My new anthracite city: Some thoughts

L

ltbag

Grateful for life's beauty. Taking a break
O.G.
Feb 10, 2007
3,467
2,187
#1
Hello all,

Well thanks to all the help on this forum I finally bought an anthracite city from Diabro and it arrived yesterday. I wore it all day and all over nyc and had to use it in a variety of contexts, and here are my thoughts. Most of these thoughts are self-answers to questions I posted in earlier threads when I was contemplating the bag. I will post pictures later, but I wanted to get these thoughts out since the city is so popular a choice and some people might have similar questions to the ones I asked earlier.

1. The strap: The strap is comfortable and stayed on my shoulder with no problem both with a coat, (a WINTER coat! It's STILL in the 40's in nyc:yucky: ) and without a coat. I was running, walking, sitting, standing, carrying other things, etc and the strap stayed. I pushed the pad back though.

2. The handles: Did not fit over my shoulders comfortably. I have average sized arms, I am 5'5", about 125 lbs and the handles were like a torture device on my shoulders. Maybe they stretch, but as they are, wearing the bag directly over my shoulders is not an option.

3. The shape with the strap: The bag hangs a little funny at first when it is stuffed and I am using the shoulder strap. By shifting my junk around, so that it all wasn't stuck on the bottom, filling out the wide bottom too much, I was able to get the shape to be less boxy and lumpy as the day wore on. I squished the shape down with my arms as I carried the bag, and by the end of the day, the shape was fine.

4. The mirror: An annoyance to me. Flaps around too much. Looks sloppy tucked in. I took mine off.

5. The inside pocket: WAY too small! What were they thinking? I am using the outside pocket for my cell phone. I am also using organizers like my black coin purse and a makeup bag.

6. The leather: Beautiful! Light, the color is amazing, anthracite truly changes colors! It's a teal inside and a charcoal grey outside. The bag is light but feels sturdy. Beautiful.

Don't take these comments to mean that I don't love my new city. I do! I just wanted to give balanced feedback to those who are considering the bag for the first time.
 
#4
Hi Knn,

3 days. (including the weekend!) and I live in nyc which is about as far from japan as things get. :P

I asked them to declare the value of the bag to be $100 so no customs fees and no sales tax. They shipped usps global so it was delivered by my regular mailman.

knn said:
Hi!! How long did it take for the bag to reach you from the time your placed your order with Diabro?

thanks
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#5
Thanks for the really candid comments, Itbag. I bought a black City about three months ago. I was very excited of course, but every time I use it, I'm annoyed with that inside pocket. What were they thinking. I find myself reaching for my Day bag, every day, and leaving the City - which I thought would be my everyday bag, behind. I keep a small camera and a cell phone with me at all times. That uses up both pockets entirely.

So I've been shopping for pouches and such to organize the inside of the bag, and that's been good (and fun) but even so, I'd like to be able to put a lip gloss, a contact lens case, and a tiny pillbox inside that inner pocket. Seems to me they fit inside the pocket of my 04 Twiggy, now battered and worn - but somehow had roomier (wider?) pockets.

Having the mirror tied on doesn't work for me, either - the tassels get caught in the zipper, but I've been too chicken to take it off (it won't fit in the pocket - it's going to be one more thing to deal with inside the purse. It needs to go inside a cosmetic bag, which I don't have yet.

Any thoughts on what size and type cosmetics bag you might use with the City? I have a non-Bal cosmetics bag (by Elle) that is roughly the same size as the Balenciaga "toilet" case - but it seems too bulky to use in the City. I also have a coin purse, which I sometimes use as a cosmetics case - but it really is too small.

Any thoughts?
 
#6
Glad you like your new bag! I love my anthracite city, too. But I know what you're saying--that inside pocket is too small, only big enough for a baby duck, as someone here posted. But I love it anyway and make it work for me. All we sacrifice in the name of fashion!
 
#7
Hi Melisande!

My black day is still my favorite bag, but this anthracite color is tdf, so an anthracite day bag will end up being my dream bag.

