I’ve wanted a Chanel since I was 12! This is very disappointing to hear. I think I’ll wait a bit before taking the plunge to see if quality improves.
Quality getting worse.. Probably no more chanel :(
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I’m happy to report that I was at the BH boutique yesterday looking at bags and they all looked pretty perfect (classic flaps).
However, when I asked about the hardware on a classic flap the SA (who was terribly rude and uninterested btw) proceeded to peel off the sticker on the cc/turn lock!? I was left in shock, thinking this was a no no for a SA to do? Is this normal? I did not purchase the bag…
However, when I asked about the hardware on a classic flap the SA (who was terribly rude and uninterested btw) proceeded to peel off the sticker on the cc/turn lock!? I was left in shock, thinking this was a no no for a SA to do? Is this normal? I did not purchase the bag…
I am no leather expert. I did a side by side comparison photo of the two bags that had creases. The red bag not sure if the leather is thinner. To me the red bag looks like it was handled multiple times maybe a display bag? The red bag the creases appeared on the top flap of the bag. The black bag the creases are on the bend/fold of the bag and no creases on the top flap. The leather looks thicker and maybe because of a darker color you don't see more creases? Everyone's discretion varies on what's acceptable as a flawed product. 
I’m sorry, I know Chanel quality has dropped (at least I’m not going to argue against it) but this level of scrutiny towards how leather of the flap is creasing (something that is natural to the material) is just wild to me.
Maybe my comment is better warranted in the unpopular opinion thread.
Maybe my comment is better warranted in the unpopular opinion thread.
Haha, same. Think of our elbows, when the arm is stretched out, there will be part of skin around elbow that's crumpled together, hence creating creases. It's physics.
But again, if the OP's doubting the quality, probably the best peace of mind is just to purchase bags from trusted sources
Probably a price point issue.
Higher the price point at retail, the greater the scrutiny.
(Just look at how Hermes have made ppl cry over certain issues with their quota bags in YouTube)
At the end of the day, those are very expensive bags whom most would have saved their hard earned money for.
Lol thank you. I swear this thread gets wilder with every price increase with an endless repetition of ‚ quality is going down while prices are going up!!‘
I find it RIDICULOUS that the bags keep increasing, but there is nothing different! You can pull out a 20 year old classic flap that was CHEAP back then and pull out a new release classic flap and they will be identical minus the 24k hardware! You got more bang for your buck then. We are not getting added pockets, no extra strap, no built in card holder, no key holder, no plush interior lining, nothing, yet they cost about $5 to 7k more for the same bag. Lol. We don't even get better quality or a life long or even a 5 year warranty. Repairs SHOULD be.free of charge for these $7k to 10k bags. If you get a popped stitch or anything odd going on with the bag, you have to pay for the repair or get it approved for a repair. Instead of Chanel jumping hoops to keep their customers happy, the customers are jumping hoops to buy these bags at the ridiculous prices although Chanel won't always stand behind their products. There is an explanation for any flaw you may complain about. Lol. I love and appreciate Chanel and I have some pieces myself, but honestly, these bags are over hyped at these new increased prices. I am a bag enthusiasts and have come across EXCELLENT quality bags that are THOUSANDS less. If it wasn't for the Chanel name, Chanel bags themselves can easily blend in with other quality bags that may not have a huge name, but the quality is there. They are nice bags. Anyone that pays these high prices obviously believe they are worth the cost, which is great, however Chanel, at these current prices, at least give the same loyalty to your customers. Stand behind your bags. These bags should come with a 5 year, 10 year or even a lifetime warranty. At least give us that!I have a lifetime warranty on my suitcase (if not lifetime it is about 10 yrs) and I only paid about $300 for it! Lol. Just saying!
Chanel classic flap blacks n beige ( which comes back every other season) are made of tougher leather, hence these bags come with edge stitchings, the coloured classic flap bags which are seasonal , are usually made of softer leather, hence there are no edge stitchings on the flap. I noticed that the recent 22b grey cf, the leather to be much thinner n lighter in weight than the rest of the other past coloured cf. This disturbs me if it's a case of cost cutting measures but if other aspects like improvement in customer service, broader scope of repairs, coverage of warranty or etc which commensurates with the increase in pricing then that 's acceptable.
Having said this, i found the creases of the bag are pretty much a characteristic n nature of the leather, so its expected What i would be concern with are peeling, tarnshing of leather or goldharware not due to usage wear especially if the bags are new from the boutique but it's a case of simply fallen short of QC by Chanel. Hence the need that Chanel honours these defects
I have consulted more, have seen classic black wrinkles not as much as red bags because the skin is thicker.
Exactly like that, seasonal skin is thin so wrinkles are more
My four year old gabrielle, which I seldom use, the leather from the straps started to flake off.. from what I read this is a sign of coated leather.. it has never happened to my other Chanel’s ever .. I contacted them and they said it could be fixed but im sceptical if it will happen again in the future .
I remember when I ordered a preowned chanel 2.55 from a trustworthy website I was so disappointed about the quality. and honestly my first thought was "COACH bags can easily keep up with THAT"... I obviously sent it back...
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Why do some compare creasing?
Now since Chanel wants to make customers pay at Hermes level, then we will compare on Hermes level:
A particular Hermes leather in one colour is on par with another colour in the same type of leather. Apples to apples.
E.g. Vert de Gris Togo same quality to Brulee Togo. Gold Epsom same quality as a Craie Epsom etc etc. We can’t compare a Togo to an Epsom. So I won’t compare lambskin to caviar in Chanel’s case.
