Hi JennR, I'm a "Jenn" too =)
For me, I've always known about Balenciagas, but never knew where to purchase them in real life (that was BEFORE i found this helpful forum). I literally squealed when I came across a whole section of Bbags in the San Diego Neiman Marcus. I tried them all on in person, did some silly poses in front of the mirror, and decided that the City just looked weird with my body style, and that the First style was the cutest, most chic-est thing on earth.
So my advice would be to try on the purses in real life before purchasing and see what seems *right* to you.