Chanel Reviews: Petite Shopping Tote and Wallet on Chain

Although handbags can "make" or complete an outfit, I rarely show them on my blog. I have a very small collection -maybe 4 to 5 total- so you guys would surely get sick of seeing them! After college I purged all of my bags (many of them awkwardly-sized) and started fresh. I wanted to invest carefully in pieces that were beautiful and timeless, that were suitable for my size, and most importantly - were functional.

 

Video review:

1. Petite Shopping Tote (PST) 9" width x 9" height x 3" depth

Beautiful, classic tote - but for reasons mentioned in the video, is not too functional for me.

2. Wallet on Chain (WOC) - 7" length x 5" height x 1" depth

This bag wasn't even on my radar until I discovered (non-petite) Anh of 9to5chic. She always looks effortlessly polished, and her WOC makes frequent appearances in outfits for all sorts of occasions. The WOC satisfies all of my requirements. It can be worn as a:

-long shoulder bag

- clutch

- double-chained purse; or

- cross-body bag

Dress: J.Crew paisley sheath sz 0P (altered)

Suede Booties: Adrienne Vittadini "Adam"
YSL Arty Ring in Turquoise, sz 5 (taped)

I purchased both of these pre-owned, from ladies in Boston. I don't discriminate against pre-owned Chanel as long as it's in excellent condition and comes with all the original packaging (box, dustbag, tags, auth card). I have plenty of other things to spend the money saved on. I got a few questions on YT asking about the current retail prices, and honestly I'm not sure. The Purse Forum is a good resource for questions like that.

Here is an oldie but goodie from Alterations Needed on the East/West and classic medium flap. I'm interested in getting a taupe or colorful small flap next, but the original small size seems hard to come by these days.

Readers - What is your favorite go-to handbag?