Thank you PurseMojo for all the info. I am so glad to hear you love it and that there's not really anything that makes you crazy (in a bad way) about the bag. I am so going to have a dilemma on color. I might actually do chartreuse cuz I have a tangerine Veneta and that thing is nuclear bright. It's not neon but just very saturated verging on too bright for me tho. I also like the blue but have electrique so hmm. Ebano and Nero would be great choices too tho. So versatile year round. Sigh. I'm eyeing the Olimpia with fringe too so I'm in trouble. And then there's metallics. I need to win the lottery.YES, i do carry it both by the shouldar and the hand as well as in the crook of my arm. My preferred way is to droop down and fasten the sides and then hold the handles in my hand. You may laugh, but my primary reason for that is how delicioulsy sumptuous the leather feels in my hand but also, I like the way it looks and how I can see it when I walk past a store window or look down at it. So ridiculously vain, huh?
And yes, it does hold the same (or more) as a large Veneta. The major difference is that everything is much more accessible as I usually leave the zippers open. So no pulling it off my shouldar and then digging into the bottom of the purse.
This one is a keeper...I have always loved the larger version but unfortunately am not tall enough to carry it off. BV really did some of their best work with the design of this bag.
Oh you're not alone on the whole carrying experience. My quetsche Veneta is so soft it's nice to touch. LOL