Oops! Posted too quickly- Here is my little muse brightening up a dull wet good Friday
Massaccesi Handbags
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Little Muse in Everose glitter Pompei has arrived, and she's a stunner! I got her with silver hardware and red lining (from the free upgraded lining promo), and the contrast works out really well!
She is also surprisingly spacious, thanks to that added depth and the sides that are wider than the base. I wasn't sure from the dimensions, and even all the pics both here and on MM's blog, whether my long continental wallet would fit comfortably, but I'm happy to report that it does! My wallet has to sit along either the front or back half of the interior, as the folds of the Muse shape take up space in the middle, but it's a comfortable fit regardless.
Despite the lack of a zipper closure, the opening also feels pretty secure to me, primarily because of the Little Muse's small size, and the sides that fold in. I've taken another picture from the top when the magnetic closure is secured but the side buttons left unsnapped -- this is how I imagine I'll carry it most of the time. It's easy enough to open up the bag and reach in for stuff once you unsnap the magnetic closure, but when the magnetic closure is secured, the stiffness of the Pompei leather sides doesn't let you (or stray hands!) reach in too easily.
I also got the strap shortened, by the way -- it measures 45" to 49" (115cm to 125cm), instead of the standard 51.2" to 55.2" (130cm to 140cm) (according to the website). At the longest setting, the strap length is perfect for crossbody carrying on me, hitting just below the waist or at the hip (I'm around 5' 5", or 1.65m tall). The shortest setting feels nicest for carrying the bag on the shoulder, though the longest setting still works for this too.
Strangely, and unlike the pictures on MM's blog, I realised that the feet I got on my Little Muse don't have the "M" stamp/engraving in it -- is this typical? Just wondering, because this is my first MM bag with feet!
There was also a mistake made with the interior, as I had requested for one interior open slip pocket instead of the standard two, like how Colette's Little Muse had come, in her blog post. It's not a big issue, but a bit disappointing as I had wanted a single slip pocket so that it could fit my cardholder comfortably. Mine is one of those flat cardholders that fits 3 cards on each side, so it's slightly taller than other variants of this style. Unfortunately, it's too large to fit into the standard interior slip pockets in the Little Muse, since they're really pretty narrow -- I'd either have to remove my cards from the cardholder to keep them separately in the slip pockets, or find another spot for the cardholder.
Some additional pics below, comparing the Little Muse to the Zhoe Legend -- Zhoe Legend is probably still more spacious, but Little Muse will give it a run for its money, I think! The side-by-side pic is almost deceptive because of how Little Muse's top and bottom taper in, but at its widest point, Little Muse is only half an inch smaller than Zhoe Legend (10.5" vs. 11", by my measurements).
Will post these to the reference thread too! All pics are taken under a mix of indirect natural lighting and white fluorescent lighting.
She is also surprisingly spacious, thanks to that added depth and the sides that are wider than the base. I wasn't sure from the dimensions, and even all the pics both here and on MM's blog, whether my long continental wallet would fit comfortably, but I'm happy to report that it does! My wallet has to sit along either the front or back half of the interior, as the folds of the Muse shape take up space in the middle, but it's a comfortable fit regardless.
Despite the lack of a zipper closure, the opening also feels pretty secure to me, primarily because of the Little Muse's small size, and the sides that fold in. I've taken another picture from the top when the magnetic closure is secured but the side buttons left unsnapped -- this is how I imagine I'll carry it most of the time. It's easy enough to open up the bag and reach in for stuff once you unsnap the magnetic closure, but when the magnetic closure is secured, the stiffness of the Pompei leather sides doesn't let you (or stray hands!) reach in too easily.
I also got the strap shortened, by the way -- it measures 45" to 49" (115cm to 125cm), instead of the standard 51.2" to 55.2" (130cm to 140cm) (according to the website). At the longest setting, the strap length is perfect for crossbody carrying on me, hitting just below the waist or at the hip (I'm around 5' 5", or 1.65m tall). The shortest setting feels nicest for carrying the bag on the shoulder, though the longest setting still works for this too.
Strangely, and unlike the pictures on MM's blog, I realised that the feet I got on my Little Muse don't have the "M" stamp/engraving in it -- is this typical? Just wondering, because this is my first MM bag with feet!
There was also a mistake made with the interior, as I had requested for one interior open slip pocket instead of the standard two, like how Colette's Little Muse had come, in her blog post. It's not a big issue, but a bit disappointing as I had wanted a single slip pocket so that it could fit my cardholder comfortably. Mine is one of those flat cardholders that fits 3 cards on each side, so it's slightly taller than other variants of this style. Unfortunately, it's too large to fit into the standard interior slip pockets in the Little Muse, since they're really pretty narrow -- I'd either have to remove my cards from the cardholder to keep them separately in the slip pockets, or find another spot for the cardholder.
