Louis Vuitton “Monogram Tahitienne Cabas GM”

I hope Zoe won’t mind me stealing this bag from her to do-list, since she’s been pretty busy these days and it’s about time to givr this bag the attention it deserves. Let me start by saying that I’ve had a hard time getting my mind around which one to go for - the PM or the GM one… So here’s the deal, when it comes to tote shaped bags (which are pretty big most of the time), if they come in various sizes I will usually go for the biggest without thinking twice. The price isn’t usually much higher, unlike the effect the bag has on people (me included ). Zoe has recently added to her collection a beautiful LV Neverfull in the GM size, and it couldn’t look better than it does.

There is room to discuss which size to go for if you are a lady of rather petite proportions, but nevertheless, even if you are and you go for a big bag, I think you’ll look great as long as the style of the bag you go for expresses your personality. But back to the bag… I decided to post about the biggest Tahitienne available because it’s made of woven cotton canvas which just looks better and makes a much better impression if the bag’s body is larger.

What I particulary like about this bag is that it defines a certain fashion period, and it will do so in ten years from now. Five years down the road, people will see you carrying it and think “look at her, she managed to snatch it in time it was released, and OMG it looks great!”. It’s the kind of bags which define you as a fashion insider, and there’s no escaping that fact. You can choose between three colors which all look equally great: violet, rose or sable. Besides the large LV logo paying respect to Paul Gauguin, there is a golden LV plaque on front. There is a d-ring on the side, perfect for attaching a detail such as one of those amazing LV charms, and a strap that can be unsnapped so you can adjust the bag’s capacity or shape. The interior is textile lined and also features the tahitienne print.

SIZE: 21″ x 14″ x 8.5″

PRICE: $1,200.00 @ eLuxury.com

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Louis Vuitton “Mahina XS” Update

At the time I was posting about Mahina XS there were only three versions available - the black and white leather ones and the black denim version. Now there are two more versions featured online, and I think they are worthy of our attention. It has been some time since my post about Mahina XS and I have to admit that I am not that dissapointed anymore I’ve accepted the fact the new Mahina is not better than the original version and moved on. It is not fabuolos, but it is hardly ugly either.. Anyhow, it is not on the top of my list, but I know a lot of ladies do not feel the same.

These versions are more edgy, thus more likely to become something you will have to put away next season, but where’s the fun if you buy only classics? The new colors are silver and bronze. The silver one has a more “clean” look than the bronze one, so I think I would go with that one if I was thinking about buying the XS. I also want to say that these versions are a bit more expensive than the ones that were available first.

SIZE: 4,7″ x 10,2″ x 16,9″

PRICE: $3,050.00 @ eLuxury.comLouisVuitton.com

Louis Vuitton “Monogram Canvas Galliera PM”

Foreword:

You definitely won’t be hearing me say “enough with the LV monogram already”. No matter how many monogram bags I’ve got, or how many of them I see on a daily basis, I will never get fed up by it. I fell in love with it a long time ago and there is nothing that could change this. It’s a love or hate thing when it comes to Louis Vuitton and the monogram, there is no middle ground. If you love it, everything boils down to whether you like the shape, the color or some other feature of the latest monogram piece. If you can’t stand it, there is no chance in hell you’d buy it no matter how nice the shape is or how beautiful it would look if it didn’t have the logo all over it. I respect everyone’s personal preferences and tastes. If you don’t like it you don’t like it, I don’t have to hear about it every day. I love it, and I’m perfectly happy whenever I see a new beauty with those two letters all over it. Call me a snob, call me whatever you want, but I love LV.

The bag:

The shape and the shape only. Admit it, the shape is totally disarming. It can carry almost any detail imaginable, it’s absolutely and genuinely beautiful. I also have to single out is the shoulder strap which is very well proportioned and in perfect harmony with the size and the shape of the bag. The key details of this line are the leather pipings and a golden logo plate on front. Open top, closed with a magnetic snap closure, reveals fine microfiber lined interior with a snap and a cell phone pocket. Even if you can’t stand the monogram, you have to admit this one is absolutely delicious. Can anyone not like it? Feel free to leave a comment if you don’t.

Endnote:

Definitely worth it. Must… buy… soon… drool…

SIZE: 15.6″ x 12.5″ x 4.3″

PRICE: $1,180.00 @ eLuxury.com

Louis Vuitton “Motard Line Beforedark”

Do you know what a motard is? Or actually who a motard is? Motard is the french (who’d guess?) word for motorcyclist. I had no idea what it meant so I simply had to look it up. I’m feeling smarter now… Hehe, just kidding.

Well ok, having satisfied my curiosity I must say I know that the Motard line isn’t the best looking LV line, but it is definitely interesting enough to give it some attention. That would be what the casual bagddict in me would say, but that bagddict has gone missing years ago. From the Tina The Bagddict point of view however, there is much more to be said about this bag. I simply love it and I don’t care what anyone says. The beautiful combination of sumptuous suede and the fine Monogram Motard textured leather on the foldable top is simply divine. The foldable top allows for this bag to be carried in various ways to matching different types of outfits and complete a specifc sophisticated look you might want to achieve. With a removable black shoulder chain left attached, you’ve got a beautiful shoulder bag, and should you decide to detach the chain, you will have a hand-held beauty which you can carry in your hand or by it’s bored handles. Be careful if you carry it in your hands though, suede is sensitive!

