Update on my 6 year old Balenciaga City

One word: Ragged

I know, I know, it’s supposed to get that distressed look, and you’re not supposed to buy the bag if you don’t like the distressed look, but I guess I didn’t realise just how distressed it would start looking. There are a few tears – not in the leather but in the glossy edging. I can get it redone, but I’m not sure I want to.  Also, the threads around the handles are fraying.

The thing is, despite these issues, I end up carrying it around a lot. My last purchase was the LV Manhattan bag. It looks stunning, and after my initial excitement (I was carrying it everywhere) faded, I’m more choosy about when I carry it. Because it looks so gorgeous, I like to save it for nicer occasions – and carry my ‘not so nice’ bags at other times. Sadly, my Balenciaga falls into that list. But the thing is, even when I’m dressing up, I often reach for the Balenciaga more than I do other bags.

The reasons for this, despite the fact that it doesn’t have that polished look about it, are:

1. It’s so, so, super-light.
2. It has 2 zippered compartments, and the inside has  2 slots big enough that I can  tuck my phone in one and eye-glasses in the other. So it’s easy for me to find my stuff.
3. The hardware is black – very subtle, which means I can carry it with gold or silver sandals or jewellery.
4. Red goes with everything! Well, almost everything.
5. Although the bag looks ratty, I love the hanging tassels.
6. The fat strap on the shoulder looks cool.
7. Finally, this bag just makes most of my outfits look better. Very often when I’m undecided about which handbag to carry and sling a few around my shoulders to see which looks best with what I’m wearing, I often zero down to my red Balenciaga. It seems to add the perfect finishing touch.

If you’re considering buying this handbag and don’t have an unlimited budget, I’d say go for black. My red bag has a lot of black scuffs, and the piping that has broken shows black underneath. Most of these marks and scuffs would have been invisible on a black bag. Having said this, one of the reasons I often reach for my B-bag is also because it is red, and looks good with simple, casual outfits. It’s just very, very cool.

If you want a red bag and are okay about spending on upkeep for the bag, or don’t mind the ratty look, go for this. Else, look elsewhere!

Read more – When I first got my Balenciaga city..