GUCCI MARMONT VELVET BAG

Hey lovelies! Welcome to the first blog post of 2018. I hope you’re all having an amazing start to the year, if not, don’t worry, there are plenty more months to come ;-)

Seeing as my Gucci belt post was such a massive success, I thought I’d share with you my thoughts on the Gucci Marmont Velvet Bag. I’ve had the bag for a few months now and I've worn it every single day since, so I feel like I can give you a good review on the bag and a few tips on precautions you should take with it. I’ve seen so many reviews where a person says they’ve worn it for a total of 30 days in a year and so they can give a good review of it... like, WTH? No, haha! 30 days in a year is nothing! I’ve had mine for 3 months and have worn it every single day, rain or shine. Although in the grand scheme of things 3 months isn’t that long, wearing a bag for 90 days straight actually gives you a good idea of how practical it is and of how it’s going to wear down the line.

BAG OVERVIEW 

Firstly lets discuss the general look of the bag. I got mine in the mini size, which let me tell you, is more than enough. I can fit every thing I need in there and more. I’m usually not a big bag person, so the mini was the obvious choice for me. I’m also quite petite, so usually big bags look a bit funny against my body. I got the bag in the velvet Cobalt Blue shade. It has a a gorgeous chevron pattern  and has a heart design on the back. I’m not too keen on the heart, but it’s at the back so it’s not always visible. The bag is also lined with leather on the inside of the flap, and a pink silk lining on the inside of the bag with a pocket. The opening is my favourite, I love the push lock system, it feels so satisfying to press... it’s the little things haha. The hardware on the bag is antique gold, and it has a sliding chain handle with a leather shoulder tab. You can use it as a shoulder bag by doubling up the chains or by leaving the chain at its full length, and you can also use it as a cross body bag.

HOW TO STORE IT

Little tip for you when storing the bag, make sure the chains don’t lay on top of the leather or the velvet as it can mark the bag. If you prefer to store your bags by hanging them on something, make sure you’re doubling up the chains and hanging the bag that way. I made the mistake of hanging my bag with the strap at its full length and it marked the velvet quite badly. The marking will happen with use eventually, especially if you use it as a cross body bag or with the chain at its full length, but there's no need to make it worse. 

This is what I mean about the straps marking the bag.

If you like to keep your bags in their boxes, stuff the bag with some paper or a piece of clothing so it doesn’t lose its shape. Place it inside the dust bag and then cover the body of the bag with some foam before placing the chain strap on top. This will prevent marking also. 

LEATHER OR VELVET?

I’d say there are definitely some pros and cons to both. A friend of mine has this bag in leather and she mentioned that it marks also. The leather is really soft, so when you press down to close the bag, it flattens the leather completely, which overtime can misshapen the bag. But of course it’s leather, so it's definitely more weather and dirt resistant and you can wipe it down if it gets dirty. The velvet to me is a lot prettier to look at, and it’s more durable in the sense that it holds its shape a lot better than the leather bags. When you push down to lock the velvet bag, it hardly moves. The only downside to the velvet, is that you need to be cautious when wearing it when in the rains. Some people avoid wearing it in the rain, but not me. If I pay a lot for something, I want to be able to use it no matter what. Usually I’ll just pop the bag under my jacket to shelter it from the weather. 

WHAT SIZE TO GET?

This is a tough one to answer because we all like different things and want to use our bags for different purposes. This bag comes in the mini, small and medium size. The mini being the smallest and the medium being the biggest. My friend has the medium leather bag and personally I find it way too big. Like I mentioned before, the leather is really soft, so if you don’t carry a lot with you on an everyday basis, the medium can look quite flat and doesn’t hold its shape on the sides very well. Also, the top part of the flap tends to lose its shape and instead of looking round like it’s supposed to, it ends up looking quite pointy. The small size would probably be for someone who likes to carry a little bit more than the everyday essentials, like maybe a notepad or a book to read or something. And finally the mini, I’d say is for someone who only carries the essentials, like a phone, sunglasses, cardholder, keys, a cosmetic pouch, some lip products and some tissues for example (yes, that’s what I carry in mine haha). If you don’t have a lifestyle that requires you to carry a lot, I’d say the mini or the small would be the best choice.

PRECAUTIONS / CARE FOR THE BAG

In this category I speak mainly for the velvet bag as it’s the one I own. Don’t get it wet. Spray it with a fabric protector. If you are wearing it and get caught in the rain, put it under your jacket. Obviously try not to spill anything on it, duh. Once again, be careful with how you store it, as the chains can mark the bag (this goes for the leather one too). With Velvet, you will get a lot of fluff caught on the bag, so just go over it with a roller every now and then to remove it. Well, that’s all I can think of. Just a little side note, you will get a little patch on the part where you place your thumb to open and close the bag. It’s normal, it’s the part of the bag that you touch the most, so the velvet will rub off a little. 

I’ll be writing a post on what I can fit in the bag, with pictures to go with it, so keep an eye out for that. Also, let me know if you would like to see what the bag looks like after a few months.

Lots of love, SFS.