Thank you!! I've decided to hold off on having Leather Surgeons fix the structure. The slouch doesn't really bother me, and they said they could do that in the future no problem. Thank you so much for helping me with this! I'm so excited to have my dream bag!!!
Chanel GST - keep or return?
- Thread starter JackieLou
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Purchase Tarrago leather dye in black and retouch the corners yourself. It is so easy to do and works great. I just did it on a Hermes Garden Party bag. You can buy the dye on amazon and it isn't expensive.
Hi! First, congratulations on your GST!
I was a huge a GST collector before it got discontinued. The bag was super popular and you had to get on wait lists when the seasonal colors came out.
I 100% agree with @880 the GST is a classic and the rationale for it being discontinued was the low price point. My SA at the time who was connected with Chanel HQ, said that Chanel knew it was priced too low, but there was no way they could make a huge price jump. Hence, GST just got discontinued. You can see similar tote styles now at $5K, but none compare to the functionality of the GST in my opinion, and I have looked at every new tote that has come out since (I'm a tote gal).
That said... moving on to your concern...
I have 6 GSTs, and all of them have the worn bottom corners. I do not baby my bags, and I used them very rough (e.g. stuffed them under airplane seats). It's a great bag and very tough! My bags also slouch.
My suggestion is to leave it and do not refurbish it. Why?
I had two GSTs that were getting floppy, my white and pale pink. Back then, I was getting annoyed at the slouch, so I had them refurbished at Leather Surgeons. The bags came out looking brand new, very stiff and they stood up straight.
But... they were too straight, super stiff, and both lost the beauty of soft leather. What Leather Surgeons did was to add stiff sides to reinforce it. They told me that up front, so I knew. I thought it would look like the original, but no... it looked a bit cheap to me.
Worse... the original "shine" of the GST leather was completely lost. It was now more of a satin/matte. I contacted them, and they said they could shine it up more. I sent it back (the white one), and even after the second attempt, it was never the same shine as the original. The slickness of the original polished leather was also not the same; it felt a bit more "natural" unpolished.
Note though, this is very subtle, and some people may not even see it. My husband did not notice it, and I had to show him and make him feel the difference which he then saw. I tend to be a detailed person, and I see everything, hence I noticed it immediately, especially since I also have 6 GSTs to compare.
Since refurbishing those two bags, I rarely wear them as they do not feel "original" to me. My white GST was my favorite as I love white bags, so it's really a shame that bag lost its leather beauty. If the GST ever comes out again and in white (zero odds), I'm going to buy a new one! The good new is I have other white bags now I can use (if you like white bags with big space, look at the new Bowling Bag from 23P... I bought the small size and love it).
I have said to myself I will never refurbish a bag, not matter how beat up it gets. It's part of my bag's journey with me, through all the experiences of life (e.g. airplanes, restaurants, yup... you name it)!
As for a GST slouching, I spent so much time analyzing why it slouches.
It no longer bothers me, and on the contrary, I find that look rather charming, the sign of a well-loved bag.
Here is why I think it slouches...
I use the back inner zipper pocket to hold my lipsticks. I'm lipstick person, so I usually have 3 lipsticks in that pocket in addition to keys (at the time when I used keys for my car). That back inner zipper pocket gets heavy, and that is what causes the slouch.
You can do a test... put your fist in the back inner zipper pocket and push it down. You can see the pressure of the areas where it normally slouches. Then, put your fist in the open larger compartments. Nothing... no slouch. It's overstuffing the inner back zipper pocket that causes it. Even then, I don't care and still load it up with my lipsticks!
All my GSTs have that cute little slouch.
My two cents...
Keep your bag and use it as is. It's a gorgeous bag, and if it gets beat up, you will look carefree chic which is how I prefer to look when wearing luxury goods. I don't like the "my bag is precious" look. Totes are coming back now... logos are still full force... perfect for the GST.
That's just my thoughts to share. I hope this helps, and congratulations on your gorgeous GST!
I was a huge a GST collector before it got discontinued. The bag was super popular and you had to get on wait lists when the seasonal colors came out.
