Balenciaga 101 (courtesy of
pluiee 
)
Q. What does the term "motorcycle bags" mean?
It’s just the name of the line of bags - all of the ones with tassels or giant hardware.
Q. How often are colors released?
There are two seasons, Spring/Summer (SS) and Fall/Winter (FW). For each season, there is a pre-collection (which is released earlier) and a collection (usually only 3 colors are released). SS pre-collection colors are usually released around December and SS collection colors are released in February. FW pre-collection starts arriving in stores are around June and collection colors around August.
Q. What colors are produced every season?
Only black and white are produced every season. All other colors are seasonal, meaning they're only produced for that season once. The only exception to the rule is the limited edition Magenta release in 2007 for BalNY stores only. Even then, many would argue Magenta 05 and LE Magenta 07 are very different.
Q. Where can I find discontinued colors or styles?
Sometimes stores have old stock but generally,
eBay or consignment stores are the only places.
Q. What is a good size for a first Bbag?
The most popular sizes are the First and the City. The First is the smallest Bbag, while the City is considered medium-sized. The First is perfect for quick errands or going out at night – it holds only the essentials. The City is ~1.5 times the size of the First - it holds a lot more.
Q. Please give me a quick rundown of all the common sizes!
Apart from the First and City, the more common styles are the Part-Time, Work, Day, Twiggy, and Weekender. The Work is considered a size up from the City, its proportions are similar to that of the City. The Part-Time is an in-between size - it has the width of the Work but half its length. Of all the bags listed, the Day is the only one that has one shoulder strap. It is barrel-shaped, has a much longer length compared to its width, and is very deep. The Twiggy is more log-shaped - it has a longer width compared to its length. As suggested by its name, the Weekender is a very large bag - much larger than all the other bags listed. Some tPFers carry this as an everyday bag but is generally a little too large for most people.
Q. Are there other styles? Are some styles discontinued?
Yes. With the introduction of the giant hardware, a lot more styles have popped up. Every season, Bal introduces new styles and retires some too. Some retired styles include the Flat Brass First, Flat Brass Hobo, Purse, Shopping, and Box.
Q. What’s a Giant City versus a regular City?
Giant refers to the hardware, not the size of the City.
Q. Which bags have straps? Which bags don’t?
The First, City and Part-Time all have removable shoulder straps. The Work, Weekender and Day don’t.
Q. What is a FBF?
FBF is short form for Flat Brass First. These bags with flat brass hardware were produced in 2001 and 2002 for 3 seasons only. Each season had distinctive leather (3rd season is more distressed while 2nd season is more buttery). These bags had longer removeable shoulder straps than current bags - 3rd season bags had the longest strap. The first season had a gold “le dix” tag.
Q. What is the best kind of leather?
Tricky question... it all boils down to personal preference. Some common terms are squishy, buttery, veiny, distressed, dry, smooshy, slouchy, and chewy. The way I see it, it really comes down to the touch – when you touch the bag, does it make you happy?
Most Bbags are either made of chevre or agneau. Agneau has been used consistently since 2008. For a lengthy discussion of the two leathers, please see
http://forum.purseblog.com/balenciaga/chevre-goatskin-vs-agneau-lambskin-406585.html.
