It's interesting - I thought the Victoria Midi would be the perfect-sized shoulder bag for me, but it actually seems slightly small. That said, I love the Verona leather (it's so soft and smushy!) and the marine lining is SO gorgeous against the purple leather. It was so challenging to capture the color of the amethyst Verona - I fear I did not succeed. It looks much more purple in the sunlight / outside, but indoors / under fluorescent lighting it almost looks brown. (My poor boyfriend said, "Are you sure that's purple?" when I showed him my Victoria Midi.)
I was concerned, too, because the Victoria Midi doesn't have a zipped opening. I drive everywhere and often and the commute in my area can get quite nasty, with folks being absolute morons when they're late or in a hurry or just hate being a traffic. Sometimes I have to slam on my brakes and my passenger seat items - usually my bag and water bottle - will often go flying into the ether.
Leaving me to pick up all my belongings if it was in a tote or bag that wasn't enclosed.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Victoria Midi has an unexpected solution to that! I'm not sure if Marco created the buttons in this way or if it's a happy coincidence, but the buttons on the same side can be snapped together to create the folded look...
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But if you snap the buttons on the opposite sides together, you can "seal" the wings. Along with the middle magnetic flap closure, this ends up being pretty secure as far as closing up the bag!
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It does have the effect of flattening the bag out at the top, but in some cases I might prefer that over the more natural winged look.
Here is my indirect outdoor lighting shot, inside my car:
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And these were the indoor lighting photos at night, color-corrected:
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And lastly, the inside of the bag, both empty and filled:
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That is indeed a water bottle pocket! It fits store-bought water perfectly and also fits slimmer reusable water bottles that DO NOT have a silicone outside - way too challenging to slide those into the pocket, as it obviously catches on the grippy material. Anything with steel or non-grippy on the outside should work - for example, a slim hydroflask (though a S'well might be too wide around). I also have a Zojirushi thermos that I use often when traveling because of its secure lockable lid, and that also fit in quite easily.
As for what's in my bag, starting from the top left:
Tissue packet, Minnie Mouse coin purse (with my USB cable), Koi coin purse (holding my lip balms and tints), LV key pouch (with my keys), work key card/fobs (attached to the key clip), pencil/pen pouch, MM card holder, portable batter (left pocket), portable chopsticks and cutlery (right pocket), purse holder (right pocket), and not shown in the interior zip pocket - Bluetooth headphones, feminine hygiene stuff, microfiber cloth
This is the most gorgeous Alexia of all that Marco has made! Stunning!
Please take more photos!