I 100% agree with @880 the GST is a classic and the rationale for it being discontinued was the low price point. My SA at the time who was connected with Chanel HQ, said that Chanel knew it was priced too low, but there was no way they could make a huge price jump. Hence, GST just got discontinued. You can see similar tote styles now at $5K, but none compare to the functionality of the GST in my opinion, and I have looked at every new tote that has come out since (I'm a tote gal).
That said... moving on to your concern...
I have 6 GSTs, and all of them have the worn bottom corners. I do not baby my bags, and I used them very rough (e.g. stuffed them under airplane seats). It's a great bag and very tough! My bags also slouch.
My suggestion is to leave it and do not refurbish it. Why?
I had two GSTs that were getting floppy, my white and pale pink. Back then, I was getting annoyed at the slouch, so I had them refurbished at Leather Surgeons. The bags came out looking brand new, very stiff and they stood up straight.
But... they were too straight, super stiff, and both lost the beauty of soft leather. What Leather Surgeons did was to add stiff sides to reinforce it. They told me that up front, so I knew. I thought it would look like the original, but no... it looked a bit cheap to me.
Worse... the original "shine" of the GST leather was completely lost. It was now more of a satin/matte. I contacted them, and they said they could shine it up more. I sent it back (the white one), and even after the second attempt, it was never the same shine as the original. The slickness of the original polished leather was also not the same; it felt a bit more "natural" unpolished.
Note though, this is very subtle, and some people may not even see it. My husband did not notice it, and I had to show him and make him feel the difference which he then saw. I tend to be a detailed person, and I see everything, hence I noticed it immediately, especially since I also have 6 GSTs to compare.
Since refurbishing those two bags, I rarely wear them as they do not feel "original" to me. My white GST was my favorite as I love white bags, so it's really a shame that bag lost its leather beauty. If the GST ever comes out again and in white (zero odds), I'm going to buy a new one! The good new is I have other white bags now I can use (if you like white bags with big space, look at the new Bowling Bag from 23P... I bought the small size and love it).
I have said to myself I will never refurbish a bag, not matter how beat up it gets. It's part of my bag's journey with me, through all the experiences of life (e.g. airplanes, restaurants, yup... you name it)!
As for a GST slouching, I spent so much time analyzing why it slouches.
It no longer bothers me, and on the contrary, I find that look rather charming, the sign of a well-loved bag.
Here is why I think it slouches...
I use the back inner zipper pocket to hold my lipsticks. I'm lipstick person, so I usually have 3 lipsticks in that pocket in addition to keys (at the time when I used keys for my car). That back inner zipper pocket gets heavy, and that is what causes the slouch.
You can do a test... put your fist in the back inner zipper pocket and push it down. You can see the pressure of the areas where it normally slouches. Then, put your fist in the open larger compartments. Nothing... no slouch. It's overstuffing the inner back zipper pocket that causes it. Even then, I don't care and still load it up with my lipsticks!
All my GSTs have that cute little slouch.
My two cents...
Keep your bag and use it as is. It's a gorgeous bag, and if it gets beat up, you will look carefree chic which is how I prefer to look when wearing luxury goods. I don't like the "my bag is precious" look. Totes are coming back now... logos are still full force... perfect for the GST.
That's just my thoughts to share. I hope this helps, and congratulations on your gorgeous GST!
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I want to add more thing on your bag. Your bag is the old GST style with the leather CCs and the clean grommets (no Chanel stamping). The newer GST style has the stitched CCs (not pieces of leather) and the stamped grommets. Just FYI in case you did not know. It's probably also why the price was a bit lower.
Thank you for this very thorough and insightful post! It's given me a lot to think about, and your perspective having sent GSTs to Leather Surgeons is really helpful. I love how the leather looks currently, so would be crushed if it came back differently. I think I am going to use the bag as-is for now, and hold off on a spa until the bag really needs it maybe a few years down the line.Hi! First, congratulations on your GST!
I was a huge a GST collector before it got discontinued. The bag was super popular and you had to get on wait lists when the seasonal colors came out.
