The circle bag is back and as you may have noticed, it’s currently having its moment all over social media. I did somehow had seen its resurgence ever since last year. There’s just something really different, chic, and unique in a sleek circle bag and I myself is a fan of it. In fact, I debated in my head for a while as to which circle bag I should get. For a long time, I’ve had my eyes set on the Mansur Gavriel Calf Circle Crossbody ($795) which comes in several eye-catching colors, but for its price and for its size, I do have my hesitations. There are also other brands that have the same style as the Mansur Circle Bag, one of them is The Daily Edited (TDE) Circle Crossbody Bag ($170) which definitely closely resembles the original Mansur Calf Circle in terms of style and size.
With 7 in Height x 7.6 in Width x 2.7 in Diameter (The Mansur being 7.5 in H x 8 in W x 2.5 in D) and made from 100% Saffiano outer leather, there is a lot to love in this beautiful TDE Circle Bag. It’s got either black or pink satiny fabric lining, full zip-around closure, and lustrous gold hardware. It can be worn handheld or as a crossbody, and the detachable leather shoulder strap is adjustable and has the longest length at 47.2 in. The strap drop is around 22 inches give or take. The handle height is about 2.4 in., and the base is supported with four golden metallic studs (the Mansur ones don’t have these). Inside the bag, there are two credit card slots.
The bag itself is lightweight and is pretty much easy to carry. It reminds me of a hatbox back in the good ol’ days. It definitely looks cute, quirky, and chic. I like wearing it with or without the strap, and the adjustable strap length is comfortable for my petite frame and height.
I first had the pink shade when it was still available and I’ve been using it on rotation along with my other mini bags. I did notice some color-transfer on it at first, but it’s very easy to clean. You just dab and rub a wet tissue on the stained part and it’ll go away. Lately, I haven’t noticed any of that problem anymore. A couple of weeks ago, I added the black color in my collection as you guys may have seen on my Insta Story and I love it just as well as the pink. As to what can fit inside this bag, oh well, I was actually kind of surprised that this bag can fit quite a lot. Though I wouldn’t want to put a lot of stuff in it since the Saffiano leather could bend easily.ย
For this photo, I was running some quick errands and I grabbed some basic items with me and threw them inside this bag. My apologies if the products looked all over the place, but these are mostly what transpired inside my purse. As you can see, I could still fit more products inside the bag, but I prefer not to overstuff them. Also, with most circle bags, you kinda have to arrange your belongings in a circular way, which can be quite a game of round Tetris when you have a lot of stuff to carry.
Take a look at what can fit inside:
Fotoprotector ISDIN Fusion Water SPF 50+ – got this from a relative in Spain and I’ve recently been using this on the face. Love it for the lightweight non-greasy feel, and it definitely doesn’t sting the eyes.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever have the Mansur Gavriel Calf Circle Crossbody. It’s still a very pretty bag in my opinion, though I’m afraid that its leather may be quite prone to scratches. What I do like about this TDE Circle bag is that it’s a lot more affordable than the Mansur, and it’s very well-done quality-wise. It can also be personalized by having your initials engraved on the bag. Overall, it’s perfect for just about any occasion and it’s really an attractive chic bag.
Do you own any circle bags? Are you a fan of TDE products?
It’s been a while since I’ve done a bag review here in the blog. Well, Summer’s almost over, but Fall is coming and it’s about time to change to a different bag that’s more suitable for this upcoming season. But before I do that, I’d like to talk about my most favorite bag this Summer – the Lady Dior. This iconic bag is named after one of the most famous woman in our history, Lady D, or Lady Diana. She used to carry this purse in several of her appearances, and years later, this bag though had been reimagined or reinterpreted several times, has remained to be as beautiful and as elegant as ever, just like the woman for whom it was named after.
I got this Lady Dior bag when I was in Spain. I’ve been eyeing this bag for a long time, but I didn’t really expect to seriously get it. I’ve looked and tried this bag at different Dior stores but was kind of undecided as to what color to get since most of the shades available were just so beautiful, and that had left me undecided. I sorta had my mind on the smaller Mini Lady Dior with Chain in Lotus Pearly Cannage Lambskin, but that was too small for me and though I love the color, I decided to skip it. Since then, I’ve been thinking about the Lady Dior bag for more than a year, and for some reason, I had the feeling that I may never get this bag after all. However, a year later, I popped into a Dior store in Barcelona and I saw this beautiful Lady Dior in Rose Eclair and I immediately fell in love with it. The size was perfect for me, and I love the light pink color. I chose the patent leather since the color is bright and light, and I didn’t want it to get stained so easily. I’m a fan of patent leathers, and I’ve had good experiences with patent leather bags before, especially the Vernis leather of Louis Vuitton, and I thought the same is true with this Patent Lady Dior Bag.