The interior is silk lined with a patch pocket. It’s a LE piece so you know what to do, don’t you?! It should be available at LV stores at this time, but it wouldn’t hurt to inquire about the status before you head to your local store, give your SA a call. You can also find it on the official Louis Vuitton web site, but unfortunately the USA e-store subpage still doesn’t have it available for sale. I sure hope both the louisvuitton.com USA e-store and Eluxury add this beauty soon. Until then I’ll give you prices in EUR and GPB.

SIZE: 4.7″ x 7.1″ x 13.2″

PRICE: GBP 1.460.00 / EUR 1900.00 @ LouisVuitton.com

Louis Vuitton “Pochette Bonbon Rose”

Uh oh! I think I will have to stop writing about my issues with patent leather since there have been so many SS bags I really liked recently, which happen to be in patent but are simply too gorgeous for me to look the other way. I will say this now and I won’t bring the subject up any more. I do not feel like patent leather anymore, but I will overlook it if it is incorporated into the design in a way that the bag looks like a SS bag at the end of the day. I am not thrilled by the patent on SS bags, and it really does have a strong impact on how much I like the bag, but from now on, I will do my best to either ignore the patent leather, or if it really looks messed up, I will simply say the bag looks like a past AW bag instead of a SS08 bag. Case closed.

Having said all this, I think it would be about time I start writing about this cuter than cute pochette. First of all, I love the fact it is a pochette. It would really be too much for my taste if it were any bigger, since the design, or color scheme to be more specific, is somewhat bold and leaves a really strong impression. I feel that in a bigger size it would leave too much of an impression, if you know what I mean. This size is just fine.

The pochette can be hand held or carried on the shoulder - in this case, I would prefer to carelessly carry it as a top handle. The handles are adjustable and the top is featured with a zip closure. Some of the other features include contrast microfiber lining, golden brass hardware and an interior patch pocket. The address label is removable, and I am not quite sure what I would do with it. I am not much of an address label fan to be honest, but in this case it seems like it is giving this pochette more charm.. I would most likely simply remove it the moment I got my hands on it regardless, I don’t know..

Anyhow, the Bonbon Pochette comes in two versions: the turquoise version with pink leather details and in pink version with red leather details. I prefer the turquoise one because it feels really light and carefree, as we all feel in springtime, and the pink version seems too heavy for my current taste.

Both versions are bold, but also very refreshing, which is exactly what I love about them. I ceirtainly wouldn’t mind having this one in my collection, although I have to say that this is the kind of bag you would buy when you already own a considerable collection, since it is not a bag that will suit any occasion or complement any outfit. If you can’t restrain yourself from buying it anyways, who am I to blame you.

SIZE: 13″ x 8,3″ x 2,8″

PRICE: £730.00 @ LouisVuitton.com

Louis Vuitton “Eva”

Straight from Paris into my collection… I’ve got to share this one with you. Tres chic Although I usually don’t blab about how I bought this bag or that bag, I simply have to share my excitement about this one. I bought it without thinking twice, It was an instant crush! My “imagine me and you” process lasted less than a couple seconds and the deal was closed. The golden chain, which looks super chic when you leave it hanging like that and the cute shape… Mmmmm…. Anyway, I won’t be able to part from it for a few days now, it’s really practical and catchy and able to complement almost every outfit.

It comes with both a leather shoulder strap and the golden chain. The shoulder strap is completely detachable, the key to Eva’s versatility. Need a clutch type of bag for a night out? Attach the other side of the chain to the same side it’s fixed on and you have a wristlet. Need something more classy? Attach the chain to the opposite side, making a shoulder pochette of it. Shoulder strap is used for a laid back look, because then the bag is carried cross body with the gold chain used as a beautiful accent.

It comes with an engraved logoplate on the front and pleats on both sides. Interior is fine textile lined and the only downside is the lack of pockets. At this price, you simply cannot go wrong with this one.

SIZE: 14″ x 8.2″ x 6.3″

PRICE: $510.00 @ eLuxury.com

Louis Vuitton “Mahina XS”

Both Tina and I really love Mahina, and after we heard rumors about an XS version being made for SS08 we were incredibly anxious to see how the new addition to the Mahina family looks. We were expecting something extraordinary, something that just might beat the original Mahina and it’s XL and XXL versions. However, Mahina XS turned out to be nothing out of the ordinary. We probably did have somewhat unreasonable expectations stemming from the positive shock after the original Mahina came out, so when the XS version turned to be nothing spectacular, we were a tad bit dissapointed.