I 100% agree with @880 the GST is a classic and the rationale for it being discontinued was the low price point. My SA at the time who was connected with Chanel HQ, said that Chanel knew it was priced too low, but there was no way they could make a huge price jump. Hence, GST just got discontinued. You can see similar tote styles now at $5K, but none compare to the functionality of the GST in my opinion, and I have looked at every new tote that has come out since (I'm a tote gal).
That said... moving on to your concern...
I have 6 GSTs, and all of them have the worn bottom corners. I do not baby my bags, and I used them very rough (e.g. stuffed them under airplane seats). It's a great bag and very tough! My bags also slouch.
My suggestion is to leave it and do not refurbish it. Why?
I had two GSTs that were getting floppy, my white and pale pink. Back then, I was getting annoyed at the slouch, so I had them refurbished at Leather Surgeons. The bags came out looking brand new, very stiff and they stood up straight.
But... they were too straight, super stiff, and both lost the beauty of soft leather. What Leather Surgeons did was to add stiff sides to reinforce it. They told me that up front, so I knew. I thought it would look like the original, but no... it looked a bit cheap to me.
Worse... the original "shine" of the GST leather was completely lost. It was now more of a satin/matte. I contacted them, and they said they could shine it up more. I sent it back (the white one), and even after the second attempt, it was never the same shine as the original. The slickness of the original polished leather was also not the same; it felt a bit more "natural" unpolished.
Note though, this is very subtle, and some people may not even see it. My husband did not notice it, and I had to show him and make him feel the difference which he then saw. I tend to be a detailed person, and I see everything, hence I noticed it immediately, especially since I also have 6 GSTs to compare.
Since refurbishing those two bags, I rarely wear them as they do not feel "original" to me. My white GST was my favorite as I love white bags, so it's really a shame that bag lost its leather beauty. If the GST ever comes out again and in white (zero odds), I'm going to buy a new one! The good new is I have other white bags now I can use (if you like white bags with big space, look at the new Bowling Bag from 23P... I bought the small size and love it).
I have said to myself I will never refurbish a bag, not matter how beat up it gets. It's part of my bag's journey with me, through all the experiences of life (e.g. airplanes, restaurants, yup... you name it)!
As for a GST slouching, I spent so much time analyzing why it slouches.
It no longer bothers me, and on the contrary, I find that look rather charming, the sign of a well-loved bag.
Here is why I think it slouches...
I use the back inner zipper pocket to hold my lipsticks. I'm lipstick person, so I usually have 3 lipsticks in that pocket in addition to keys (at the time when I used keys for my car). That back inner zipper pocket gets heavy, and that is what causes the slouch.
You can do a test... put your fist in the back inner zipper pocket and push it down. You can see the pressure of the areas where it normally slouches. Then, put your fist in the open larger compartments. Nothing... no slouch. It's overstuffing the inner back zipper pocket that causes it. Even then, I don't care and still load it up with my lipsticks!
All my GSTs have that cute little slouch.
My two cents...
Keep your bag and use it as is. It's a gorgeous bag, and if it gets beat up, you will look carefree chic which is how I prefer to look when wearing luxury goods. I don't like the "my bag is precious" look. Totes are coming back now... logos are still full force... perfect for the GST.
That's just my thoughts to share. I hope this helps, and congratulations on your gorgeous GST!
That makes sense! I thought a lot about the newer vs old style GST. Not sure why, but the leather CCs draw me to them!
Bonus if that helped the price! I'm glad you found it helpful. You can also see in the video posted above of that person's GST. She also sent it to Leather Surgeons. Notice very very carefully and stare at her original GST. The photos are so bad, yet even then, you can see that beautiful sheen, similiar to the sheen that is currently on your bag now. Then look at the side view of her original GST. You can see the supple, shiny leather with it's natural waves and curves. It's beautiful to me.
Look next at stare carefully at her refurbfished GST. The supple shiny leather look is lost. It is now more satin/matte.
Also, see the side view of the bag. It's super stiff, like a rectangle lunch box. Leather Surgeons put stiffeners on the edges which is why it is so rigid.
