Mansur Gavriel mini bucket bag in black-royal is one of recent bag acquisitions that I scored last month and honestly I did not expect that I would love it. When I placed an order, first I was not sure if I would like the bucket bag. It is an 'open' bucket bag where there is neither zipper nor proper bag closure (just the tassel). And second, Mansur Gavriel uses vegetable tanned leather and I know that this type of leather is prone to scratches. But my hesitation was finally gone when I received the bag for the first time.
Mine is a mini bucket bag, so the size is just right for my petite frame (I am 5'1). I knew from the beginning that I would never get the large/regular size because it will look huge on me. I like the fact that the strap can be adjusted with a smart mechanism that requires a very minimum use of hardware. The bag itself looks very minimal (just think about Celine handbags in Phoebe Philo era) and it lets the leather to stand out. So yes, the (designer) decision for not using excessive hardware on the bag is spot-on.
One thing (or two) that has attracted me to this bag is the leather and the leather. It is vegetable tanned leather with excellent finish. I like the one that is uncoated (which is way cheaper) that can easily get scratches from the normal wear. But I think these scratches are (so far) still in acceptable level and in fact they have given some characters to the bag (that the bag is loved and used). I have been using this bag for 1.5 months and few scratches are quite visible. The photos below were taken yesterday when I am drafting this blog post, so they could describe the recent condition of my bag.
From time to time, I still have a little concern over its 'open' top. Even when the tassel is tightened, there is always a substantial gap/opening on the bag compartment. Hence it has caused me to regularly check the bag contents just to make sure that my wallet and mobile phone and other stuffs are still inside the bag. To overcome my concern, sometimes I put a mini scarf inside of the bag to cover the contents. With this approach, I expect that anyone will have difficulty to see what's inside my bag and hopefully it can lower the risk for being picked pocket *fingers crossed*
I can conclude that this bag has won my heart. I like it so much that now I have placed another order for a mini bucket in black flamma. But as expected, the waiting time is around 3 months until it is ready for delivery *frowning*.
And while waiting for the bag delivery, now I start drafting my 2015 bag wishlist and am contemplating whether to get a Balenciaga metallic edge city or not (that bleu roi is so stunning). Hmmm, maybe I should put this topic in a separate blog post...
