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Yesterday I received the Mini in Blue Minuit/Midnight Blue and it is gorgy!!! The QC for this bag is great, no glue residues or wonky stitches. This shade of blue is a better choice than the polar one because it tends to grey/black so it can be easier matched with both winter and spring/summer palettes because it looks good both with black and whites.

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Yesterday I received the Mini in Blue Minuit/Midnight Blue and it is gorgy!!! The QC for this bag is great, no glue residues or wonky stitches. This shade of blue is a better choice than the polar one because it tends to grey/black so it can be easier matched with both winter and spring/summer palettes because it looks good both with black and whites.

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That is so beautiful!! Congrats!!
 
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Wow thank u for the pictures. The store looks so elegant. Did you get anything? Any surprises? Do you think any bags look differently in store?

I meant to add a visit ‘review’ but was busy earlier lol. So here’s one of sorts.

The store is gorgeous and I’m really glad I had a chance to go by. Love the way they display the bags, great lighting. The tree made of the leather scraps is exquisite.

I got to try on the regular Un, which did confirm that it’s probably a bigger bag than I’d want. Which made me sad because I LOVED the rust red color I tried on. Also saw the midnight blue in person which was good l, bc to me it does look markedly different than the photos and thus I’m no longer interested.

Quite a few surprises actually:
  • I liked the mini Sept better than I expected to, even in the textured leather. So now I’m going to have to think about getting that one possibly.
  • I saw the Dix in the chalk and LOVED it. Was not expecting that, I went in thinking I might want the Dix in the beige, because that’s smooth leather. But the chalk is different in person than I thought, it was a lovely warm white, almost cream. And they didn’t have the beige to compare it to, so now I have some debating to do.
  • Saw the Umi and am not really into it at all.
Sadly a few mins after we went in, the store got BOMBARDED by people which was just bad luck. Made it really hectic and annoying, esp bc they have only one d*mn mirror in the entire boutique, so everyone is crowding frantically into one space trying to see how bags look on them.

But overall very ‘educational’ and worth a visit!
 
Hi! Coming out of anonymity on this topic that I've been avidly reading since I felt into Polene rabbit's hole in 2020. Bought and sold many of their bags in the last year because I chose colors that I loved but that in the end didn't match many of my outfits.
Their Un in the traditional size is a lovely bag but too heavy if you keep it on your shoulders all day long. I sold it even if I am still missing the beautiful polar blue shade I chose.
The Nano imho is the perfect bag that you can wear during a relaxed weekend when you are out with the family. You will also need a diaper bag for the babies' necessities but this cutie will look lovely enough to give you that typical refined Parisienne girl vibe.
The Beri was not my bread and butter, ended up selling her with no remorse.
The maxi Cyme in Camel is my workday bag, even better than my prev Neverfull. I have been wearing her nonstop since May and the leather wears like iron, no scratches or wear.
The Hobo Dix is a great bag when you need more space, the only downside is that it's pretty narrow so you need to open it with two hands but it seems to get better with usage.


Just wanted to give you my 2cents on the leather quality issues topic. For Christmas I rewarded myseld with a premium designer bag that I have been lusting for a couple of years (Celine nano belt) and the leather used is so plasticky and the upper part seems so wonky that I cannot believe that I really paid 1800€ for her. It is a great looking bag though and I don't think that I will return her but imho Polene drummed leather is way more pleasant to the touch that the one Celine used for the belt (and for the Sangle that I already have). I am not too fond either of Hermes Epsom and Togo, they aren't anything special considering the price tag they come with.
The best leather ever imho is the one Ferragamo used to use for the Soft Sofia line but gone are those days.
Imho Polene is a brand with one of the highest value for money.

Hi, thank you so much for this. I bought an Un Nano few months ago but sold it immediately because the strap squeaked annoyingly adm the taupe was too grey for me. It did felt plasticky at first (most of my other bags are Aigner and Tory Burch) but it softened very nicely. Do you feel the same?

I’ve been eyeing the Celine Belt Bag as well, and would like to know if the leather has softened?

And (another and haha) I’ve been eyeing a Ferragamo Vara bow bag as well.
 
So after admiring Polene’s designs for a long time, I finally pulled the trigger with the free shipping and got a number of designs that I have long admired.

Ordering was fine, shipping was fast and they came well packed. The boxes are nice and the dust bags are thick.

But when I opened them my overwhelming feeling was disappointment. I have a lot of contemporary bags (Furla, Wandler, Strathberry, Coach, Oroton and yes, Michael Kors) and was expecting similar quality. But I don’t think the leather quality is as good as any of those brands. I think Polene does a great job with their website and the bags are very photogenic, but they just don’t look anywhere near as good in real life.

Here is my rundown
Un in camel - came with asymmetrical folds, and the top edge of the bag juts out from the flap instead of being covered by the flap. It makes a great design, well, not great. If this can be fixed with restuffing, I might keep this one, as I love the design and like the colour and size.

Un nano in lilac. This looks really cute but my phone is a tight fit. The main issue is that the edge of the shoulder strap is really sharp and scratches my skin.

Sept - the new wool version in camel. Colour is insipid and in person I don’t like the proportions of the bag. A definite return.

Neuf in blush. Pebbled leather feels kind of powdery. Not sure I love the colour enough. Folds are asymmetrical but I think it matters less with this design.