Some additional pics below, comparing the Little Muse to the Zhoe Legend -- Zhoe Legend is probably still more spacious, but Little Muse will give it a run for its money, I think! The side-by-side pic is almost deceptive because of how Little Muse's top and bottom taper in, but at its widest point, Little Muse is only half an inch smaller than Zhoe Legend (10.5" vs. 11", by my measurements).
Will post these to the reference thread too! All pics are taken under a mix of indirect natural lighting and white fluorescent lighting.
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Now, I also got a Dark Amethyst Verona Penelope Messenger (with silver hardware, lilac lining, and an added zipper closure for the main compartment) in the same order as my Little Muse, but... I'm not too sure what to make of it. 
The specs should've all worked out great, since this is a style I've ordered before, in a leather I've ordered / seen in person before, and with a lining (lilac) that I've also ordered / seen in person before, so that I could compare the lining colour with the leather to know if it worked well together. But when I opened up the dustbag and wrappings, I was kind of bewildered to see it come with much lighter stitching and zipper tape/fabric than I had gotten in my Dark Amethyst Verona Zhoe Legend:
The above pics were all taken under a mix of natural lighting and white fluorescent lighting. The leather therefore appears brighter in some parts of the pictures where the lighting on it was stronger, but the second pic shows the contrasting stitching quite true-to-life, as does the right-hand side of the third pic comparing the stitching with the Zhoe Legend's stitching (the natural lighting hits stronger on the left side in that pic).
Has anyone had this happen before? Getting contrasting stitching and zipper tape/fabric without having asked for it?
I'm still not sure how I feel about it, so I haven't contacted Marco about this yet. Part of me is wondering whether I can get used to it enough (and mindful also that MM are a family-run company, so business costs must certainly be a more important factor for them than a bigger designer/company), but another part of me still feels that bewilderment/disappointment when I first saw the contrast stitching and zipper tape...
The lilac lining does work well with the Dark Amethyst Verona leather, though -- a nice slight pop/contrast with the darker purple. I was just expecting to have that contrast only when you see the interior (or that sliver of the lining that peeks out at the ends of the front and back zipper compartments of the Penny Messenger), not with the exterior stitching and zipper tape/fabric also...
Would love to hear any thoughts from you ladies on the contrast stitching, or any past similar experiences too
The specs should've all worked out great, since this is a style I've ordered before, in a leather I've ordered / seen in person before, and with a lining (lilac) that I've also ordered / seen in person before, so that I could compare the lining colour with the leather to know if it worked well together. But when I opened up the dustbag and wrappings, I was kind of bewildered to see it come with much lighter stitching and zipper tape/fabric than I had gotten in my Dark Amethyst Verona Zhoe Legend:
The above pics were all taken under a mix of natural lighting and white fluorescent lighting. The leather therefore appears brighter in some parts of the pictures where the lighting on it was stronger, but the second pic shows the contrasting stitching quite true-to-life, as does the right-hand side of the third pic comparing the stitching with the Zhoe Legend's stitching (the natural lighting hits stronger on the left side in that pic).
Has anyone had this happen before? Getting contrasting stitching and zipper tape/fabric without having asked for it?
I'm still not sure how I feel about it, so I haven't contacted Marco about this yet. Part of me is wondering whether I can get used to it enough (and mindful also that MM are a family-run company, so business costs must certainly be a more important factor for them than a bigger designer/company), but another part of me still feels that bewilderment/disappointment when I first saw the contrast stitching and zipper tape...
The lilac lining does work well with the Dark Amethyst Verona leather, though -- a nice slight pop/contrast with the darker purple. I was just expecting to have that contrast only when you see the interior (or that sliver of the lining that peeks out at the ends of the front and back zipper compartments of the Penny Messenger), not with the exterior stitching and zipper tape/fabric also...
Would love to hear any thoughts from you ladies on the contrast stitching, or any past similar experiences too
Your new acquisitions are stunning!Now, I also got a Dark Amethyst Verona Penelope Messenger (with silver hardware, lilac lining, and an added zipper closure for the main compartment) in the same order as my Little Muse, but... I'm not too sure what to make of it.