This is exactly how both of my refurbished GSTs look. I do not like how stiff it looks, especially from the side... looks so cheap to me. If you saw a GST that rigid, you would immediately know something has been done to it, and it is not the original supple leather. What I hate the most though is the original gorgeous leather sheen is lost. That's the worst part. And of course because the whole bag was redone, the threads are also flattened and the glossy luster of the thread stitching is also lost. Check out your stitching, the thread has sheen to it now and the thread is rounded. That original thread will be covered with the new paint and look flat because it was squished during the repainting.
Again, some people love to refurbish their bag as their priority is they want it to "stand up" or they want scuffs to get painted over and covered. They don't even see the difference on what has changed from the original as the person on the video did not see (or maybe she did see and did not care). It's all preference. I just prefer the feel of an original bag, even it is beat up. You should see my Cerf Tote. That's my work horse, and that little guy has travelled with me on hundreds of business trips. That bag is so beat up, it's forever slouched, the leather is very scuffed from being on planes, and the metal magnet closure is busted. But no.. I am not going to touch it. I love it the way it is. It has traveled so many miles with me... the stories it could tell!
Take a look at the video while all this is fresh on your mind and you might like that look. You can then decide if refurbishing is for you later down the road.
Congrats again on your GST!
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I would LOVE to see a photo of your cerf tote, if you'd be willing to share it! I love bags that have worn in and I think the best part of a really nice bag is how it wears over time. Btw, I have a cerf tote myself and was recently considering putting it into heavy rotation - finally, after owning it since late 2008! Same thing with the GST, although I've had times where I've used that bag a ton before putting it away for a while. The GST is a brilliant bag. Yes, it can get heavy and yes, the shoulder straps can slip, but it's okay. And if anyone isn't a fan of the large logo, just wear it with the logo against your body. That's what I do and the bonus is the pocket is easier to access
. Recently I even bought removable top handles so I can have the option to carry it like a Lady Dior. Having both top handles and shoulder straps gives it more of that deauville/LV on the go, type of utility.
I agree about the leather CCs! I never paid attention to the difference but after seeing your OP, something about the image drew me in!! Excited for your find and that the seller even reimbursed you a little. Win Win!! Congrats!That makes sense! I thought a lot about the newer vs old style GST. Not sure why, but the leather CCs draw me to them!
Here is a post I did a few years ago of my stuffed Cerf Tote:I would LOVE to see a photo of your cerf tote, if you'd be willing to share it! I love bags that have worn in and I think the best part of a really nice bag is how it wears over time. Btw, I have a cerf tote myself and was recently considering putting it into heavy rotation - finally, after owning it since late 2008! Same thing with the GST, although I've had times where I've used that bag a ton before putting it away for a while. The GST is a brilliant bag. Yes, it can get heavy and yes, the shoulder straps can slip, but it's okay. And if anyone isn't a fan of the large logo, just wear it with the logo against your body. That's what I do and the bonus is the pocket is easier to access
The Cerf Tote Club!
Great review - do you have a photo of your trusty workhorse? I have the version without the shoulder strap (sadly) but I love her! Here you go... my trusty travel workhorse all stuffed up! Laptop in back, Bose headset (in left pouch), portable charger, AC adapter, cables (in right pouch), water...
forum.purseblog.com
You can see I super stuff that little guy. He's a workhorse! Also, look closely at my leather and the edges. It is so beat up, but I love it! That bag has been with me on airplanes and through many cities!
I definitely agree with putting your Cerf Tote into rotation. It is the best work bag ever! There are so many pockets, inside and outside, and the strap makes it super useful for lugging through airports. I love outside pockets and straps! That's also my pet peeve with Hermes... they definitely do not believe in outside pockets and rarely straps, so H bags are not good bags for me. I'm a Chanel tote die-hard.
I don't find the GST that heavy either, and I'm a wimp. If the straps ever fall down, you can fix that by crossing the inside strap over the outside one and it works. I've used the GST to lug around airports also, but hands down... the Cerf Tote is much more usaable.
You can see from the post I did I truly stuff my bag. Take a peek... that bag can hold a ton.