Mini neuf in glacier. Colour less intense in real life but still nice. Came with a rough rubbed patch on the leather on the front of the bag. Folds asymmetrical but as above it doesn’t look too bad with this design. Like the nano, my phone fits but only just.

Tonca in maple. I like the colour. The strap is darker than the bag which I didn’t pick up in the photos. I don’t love the way the end of the strap hangs down. Keeping for my daughter who likes it.

So overall, I still love the designs and think they are unique and very chic. But for me the execution is lacking. I would rather pay a bit more and have better quality leather.

Hope this review is helpful

Hi, you really spoke my mind. I sold my Un Nano immediately because the moment I received it I was…underwhelmed? Most of my bags are Aigner and Tory Burch.

But I have ordered Umi in Chalk and am waiting for it to arrive via personal shopper. Been considering a Neuf.

Do you think the Neuf shape issue could he addressed by stuffing it first? Since it seems like a softer design with enough give.
 
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Hi, thank you so much for this. I bought an Un Nano few months ago but sold it immediately because the strap squeaked annoyingly adm the taupe was too grey for me. It did felt plasticky at first (most of my other bags are Aigner and Tory Burch) but it softened very nicely. Do you feel the same?

I’ve been eyeing the Celine Belt Bag as well, and would like to know if the leather has softened?

And (another and haha) I’ve been eyeing a Ferragamo Vara bow bag as well.

Hi! The leather on Polene bags is pretty stiff and rough to the touch when you put them out of the box. It lacks shine because it's very matte and when I received my first piece over an year ago I was meh too.
The reason why I was so underwhelmed is because I have always been into smooth leather bags (Ferragamo mainly) but their downside is that they are really delicate and prone to showing scratches and wear to the corners. My mommy time bags always consisted of no name bags, Longchamp or of LV canvas pieces but now that I have been using Polene bags for a while I am definitely appreciating the qualities of a matte and rough leather: they are a sort of superhero bags looking damn good
They don't easily show scratches, they can be poured or taken outside with a poor weather and still look great, they have survived playground afternoons and dirty little hands with just a refreshing touch of (many!) baby wipes.
I just compared my Sept leather to the leather used by Celine for both the Sangle and the Belt. Even though Celine leather is def more pliable and the lining inside is more thick they both lack that marvellous shine and that great smell of freshly new LV vachetta or of Ferragamo soft leather. My H Evie in Togo and H belts in Epsom are very matte and dry too, just to say.
For an evening out/ weekend away without the babies I would still consider to have with me one of my vintage Ferragamo pieces plus either the Belt or the Evelyne for the day but for regular everyday life (work, family time) my best bet is Polene right now.
They look damn great, the care for the details is magnificent, the price is great and the leather, even if it is not a premium one, is robust enough for my needs.
 
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Hi! The leather on Polene bags is pretty stiff and rough to the touch when you put them out of the box. It lacks shine because it's very matte and when I received my first piece over an year ago I was meh too.
The reason why I was so underwhelmed is because I have always been into smooth leather bags (Ferragamo mainly) but their downside is that they are really delicate and prone to showing scratches and wear to the corners. My mommy time bags always consisted of no name bags, Longchamp or of LV canvas pieces but now that I have been using Polene bags for a while I am definitely appreciating the qualities of a matte and rough leather: they are a sort of superhero bags looking damn good
They don't easily show scratches, they can be poured or taken outside with a poor weather and still look great, they have survived playground afternoons and dirty little hands with just a refreshing touch of (many!) baby wipes.
I just compared my Sept leather to the leather used by Celine for both the Sangle and the Belt. Even though Celine leather is def more pliable and the lining inside is more thick they both lack that marvellous shine and that great smell of freshly new LV vachetta or of Ferragamo soft leather. My H Evie in Togo and H belts in Epsom are very matte and dry too, just to say.
For an evening out/ weekend away without the babies I would still consider to have with me one of my vintage Ferragamo pieces plus either the Belt or the Evelyne for the day but for regular everyday life (work, family time) my best bet is Polene right now.
They look damn great, the care for the details is magnificent, the price is great and the leather, even if it is not a premium one, is robust enough for my needs.

Thank u!
 
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I meant to add a visit ‘review’ but was busy earlier lol. So here’s one of sorts.

The store is gorgeous and I’m really glad I had a chance to go by. Love the way they display the bags, great lighting. The tree made of the leather scraps is exquisite.

I got to try on the regular Un, which did confirm that it’s probably a bigger bag than I’d want. Which made me sad because I LOVED the rust red color I tried on. Also saw the midnight blue in person which was good l, bc to me it does look markedly different than the photos and thus I’m no longer interested.

Quite a few surprises actually:
  • I liked the mini Sept better than I expected to, even in the textured leather. So now I’m going to have to think about getting that one possibly.
  • I saw the Dix in the chalk and LOVED it. Was not expecting that, I went in thinking I might want the Dix in the beige, because that’s smooth leather. But the chalk is different in person than I thought, it was a lovely warm white, almost cream. And they didn’t have the beige to compare it to, so now I have some debating to do.
  • Saw the Umi and am not really into it at all.
Sadly a few mins after we went in, the store got BOMBARDED by people which was just bad luck. Made it really hectic and annoying, esp bc they have only one d*mn mirror in the entire boutique, so everyone is crowding frantically into one space trying to see how bags look on them.

But overall very ‘educational’ and worth a visit!
Thank you so much for the review. I also had my eye on the Dix in either chalk or olive. Did you manage to get a picture of it by any chance?
 
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