The specs should've all worked out great, since this is a style I've ordered before, in a leather I've ordered / seen in person before, and with a lining (lilac) that I've also ordered / seen in person before, so that I could compare the lining colour with the leather to know if it worked well together. But when I opened up the dustbag and wrappings, I was kind of bewildered to see it come with much lighter stitching and zipper tape/fabric than I had gotten in my Dark Amethyst Verona Zhoe Legend:
View attachment 4018348 View attachment 4018351 View attachment 4018352 View attachment 4018354
The above pics were all taken under a mix of natural lighting and white fluorescent lighting. The leather therefore appears brighter in some parts of the pictures where the lighting on it was stronger, but the second pic shows the contrasting stitching quite true-to-life, as does the right-hand side of the third pic comparing the stitching with the Zhoe Legend's stitching (the natural lighting hits stronger on the left side in that pic).
Has anyone had this happen before? Getting contrasting stitching and zipper tape/fabric without having asked for it?
I'm still not sure how I feel about it, so I haven't contacted Marco about this yet. Part of me is wondering whether I can get used to it enough (and mindful also that MM are a family-run company, so business costs must certainly be a more important factor for them than a bigger designer/company), but another part of me still feels that bewilderment/disappointment when I first saw the contrast stitching and zipper tape...
The lilac lining does work well with the Dark Amethyst Verona leather, though -- a nice slight pop/contrast with the darker purple. I was just expecting to have that contrast only when you see the interior (or that sliver of the lining that peeks out at the ends of the front and back zipper compartments of the Penny Messenger), not with the exterior stitching and zipper tape/fabric also...
View attachment 4018355
Would love to hear any thoughts from you ladies on the contrast stitching, or any past similar experiences too
Thank you for such thorough reviews. On the stitching and zipper tape color that you did not request, of you are at all un-thrilled with it, I would contact Marco immediately and ask for a remake. After all, it's not your selection that was a surprise but a production error.
Now, I also got a Dark Amethyst Verona Penelope Messenger (with silver hardware, lilac lining, and an added zipper closure for the main compartment) in the same order as my Little Muse, but... I'm not too sure what to make of it.
The specs should've all worked out great, since this is a style I've ordered before, in a leather I've ordered / seen in person before, and with a lining (lilac) that I've also ordered / seen in person before, so that I could compare the lining colour with the leather to know if it worked well together. But when I opened up the dustbag and wrappings, I was kind of bewildered to see it come with much lighter stitching and zipper tape/fabric than I had gotten in my Dark Amethyst Verona Zhoe Legend:
View attachment 4018348 View attachment 4018351 View attachment 4018352 View attachment 4018354
The above pics were all taken under a mix of natural lighting and white fluorescent lighting. The leather therefore appears brighter in some parts of the pictures where the lighting on it was stronger, but the second pic shows the contrasting stitching quite true-to-life, as does the right-hand side of the third pic comparing the stitching with the Zhoe Legend's stitching (the natural lighting hits stronger on the left side in that pic).
Has anyone had this happen before? Getting contrasting stitching and zipper tape/fabric without having asked for it?
I'm still not sure how I feel about it, so I haven't contacted Marco about this yet. Part of me is wondering whether I can get used to it enough (and mindful also that MM are a family-run company, so business costs must certainly be a more important factor for them than a bigger designer/company), but another part of me still feels that bewilderment/disappointment when I first saw the contrast stitching and zipper tape...
The lilac lining does work well with the Dark Amethyst Verona leather, though -- a nice slight pop/contrast with the darker purple. I was just expecting to have that contrast only when you see the interior (or that sliver of the lining that peeks out at the ends of the front and back zipper compartments of the Penny Messenger), not with the exterior stitching and zipper tape/fabric also...
View attachment 4018355
Would love to hear any thoughts from you ladies on the contrast stitching, or any past similar experiences too
Personally I’m not a fan of contrast stitching. That said, I prefer how MM did your Zhoe Legend. Some people will be happy with your Penny messenger as it is still beautiful I must say. But I think you should reach out to Marco on the options, in case the look does not grow on you.
A long time ago, I received an amaretto Flora that was not done very well. Marco sent a replacement, and this time everything was right! The edge paint on the first one was darker. The replacement had tone on tone edging - much prettier!
I also wished that he used a midnight blue thread on my dark blue Verona. He used a teeny bit lighter thread that bothered me a little, but I let it be since it didn’t look bad, mine was just a preference.
Both my Little Muses have no M on the feet. I only noticed the difference when I saw Colette's blog posting and that her bag does have them. It doesn't bother me, but it is a nice design element.
I seem to remember somewhere in the thread someone posted the same issue, that the zipper tape did not match the leather. I can't recall the outcome or when it was. Personally, the contrast doesn't bother me but I would reach out to MM for some help.Now, I also got a Dark Amethyst Verona Penelope Messenger (with silver hardware, lilac lining, and an added zipper closure for the main compartment) in the same order as my Little Muse, but... I'm not too sure what to make of it.
