Need help on my 1st Chanel! Can't make up my mind!!!!

dorayakiw

New Member
Sep 21, 2010
3
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I finally decided to get my 1st Chanel. As I am not a big fan of purses, I would want this purse to be classy and suitable for most occasions, since it's unlikely for me to purchase another expensive purse in the next XX years.

As you can probably tell I'm not a Chanel expert, please feel free to give me any suggestions. Thanks :biggrin:

- My height: 5' 5'' (165cm)
- Occasions: Mostly dinners, weddings, definitely not everyday use. In general, I'm a careful person, i.e. I won't throw my purse anywhere and I'll treat it gently.
- Bag colour: Black (the only thing i'm sure about)

Here are my four questions.

- Style: Classic flap vs. Reissue (I prefer classic flap only due to the "smooth bulging" lambskin look, as Reissue seems "cracked up":P)

- Hardware: Gold vs. Silver (I like gold because I heard gold&black is the most classic combination but I also saw people saying silver is easier to match up with clothing)

- Size: Medium vs. Jumbo OR 226 vs. 227

- Leather: Lambskin vs. Caviar (as I said, I like the baby-soft lambskin look, but I heard it's easily scatched up and might "deflate" in the future, and caviar is a lot more durable)

Any tips will be appreciated. Thank you ;)
 
I was in the same dilemma as you last month, and am still Chanel-less!

Why don't you try on the bags in a Chanel shop? I spent days fussing over the same questions as you, which was resolved after 1 brave day of stepping into a store. My choice: M/L classic flap, lambskin. Chose the size due to my height and frame (5"2, slender...jumbo looked bulky on me). I decided on lambskin, because, frankly, caviar aged me (sorry to the many caviar lovers here...it's just me!). I am not so much for a Reissue, because, 1stly, the price daunts me, 2ndly, the classic flap looks "classier" with its puffy quilting and that iconic CC lock.

M/L is good for the occasions you mentioned. It is too small for daily usage, but matches easily for weddings, dinner etc.

I am not fussy about gold or silver hardware, but then that's me. Find that both works for me. This is something you need to try on for yourself. good luck!
 
my first love would be:
Classic flap, silver hw, medium, lambskin.

But by the sounds of it,
the best option for you is classic flap, gold hw, caviar (go lambskin if you're not too worried because it is so soft :love:). Jumbo will be good if you need to fit a lot of things in there.
choose which ever one that will make your heart flutter.
 
I am in the exact situation as you! We're even the same height!

I'm planning on just going to a boutique and annoying a SA for a while..but am looking forward to the responses here :smile:
 
I just received a medium classic flap in black lambskin with SH as a gift (woo hoo!) and I will say it is a gorgeous bag, but not for everyday, at least not for me. The lambskin is definitely more delicate than the caviar, and for me, the size is too small for everyday. For your purposes -- dinners, special events, etc. -- it would be perfect. That's exactly how I intend to use mine! I am the same height as you and am now jonesing for a jumbo flap in caviar for everyday -- really needing that larger size and tougher leather! Personally, I prefer silver to gold, because all my jewelry is silver or white gold, although I know not everyone has the same need to match. Hope this helps, and good luck!
 
I'd say M/L lambskin classic with GHW. As you say it's going to be mostly for night or special occassions so you should be able to maintain the lambskin well. If you are really nervous about it, you can get the same in Caviar.

My other pic for you is a 226 Matte Black reissue GHW. Beautiful, classy, day to night, and the distressed calf is easy to maintain.
 
IMO, black lambskin medium ghw is the most classic. Lambskin is a bit more delicate but it should not be a problem since you do not plan on using the bag for everyday. The reissue 226 is the perfect size for evening and slightly bigger than the medium. Reissue 226 ghw is also a gorgeous classic! I would choose between one of those two. Go for the one that you love most!

HTH
 
Hi! I am still deciding on my first chanel as well. Its been about month I have been researching and such. I am deciding between WOC and MINI- because like you I mainly want a good nighttime bag and when I want to carry just basics.

My preferences are:
Caviar - to me it actually looks better than lambskin, and its a plus that it is more durable
gold chain- I don't really have problems matching with gold, plus gold is so stable now you can't really clash with it
Definitely some sort of classic flap style and no larger than M/L if you want to use mainly for weddings and such
 
I got my first Chanel a month ago, and my choice was a black M/L classic flap in lambskin with silver hardware. I had originally decided on caviar, but when I saw the bags in the store, I fell in love with lambskin and changed my mind :smile: Lambskin is soooo much more luxurious than caviar, in my opinion, and like you I don't intend to use mine as an everyday purse, so I don't think the fact that it's more delicate will be a problem.

I'm also 165cm tall by the way, and I think the M/L size is perfect for an evening bag!