I’ve been using my Andiamo parachute now for a couple of weeks and overall I love it! Here are my initial thoughts:
PROS: Beautiful, high quality like all BV bags. The color Fondant is perfect for the fall and matches with everything. I find it more interesting and just as versatile as black. It’s super spacious and holds everything I need plus more. At first I thought it would be too large, but with the bigger bag trend being back, it’s actually not at all overwhelming. The straps are longer than the original Parachute, so I find it more comfortable to wear on the shoulder and the straps stay put on my shoulder better. It’s quite lightweight despite being a larger bag. I have been using a bag organizer inside which adds a little to the weight (I’ll say more about this under the cons). I have a medium andiamo too and I find it easier to access my stuff with the parachute. I also find that it looks less briefcase-y than the andiamo so for that reason I find it more chic. I love the gold knot detail, which is one of the reasons why I love the andiamo line in general. I find it adds an interesting but subtle touch. Overall super happy to have a replacement for the old school Parachute that I sold! I find myself super excited to carry it every day.
CONS: The biggest con is that the weight of the gold knot tends to fold the corner of the bag down (see pic below). I think this is unavoidable as the leather softens with time. When I use my bag insert organizer (which is actually an old Samorga organizer for the speedy 30), it tends to help this issue but also makes the bag heavier and less foldable. So kind of mixed feelings with the bag organizer. I think the drape of the bag looks nicer without the organizer. The other huge con is the price. Thankfully I was able to snag it for a little less via Reversible, but it was still costly. I think that’s just an overall trend though for all designer bags. Lastly, the straps don’t fold down on the sides gracefully because of how the straps are attached to the bag. I seem to remember that the old Parachute straps were attached to the bag by metal rings, so they did fall nicely to the side when the bag sits down?
Hope this is helpful for anyone considering this bag!
The first photo shows the corner folding issue, 2nd photo is without an insert, and the third photo is with the insert inside.