I expected the XS to be slouchy but elegant and feminine, and maybe a bit less bold. I am not saying that the bag is not beautiul, but it just isn’t what I was hoping it would be. Leaving out the handles and replacing them with a shoulder strap instead was an unexpected, albeit interesting change which we both liked. There is one detail I cannot seem to overlook though, which gives the bag a “wild west” vibe which I don’t like - the curvy leather on the top of the bag, it was really not neccessary, the bag would have looked fine without it. I do not know, maybe I am reacting like this now because I was expecting something to experience the whole set of emotions that seeing Mahina for the first time evoked all over again. I might just grow to like this version over time, but for now, it simply doesn’t measure up to its bigger sisters.

As I was discussing the XS with Tina, I suggested that they would have done a far better job if they left the design exactly the same, but resized it from XL to XS. I think it would have ended up looking much better. Tina made an excellent remark during our discussion: there actually is a bag that looks as a smaller version of Mahina, it’s called Pleaty. I never paid much attention to it before, since it is one of the monogram denim bags, and except for the black denim versions, I am not much of a fan of those.

As for the quality of the material and the hardware, there is nothing much to say since those are unquestionably on the same level as all LV bags - enough said. Just like the XL, XS is available in black and white perforated leather and in black denim.

Anyhow, to sum it all up, it’s not bad but I think many of you will agree that something different was expected.

SIZE: 4,7″ x 10,2″ x 16,9″

PRICE: Leather Mahina XS $2,780.00, black Denim XS $1,780.00 @ eLuxury.com

Louis Vuitton “Damier Azur Hampstead MM”

I was just talking with Tina about the LV Hampstead’s new appearance and this was one of the rare occassions we actually dissagreed. I simply love the Damier Azur Hampstead and it just didn’t do it for her, she found the original Damier version more alluring and perfect for this shape. I, on the other hand, think that the Damier Azur gave Hampstead a more playful and relaxed look, as opposed to the more serious Damier Hampstead.

I have already mentioned how I love it when designers play with their already established hits. In the post about MJ’s Little Patchwork Stam it was all about the size, and LV decided to give Hampstead a refreshed look for this spring by changing the color scheme. As far as I’m concerned, it worked perfectly. When I first saw the Hampstead MM, I have to say I fell in love with that timeless piece. But as the time passed, my yearning for it kind of diminished. It’s not that I didn’t find it as beautiful as I did before, but it somehow it just faded off my radar slowly. However, now that I’ve seen it in the Damier Azur version, I’ve fallen in love with it all over again and I want it, I want it more than I wanted the original version.

I do have to admit that in comparison to the timeless Damier Hampstead, this one is doesn’t have as much potential for it’s appeal to last. Having said all that, I still think I would pick the Damier Azur Hampstead over the Damier one, or would I? This is a tough choice.. Go for the classic which will never fade, or the revamped, vivaciuos version that might or might not lose it’s appeal some day? I really don’t know.. I wouldn’t complain about having both

SIZE: 13,6″ x 11,2″ x 6,7″

PRICE: $1,200.00 @ eLuxury.com

Louis Vuitton “Monogram Jokes”

I just saw that LV has introduced the Jokes bags online. I usually love LV, I’m a big, big, BIG fan of theirs, but this is something I hated. It is not because of the design nor the vivid colors, but the jokes that are written on them. Most of the women I know (this includes Tina and me) can take care of themselves just fine on their own, better than most men I know can, and yet we don’t feel compelled to make derrogatory comments / jokes about men. I do not consider it art, and no, I do not care about their importance to whomever, I just do not find them funny on any level. Sure, you can argue about the real message these bags were meant to convey, but the fact is - those jokes are completely tasteless.

The fact that these bags are currently sold out is proof that you just have to make something appear exclusive and “must have”, and the “trendy gals” will go nuts about it, no matter what you are selling. I really do not know what state of mind I would have to be in to carry a bag with such jokes on it. No, I am not “oh so self-aware and confident” that I will carry one of these and show off how I’m too strong to be bothered by jokes of that type. If they left out the jokes, I would probably be writing something along the lines of the bags being refreshing, edgy, definitely not something just anyone could pull off, whatever, but with this waste of perfectly good letters plastered all over them - No way. I love some of the extravagant SS08 bags, like Monogram Matisse bag, but this is simply wrong.

Provocative? Yes! Bound to get attention? Yes. Having any value whatsoever as BAGS? No chance..

LV we still love you, but we hope these were just a glitch in the Matrix.

Info and the availability if you are interested @ LouisVuitton.com

Louis Vuitton Handbag Charms Vol 2

I spotted some new additions to the LV key holder selection (a.k.a. handbag charms) on eLuxury.com. There really is nothing much to say, except that they are all charming (Charming charms, *chuckle*), and that they are all very very cute. I would also like to say that I want all of them, but I know that kind of isn’t the point.. It is so hard to make up my mind about which one should I pick.. Maybe the Inclusion one.. Or maybe the Cannes key holder… I don’t know.. Well anyway, feast your eyes ladies!

Clockwise from top: Cadenas key holder, Trunks and bags key chain, Trunks and bags key holder, Cannes key holder, Baxter key holder and Monogram Inclusion key holder.

Buy them @ eLuxury.com