This bag’s dimension is 9.5 x 4.5 x 8 inches. This size is considered a standard medium like the original Lady Dior. This comes with a narrow removable and adjustable should strap and with a drop of approximately 23 inches. A signature D.I.O.R metallic letters serve as charms attached to the bag, and the bag itself is sporting its signature Cannage topstitching. There is a zipper closure that secures your things, however, the bag’s opening can be quite narrow, which makes it hard to see what’s inside it. It’s also kinda hard to put your hand inside it since the leather is kinda stiff, but it does get better as soon as the leather softens a little bit. Still, you kinda have to rely on your hands and try to feel the items in this bag if you need something. The bag’s handles are rounded, slim, and flat, which is nice because my arm fits through them so easily. The overall size of this bag is perfect for carrying basic necessities and there’s still room for more. Also, its weight is not too heavy and it’s not too light.
The whole look of the Lady Dior bag is just absolutely stunning and a definite head-turner. The design is gorgeous, sleek, and minimal but beautiful. A kind of bag that is very versatile and can withstand the test of time. The stitching is well done and the bag overall looks well-made. You can wear it as a shoulder bag, a handbag or as a crossbody.
Price-wise, this bag is expensive, but you’re paying for the name and the timeless yet classic elegant style. For the color, I’ve always wanted my own Lady Dior bag to be something bright since I envisioned myself to be carrying this bag for most of the Summer, and the Rose Eclair shade is just perfect for that. However, in the future, I would also like to have this bag in black which is so perfect for Fall and Winter. Oh, how I wish. Anyway, there are different colors and sizes for this bag. There’s one called “Les Larges” which obviously is a larger version of the bag in this review, another one called “Mini Lady Dior” which has a chain for a shoulder strap, and the other one is “My Lady Dior” which you can customize with badges. For me, the best size is this medium standard Lady Dior, which is not too big and not too small, and it can fit several things without looking overstuffed or feeling too heavy.
Here are the things I could fit inside this bag, also, these are the items I’ve been carrying throughout this Summer.
Parker Pen – you’ll never know when you need to sign or write something or when somebody needs a pen, oh, and this pen writes smoothly (once a girl scout, always a girl scout, LOL)
Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm – favorite hand and body moisturizer, mostly use this for my hands, and can’t get enough of the scent (Aesop products reviewed HERE)
Tom Ford Illuminating Powder in 01 Translucent– my current on the go blotting powder to illuminate my dark undereyes and reduce shine off my face. Been testing this for a few weeks now and will review this thoroughly soon.
Pop up Folding Pocket Hair Brush with Mirror – I cannot emphasize how convenient and important this is and it’s very easy to toss inside your purse, also, this doesn’t occupy much space.ย
Compeed – used to hoard packs of this when it was only available in Europe, thank goodness this is now available here in the USA. This is literally the best blister cushion/plaster in the market. Love this because this is a lot thicker than most blister plasters I’ve ever tried, and guess what, I still hoard several packs of this even to this day because this is so useful.
I really love this Lady Dior bag and it’s one of the most beautiful bags I’ve ever owned, however, this beauty requires extreme care; First, I find the patent leather to be too delicate, compared to LV’s Vernis leather. This seems prone to color transfer especially when it gets wet or when it comes in contact with darker colors. Since this bag is in light patent leather, I have to be careful not to put this close to any dark clothing, especially dark jackets, sweaters, jeans, or coats. But it can be easy to clean with a damp cloth if the color transfer hasn’t saturated that much on the leather. Second, the patent leather can get easily scratched, so you have to be really careful when carrying this bag. For those reasons, I almost decided to sell the bag since I was doubting myself whether I could really take care of such delicate purse. I contemplated for a while, but the bag is just too beautiful to get away, so I talked to some S.A.s at Dior and followed their advice to buy a Dior Mitzah with my initials and wrap it around one of the bag’s handles in order to protect it from wear and tear, as well as from the color or moisture transfer from either my clothing or from my hand. Also, I just really have to be extra careful when handling this bag. Speaking of Mitzahs, the first Dior Mitzah I bought with my initial “L” on it has an animal print of white and green with purple and blue trees. I love it and it reminds me of Hermes Twilly only with a letter written on the end. Later on, I decided to buy another Dior Mitzah with the same ABCDior style. I was told that they now have some new designs of the Dior Mitzahs ABCDior which are inspired by the work of the French Poet and Surrealist Artist Jean Cocteau. I bought one, and though I’m not a fan of the scarf’s shade which is a little too neutral for me and too close to my bag’s color, I fell in love with its message and its very symbolic and very touching illustration, which is a woman crying inside a cage (literally the scarf has a word “Cage” on it) but then was freed and had found freedom and happiness. As of the moment, Dior also carries different colors of Mitzahs without initials, and they only carry the updated ABCDior Mitzah designs online, which are inspired by Jean Cocteau’s work. You might still be able to find the older Mitzah designs/colors in select Dior Stores.