So reason goes that if Chanel wants to justify their price increases on par with Hermes, then the seasonal colored caviar leather shouldn’t be any different from the black caviar. Rightly so because the manufacturing shouldn’t be any different.
Now if Chanel is pricing at the level of LV …heck...even LV’s leathers and canvas are not so miserable to differ in quality from the same type of leather or canvas. An Epi in one color is the same quality as an Epi in another. There is no ‘thinner’ Epi.
Forget even comparing to Bottega, leatherstein dude tore apart a Bottega to find full leather. Not bonded leathers which Chanel uses.
Of course, some can comfort themselves that seasonal coloured caviar leather is thinner than the regular black caviar but to me, that means Chanel isn’t being fair for the price paid. So less a couple of hundred to get ‘thinner’ leather? You are kidding.
I get that some don’t give two hoots about money spent and grouch about people making a ‘mountain out of a molehill’ for ‘tiny faults‘ because it is spare change to them or they don’t have experience with older Chanel bag collections when quality was once paramount.
Those are probably the ones who appreciates Chanel selling them the same notorious advent calendar with exorbitantly overpriced cheap trinkets and samples which caused an outrage among most others.
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel must be turning in her grave now. I used to support Chanel, saving money to buy Chanel items because it was an enterprise with a noteworthy history created by a woman in a male dominated fashion industry. Now I can afford to buy more but the desecration of quality and the unreasonable pricing increases just sends me off straight to Hermes, Loewe, Dior and other luxury brands.
(Before anyone starts on RTW - no, I am only talking about bags. That’s because I do more MTO and MTMs due to RTW standard sizing which even standard alterations may not work).
Now since Chanel wants to make customers pay at Hermes level, then we will compare on Hermes level:
A particular Hermes leather in one colour is on par with another colour in the same type of leather. Apples to apples.
E.g. Vert de Gris Togo same quality to Brulee Togo. Gold Epsom same quality as a Craie Epsom etc etc. We can’t compare a Togo to an Epsom. So I won’t compare lambskin to caviar in Chanel’s case.
So reason goes that if Chanel wants to justify their price increases on par with Hermes, then the seasonal colored caviar leather shouldn’t be any different from the black caviar. Rightly so because the manufacturing shouldn’t be any different.
Now if Chanel is pricing at the level of LV …heck...even LV’s leathers and canvas are not so miserable to differ in quality from the same type of leather or canvas. An Epi in one color is the same quality as an Epi in another. There is no ‘thinner’ Epi.
Forget even comparing to Bottega, leatherstein dude tore apart a Bottega to find full leather. Not bonded leathers which Chanel uses.
Of course, some can comfort themselves that seasonal coloured caviar leather is thinner than the regular black caviar but to me, that means Chanel isn’t being fair for the price paid. So less a couple of hundred to get ‘thinner’ leather? You are kidding.
I get that some don’t give two hoots about money spent and grouch about people making a ‘mountain out of a molehill’ for ‘tiny faults‘ because it is spare change to them or they don’t have experience with older Chanel bag collections when quality was once paramount.
Those are probably the ones who appreciates Chanel selling them the same notorious advent calendar with exorbitantly overpriced cheap trinkets and samples which caused an outrage among most others.
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel must be turning in her grave now. I used to support Chanel, saving money to buy Chanel items because it was an enterprise with a noteworthy history created by a woman in a male dominated fashion industry. Now I can afford to buy more but the desecration of quality and the unreasonable pricing increases just sends me off straight to Hermes, Loewe, Dior and other luxury brands.
(Before anyone starts on RTW - no, I am only talking about bags. That’s because I do more MTO and MTMs due to RTW standard sizing which even standard alterations may not work).
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I understand your frustrations with Chanel's drop in quality, but I don't think it's fair or cool to throw shade and mischaracterize people just because they don't share the same feelings and approach as you.
Why are we comparing Chanel to Hermes? That's like comparing an apple to a pineapple. To compare their bags' qualities (the quality) based on the fact they're priced similarly is faulty IMO.
Look to music: Comparing Chanel to Hermes is like comparing a musician who doesn't have a good singing voice but great songwriting skills to a musician that has the best voice in the industry but mediocre lyrics. And both musicians are extremely popular, both musicians' prices for their music and albums are the same on iTunes, both have won prestigious awards (Grammys etc), both have been critically acclaimed. Because like how people prioritize different aspects to which music they enjoy and which musicians they like, people are going to do the same with fashion houses!
We all care about quality and longevity, but some people prioritize design and aesthetics over quality. The style between the two brands are so drastically different. And Chanel's styles are different from Dior and Loewe too. It's not simply because people don't care about money...
Leather is going to crease differently based on so many things:
- the type of interfacing that was used
- where the piece was cut from the hide
- how the leather is held/handled when it was manufactured and used
- any finishing
Creasing is not a good judge of quality. My cobbler has seen so many men's shoes made with the highest quality hides like Edward Green, John Lobb. Some crease so horribly and some look like it was barely worn until you look at the sole, but they are still high quality because factors like the above and the shape of your feet affect creasing.
Also thicker leathers are difficult to make puffy when they're being quilted so there is a reason why Gucci Marmonts, Prada Systems, and Dior Caros use thinner leathers.
Don't get me wrong because I'm not defending Chanel's large quality decline, but it's inaccurate to be drawing out these type of comparisons. Also Hermes quality has dropped too.
Coco would've turned if she saw Karl's first runway show.