MJ Newbie Here! Which bag 1st?

dragoknit

Member
Nov 29, 2006
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Hi, All. I stumbled upon this board a few days ago and I'm already hooked. I'm pretty new to buying bags and am looking to buy a MJ. Right now I'm deciding between the Stella, Venetia and the Blake. I want a bag that I can use all the time, both work and fun! I'd prefer a shoulder bag, but I really like the shaping of the venetia. Is it possible to wear on your shoulder? If you can, is it uncomfortable? What do you think of the Blake vs. the Stella? Why one over the other? I'm so lost! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Kelly
 
I dont't hink the stella fits comfortably over the shoulder unless you're stick thin... no?

If you like the shaping of the venetia, then the blake might be a good choice.... but i'm definitely a stella girl... i love them :smile: I like how the zipper of the stella unhooks so it can be just an open tote...
 
I have both a Stella and Venetia. The Stella you can definitely wear over your shoulder, especially because the straps are adjustable. The Venetia - not unless you are Nicole Richie ;) . I can wear the Venetia in the summer time over my shoulder, since I'm not wearing a jacket, but definitely not now.

If you really like the styling of the Venetia, but want a shoulder bag, you should go for the Blake since they have similar styling.
 
I can fit the Venetia on my shoulder, but I'm a small gal. The Venetia and Blake are my favorites - I have one of each. I just like the style of them best. One thing to consider is that the Blake has 3 compartments, and the Stella and Venetia just have one large compartment. You can't go wrong with any of them, IMO.
 
I think if you like the shape of the Venetia, but want a shoulder bag, then go with the Blake. Some girls can fit the Venetia on their shoulder, but the bag can look bulky IMO. The only thing that might bother you is the multiple compartments. I know some girls don't like that.
 
If you prefer a shoulder bag with a lot of structure and compartments, then I'd say the Blake would be your best bet.

However, the Stella is a great shoulder bag and is more unstructured. I prefer totes to satchels most of the time, so my vote is for Stella.

You might have a hard time finding the right Stella, because they're not made anymore, but when I first starting visiting the forum, I found this website super helpful!

eBay View About Me for vogue1966

Good luck! Let us know what you decide. :jammin:
 
Kelly, great choices! =) Blake, Venetia, and Stella are my favorite styles from Soft Calf Classic Collection, I personally like them way more than Multipockets, Sophia, and Cammie. I can wear all of them on my shoulder, I'm on the petite side though; they aren't uncomfortable for me, I must have gotten used to them.

In terms of styles, you won't go wrong with Blake, Venetia, or Stella. It really depends on the type of bag you are looking for. Stella is the perfect tote for work & every day. Venetia is such a gorgeous & dressy bag, it's my personal favorite; you can leave the bag unzipped or leave the straps unbuckled so that you can get things in/out easily. Blake is a wonderful bag as well, it has 3 compartments; it's not as big as Venetia & Stella so it might be a better choice if you want something smaller.

Most MJ bags are heavy, we get used to them though.

Hi, All. I stumbled upon this board a few days ago and I'm already hooked. I'm pretty new to buying bags and am looking to buy a MJ. Right now I'm deciding between the Stella, Venetia and the Blake. I want a bag that I can use all the time, both work and fun! I'd prefer a shoulder bag, but I really like the shaping of the venetia. Is it possible to wear on your shoulder? If you can, is it uncomfortable? What do you think of the Blake vs. the Stella? Why one over the other? I'm so lost! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Kelly
 
You all are awesome! I'm leaning towards the Stella at this point, I think. Figures as it seems to be the hardest one to get. I guess I'll be scouring Ebay now! Thanks for all your help!
 
Hi Dragoknit - welcome and beware!!! MJ bags are 100% amazing and will suck you right in!!!

I have the Blake and Stella. I love the Stella for days when I need to carry a lot of stuff around (I fit my 32 oz Nalgene bottle, work folders, mini iPod, charger, makeup bag, zip clutch wallet, sunglasses, cell phone, etc and it wasn't stuffed!). It's a gorgeous bag, but I don't find it very comfortable on the shoulder. I'm not a small person, so I know that it why...so if you are average weight or thin, you should be fine.

The Blake had to grow on me. I bought one off of someone I knew from another board, and I'm totally in love with it now. It's more structured than the Stella, but it fits over even my big arms and sits nicely on my shoulder. It's not so big that it is a pain to wear in the crook of your arm, so that is great too. I can fit all of the above, except the water bottle and folders (the bag isn't as tall to fit the folders), and have room to spare.

Both bags are pretty substantial - but I guess I'm used to it now! The weight only bothers me when I have other stuff to carry (grocery bags, shopping bags, etc) but it's worth it to me.

I don't have any info on the Venetia, but it's gorgeous!!!!

Good luck - let us know what you decide. And if you find a Stella (or any other bag) on eBay, be sure to post it in the "Authenticate This" thread...we have some AMAZING MJ experts on here who can give you great advice.

:heart:Dawn
 
Wow Um... Ignore my first post.. I must've been thinking about other stuff... I meant that the VENETIA doesn't fit over your shoulder unless you're stick thin... the stella fits very comfortably on the shoulder
 
Hi Kelly and welcome! I'd choose the Stella. You can definitely wear it on your shoulder. I can only wear my Venetia on my shoulder in the summer when I'm not wearing a jacket and even then, it's not very comfortable. I think the Stella is roomier than the Blake, too, so you can fit more work stuff in it.