely Dolce & Gabbana wallet I ogled.

We will find wallets that meet our specifications! I'm repeating that to myself so I can believe it

I think you'll find yours before me though being that you have narrowed it down to 2. If you are concerned about wear on the corners, definitely consider the YSL patent ones. My friend with a patent YSL BDJ wallet in black is horrible at caring for her bags (that's become my job). Her wallet has traveled and been banged up in her purses but still looks brand spanking new. It is a testament to YSL quality if you ask me.