The specs should've all worked out great, since this is a style I've ordered before, in a leather I've ordered / seen in person before, and with a lining (lilac) that I've also ordered / seen in person before, so that I could compare the lining colour with the leather to know if it worked well together. But when I opened up the dustbag and wrappings, I was kind of bewildered to see it come with much lighter stitching and zipper tape/fabric than I had gotten in my Dark Amethyst Verona Zhoe Legend:
View attachment 4018348 View attachment 4018351 View attachment 4018352 View attachment 4018354
The above pics were all taken under a mix of natural lighting and white fluorescent lighting. The leather therefore appears brighter in some parts of the pictures where the lighting on it was stronger, but the second pic shows the contrasting stitching quite true-to-life, as does the right-hand side of the third pic comparing the stitching with the Zhoe Legend's stitching (the natural lighting hits stronger on the left side in that pic).
Has anyone had this happen before? Getting contrasting stitching and zipper tape/fabric without having asked for it?
I'm still not sure how I feel about it, so I haven't contacted Marco about this yet. Part of me is wondering whether I can get used to it enough (and mindful also that MM are a family-run company, so business costs must certainly be a more important factor for them than a bigger designer/company), but another part of me still feels that bewilderment/disappointment when I first saw the contrast stitching and zipper tape...
The lilac lining does work well with the Dark Amethyst Verona leather, though -- a nice slight pop/contrast with the darker purple. I was just expecting to have that contrast only when you see the interior (or that sliver of the lining that peeks out at the ends of the front and back zipper compartments of the Penny Messenger), not with the exterior stitching and zipper tape/fabric also...
View attachment 4018355
Would love to hear any thoughts from you ladies on the contrast stitching, or any past similar experiences too
For those who have the Muse or little Muse for a little while, do the side snaps open easily(I.e. Unsnaps on their own) when you have your things in them? I like the look of the style but just worried that the snaps will unsnap when you have the bag filled.
Now, I also got a Dark Amethyst Verona Penelope Messenger (with silver hardware, lilac lining, and an added zipper closure for the main compartment) in the same order as my Little Muse, but... I'm not too sure what to make of it.
The specs should've all worked out great, since this is a style I've ordered before, in a leather I've ordered / seen in person before, and with a lining (lilac) that I've also ordered / seen in person before, so that I could compare the lining colour with the leather to know if it worked well together. But when I opened up the dustbag and wrappings, I was kind of bewildered to see it come with much lighter stitching and zipper tape/fabric than I had gotten in my Dark Amethyst Verona Zhoe Legend:
View attachment 4018348 View attachment 4018351 View attachment 4018352 View attachment 4018354
The above pics were all taken under a mix of natural lighting and white fluorescent lighting. The leather therefore appears brighter in some parts of the pictures where the lighting on it was stronger, but the second pic shows the contrasting stitching quite true-to-life, as does the right-hand side of the third pic comparing the stitching with the Zhoe Legend's stitching (the natural lighting hits stronger on the left side in that pic).
Has anyone had this happen before? Getting contrasting stitching and zipper tape/fabric without having asked for it?
I'm still not sure how I feel about it, so I haven't contacted Marco about this yet. Part of me is wondering whether I can get used to it enough (and mindful also that MM are a family-run company, so business costs must certainly be a more important factor for them than a bigger designer/company), but another part of me still feels that bewilderment/disappointment when I first saw the contrast stitching and zipper tape...
The lilac lining does work well with the Dark Amethyst Verona leather, though -- a nice slight pop/contrast with the darker purple. I was just expecting to have that contrast only when you see the interior (or that sliver of the lining that peeks out at the ends of the front and back zipper compartments of the Penny Messenger), not with the exterior stitching and zipper tape/fabric also...
View attachment 4018355
Would love to hear any thoughts from you ladies on the contrast stitching, or any past similar experiences too
My last Zhoe that I recently had Marco make the bespoke pink nappa leather. I spoke to him about contrast stitching or something a little different. He recommended that I go with stitching that was a little darker and not a contrast. He said it was a more classic look which he felt was more my style. I absolutely love the darker stitching. I have attached the photos that I posted when I did the reveal to show the darker stitching. Now to answer your question if you do not love how it looks speak to Marco especially if that is not what your ordered. I happen to like the look of a contrast stitch not for all my MM bags but for one or two it gives it a completely different look.
Do you think the size would make it too much bling in a bright color or glitter leather? If it's a carry on size I think it's too big for me.
The Juliet is about 13 1/2 inches wide and nearly 9 inches tall. I don’t consider that anywhere near carry on size.