Here is how I am organizing the city: I am using my black coin purse for my business cards. I am using a bbag makeup bag for my ipod and headphones. I have a large chloe betty wallet that I use for my money, credit cards, receipts. I am keeping a pen and a small pill box in the inside pocket. I am keeping my cell phone in the outside pocket. I am using a pucci wild print turquoise makeup bag :supacool:

I like the way the city is organized and I have gotten used to it, but I still love my day bag the best. :supacool: I am going to alternate between this city and my black day as my daily bags though. The city is definitely more professional looking and a bit dressier.


Melisande R. said:
Thanks for the really candid comments, Itbag. I bought a black City about three months ago. I was very excited of course, but every time I use it, I'm annoyed with that inside pocket. What were they thinking. I find myself reaching for my Day bag, every day, and leaving the City - which I thought would be my everyday bag, behind. I keep a small camera and a cell phone with me at all times. That uses up both pockets entirely.

So I've been shopping for pouches and such to organize the inside of the bag, and that's been good (and fun) but even so, I'd like to be able to put a lip gloss, a contact lens case, and a tiny pillbox inside that inner pocket. Seems to me they fit inside the pocket of my 04 Twiggy, now battered and worn - but somehow had roomier (wider?) pockets.

Having the mirror tied on doesn't work for me, either - the tassels get caught in the zipper, but I've been too chicken to take it off (it won't fit in the pocket - it's going to be one more thing to deal with inside the purse. It needs to go inside a cosmetic bag, which I don't have yet.

Any thoughts on what size and type cosmetics bag you might use with the City? I have a non-Bal cosmetics bag (by Elle) that is roughly the same size as the Balenciaga "toilet" case - but it seems too bulky to use in the City. I also have a coin purse, which I sometimes use as a cosmetics case - but it really is too small.

Any thoughts?
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#8
Thanks for the long and candid response about the city. I love to read long messages (I know, I'm weird).

I did want to say that the handles DO indeed stretch. I got a used City a week ago, and the previous owner had stretched out the handles. Loved it :smile:
 
#11
Itbag -- thanks so much for the honest and detailed critique of the Anthracity. I'm waiting for mine (it's my first b-bag ever) to arrive next week, so I've been rather obsessed about it these days. I didn't order mine from Diabro but I keep looking at their multi-view pics on their website -- as a way to get acquainted with my bag. :P Anyway, I'm glad to know of the City's "limitations" but it still sounds like a stylish and practical bag. And the chameleon colour is a bonus.

Congrats and enjoy! :yahoo:
 
#13
Thanks Cornetto!

I didn't mean to sound too negative on the bag. It's beautiful and definitely stylish! I just know that when I was considering it, I had a lot of questions and I wanted to give detailed answers to those questions. I love the bag, but I am a perfectionist about my bags and wanted to be brutally honest. :P

Consider it a "tough love" exercise on my part. :P


Cornetto said:
Itbag -- thanks so much for the honest and detailed critique of the Anthracity. I'm waiting for mine (it's my first b-bag ever) to arrive next week, so I've been rather obsessed about it these days. I didn't order mine from Diabro but I keep looking at their multi-view pics on their website -- as a way to get acquainted with my bag. :P Anyway, I'm glad to know of the City's "limitations" but it still sounds like a stylish and practical bag. And the chameleon colour is a bonus.

Congrats and enjoy! :yahoo:
Click to expand...
 
#14
ltbag said:
Thanks Cornetto!

I didn't mean to sound too negative on the bag. It's beautiful and definitely stylish! I just know that when I was considering it, I had a lot of questions and I wanted to give detailed answers to those questions. I love the bag, but I am a perfectionist about my bags and wanted to be brutally honest. :P

Consider it a "tough love" exercise on my part. :P
Click to expand...

Hee hee -- tough love -- I like that thought. It reminds me of friends and family -- you know their strengths and weaknesses but you love 'em just the same. :smile:
 
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