Overall, this beautiful iconic bag is one of the easiest purses for me to carry. It’s versatile and comfortable, and it’s not too heavy and not too light. You can carry this purse in several different ways, and it matches with any outfit. This is definitely the perfect bag for a petite frame and will also look good in just about any body type, size, or height. This bag not only elevates one’s look but can also make one appear elegant and polished. A true classic that won’t go out of style.
The Lady Dior Bag, as well as the Dior Mitzahs, are currently available at Dior Boutiques or in-store at select department stores.
Hey Bag Lovers! Iโm back with another review of my favorite bag of the moment. Iโve had this bag for a couple of years now, and it has been used quite a lot. Itโs a very functional bag due to its practical size that can hold a substantial amount of stuff, and is an ideal bag for transitioning from one season to another. Itโs also versatile because it goes with anything, whether youโre rocking a biker chic look or an office attire. It can also be casual for running errands or just a walk around town kind of look. Truly a bag of all seasons, of shifting weathers, and a go to for anyone who wants to look polished yet edgy and trendy. We all know this bag, the Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City. A modern and even more edgy twist to the usual Balenciaga Classic City that we know. The bag is made of a strong yet supple grained goatskin, hand stitched handles and a removable shoulder strap.
It also has its signature gold metallic edges and golden studs. The Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City retains the same size, interiors, openings, zips and compartments as the Classic City, and comes with the removable leather framed mirror. The handle drop is around 4 inches, while the shoulder strap drop is around 8.5 inches. The bag itself is about 15 inches in length and 9 inches in height with a depth of 5 inches. It is quite heavy, around 1 pound or more, but it can hold a ton of stuff. The leather looks luxurious, robust, strong and quite resistant to scratches. Though the bag tends to get more supple with time, its beauty and resilience remains the same, if not better. I usually carry it during winter and down to spring. I even carry it during long haul flights without any issue. This is without a doubt, a multitasking bag for me.
Wide-Tooth Comb โ Believe it or not, this comb is 15 years old. Itโs practically antique. Got this when I was still in high school. I donโt even remember anymore where I bought this from. But Iโve been keeping it because of the sentimental value. LOL. On top of that, it detangles my hair well, and prevents split ends. Still looks good as new too.
Louis Vuitton 6 Key Holder โ Vernis Leather in Indian Rose shade. Love this for keys and keychain cards organization.
Burberry Classic Cashmere Scarf โ Love the Ash Rose shade of this. Ideal for when the temperature gets chillier than usual.
Supermarket Pocket Facial Tissue โ Itโs always important to have this.
Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Dear Brachiosaurus Blotting Paper โ Iโm crazy about these blotting papers. It comes in 3 kinds; Mulberry, Green Tea and Mattifying Charcoal. Love that these donโt disturb your makeup, comes in compact case with mirror and a sticky puff.
The Woman In Cabin 10 Book โ From the author Ruth Ware. Given by my cousin in Lahdahn. Havenโt finished reading this yet. Will soon make a review on the โOther Stuffโ section of this blog.
Clinique Pouch โ A free pouch that you usually get when you buy some products from the Clinique counter.
There you have it! The contents of my Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City. A one fine functional bag that can carry a lot of stuff. Sometimes, it can even act as shopping bag, because the bag expands and is very robust, despite its goat leather. Iโve taken it on several cross-country flights, and not a dent or scratch happened. The only caveat is the annoying shorter-than-usual shoulder strap. I donโt really see the use of the provided shoulder strap because itโs hard to wear the bag with that too short of a strap, and sometimes wearing the bag on the forearm with a lot of stuff inside can be really heavy. So I suggest and plan to purchase the longer shoulder strap that Balenciaga now provides for this particular style of bag. I think itโll work much better and could improve the bagโs usability. Other than that, this bag is indeed a work of art and performance that gets better with time.
