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REVIEW: Cuyana Classic Shoulder Bag

I finally found what I’ve been looking for – the classic, rectangle bag of my sartorial dreams! It’s an everyday bag that’s simple and chic, something I have been hoping to find for the last few years.

It all started when I came across a gorgeous bag by Céline. The minimal, yet classic lines instantly made me want it, but the $4000+ price tag made me want to run in the other direction. So I began my hunt for something similar in style, but less heft on the wallet. Eventually I purchased Cuyana’s Saddle Bag in winter 2017, hoping it would be close enough, but in the end, it wasn’t and I didn’t love it. Thankfully I was able to sell it for about 2/3 of what I paid for it.

This spring Cuyana released their new Classic Shoulder Bag design, and I was hooked. It was almost exactly the timeless design I had been looking for. Before I bought it, and post-Saddle Bag, I had been perusing Etsy and local thrift stores to see if I could score a classic Coach City Bag, circa the 1990’s. However, I had a hard time gauging bag condition when shopping online, and when I found them in person, they weren’t in as good of shape as I hoped. When I saw Cuyana’s Classic Shoulder Bag, it seemed like the modern edition of those Coach bags, and just as sleek as the Céline bag. After some careful consideration, I bought one in March and have been using it on regular rotation ever since. It has more than pleased me, but I wanted to use it for at least a month before I sat down to write my review.


SPECS:


//  Designed in San Francisco, made in Italy with full grain Italian leather and pebbled leather.

//  Fully lined interior. The website says microsuede, it feels a bit synthetic to me, but functions nicely.

//  Gold and black tone magnetic closure.

//  Exterior back slip pocket. (very handy for iPhone!)

//  Single compartment interior. (No inner pockets.)

//  Height: 8 inches, Width: 10 and 5/8 inches, Depth: 2 and 3/4 in.

//  Strap drop 19 – 21 1/2 inches, Strap width: 3/4 inches

//  Decently structured, can stand up on its own.



What I Like:


I was pleasantly surprised to find this bag holds a lot of stuff. As you likely know, I’m a mom of three, and I often end up with extra items in my purse. Since my diaper bag days are long over, I like to reach for a smaller bag when I can, but that ‘small’ bag must still be very functional. In my Classic Shoulder Bag, I can easily fit my generously-sized wallet, my iPhone plus, my pouch that contains lipsticks and an emergency pad, a small notebook, sunglasses case and keys. And on the days I want to carry around my x100F camera, I can fit that in my purse too after a small amount of Tetris work. The same goes for a mid-sized paperback novel. Color me impressed! A big reason I got rid of the Saddle Bag was because it did not hold enough stuff for me, and I felt limited when I used it. I think the rounded edges really cut down on what you can pack in there.

As mentioned, I’m a huge fan of the classic-minimal style of this bag. The hardware is simple. There is no obvious branding. I love the front flap, it looks great and it functions very well. My items are always secure yet very easy to access.

I am also a big fan of the shoulder strap. Previously, I owned a bag by Madewell and the shoulder strap felt cheap and synthetic. This strap is double-sided, with two pieces of leather sewn together. It looks finished and polished. I own a bucket bag by the Stowe (which I love!) but it has a 1/2 inch shoulder strap, and at times that feels a bit too narrow, and can dig into my shoulder (particularly if there are extra items in my bag). I love that this Cuyana strap is 3/4 inches, that extra quarter inch seems to make a big difference. The double leather also makes the strap to feel slightly padded. All this to say: the bag is really comfortable to wear.

At first I wasn’t so sure about the pebbled leather on the front, but I have found with use, it’s much more forgiving than smooth leather. Any errant scratches are easily concealed.


What I Don’t Like:


>>  No internal pocket. Though I actually didn’t notice this until I prepared to write this post. It would be a nice option to have.

>>  I will probably have to be diligent to help this bag keep it’s shape. The leather is already a bit soft so, when I’m not using it, I re-stuff it and put it upright in the top of my closet.

>>  I am not a fan of the sam browne button fasteners, I would prefer a traditional buckle.


Bottom Line:


I really like this bag. I actually like it more than I expected too. It’s so easy, natural and comfortable to wear, and it holds all the things I need each day with room to spare. The design is very classic (hence the name!) and I hope it’s something I can wear for years to come.

If you’re in the market for a classic shoulder bag, I highly recommend it!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


This post is not sponsored nor endorsed by Cuyana. I paid full price for my bag. This post contains affiliate links.

10 thoughts on “REVIEW: Cuyana Classic Shoulder Bag

  1. This bags looks gorgeous and I love the simple elegant design. HOWEVER, I personally had very bad luck when it comes to cuyana bags. My husband ordered the zipped tote bag for me as a gift and when we received there was a small sharp object ( looks like a small nail but not quite) in the bottom of the bag. If I pull the thing out it left a small hole on the bag. Needless to say I was very surprised since it was my first order and other people often gave their leather goods 5 star reviews. My husband contacted customer service and they agreed to exchange. The second bag arrived with no foreign object but the one of the shoulder straps started to fell apart after only 2 weeks of non daily use. And I have to add that most of the time this bag is either sitting in my office or in my car, I don’t use it when I run errands, go to the mall or play with my daughter. They agreed to exchange it for a second time but no apology offered whatsoever. I own expensive designer bags and cheap non leather bags from unknown store but never did I have such “bad luck”. That being said I was really put off by the quality issue of cuyana. Probably I won’t buy anything from them in the near future.

    1. Hi Jessie, I’m so sorry to hear that! That would totally leave a bad taste in my mouth too! My experience has been good, this is my 4th Cuyana bag, and my totes have seen heavy wear, and have just gotten better with age. Such a bummer your experience wasn’t the same. :(

  2. Great review as always! Glad that this Cuyana bag worked for you! Like Jessie above, I’ve also had some leather quality issues with my Cuyana bag so I’m glad this one doesn’t (also my friend had a Cuyana zip tote that she used daily and one of her straps broke after a year). But anyway this bag looks great on you! Plus I’ve had the Celine one before and it’s definitely overrated (the leather + hardware make it really heavy and it actually can’t fit as much as your bag because the leather is so thick and inflexible). So you for sure made the right choice!

    1. Hi Elaine! Really interesting to know about the Celine bag, I hadn’t thought about the weight, but it totally makes sense! Yes, my experience with Cuyana has been good, this is my fourth bag, and the quality has been primo.

  3. Hi Andrea, I really enjoy reading your site! I recently bought this same bag about a month ago and totally agree with your review…I love the classic shoulder bag too. I was inspired to buy a simple bag like this one b/c of Clare Dane’s character in Homeland–she carries around a very seamless, simple, classic looking purse and I wanted one too (TV characters inspire me fashion-wise!) So I found the Cuyana bag and have been very happy with it. This is my first Cuyana purchase so I’m hoping this bag will last and last. So far, so good!

    1. I find SO MUCH inspiration from TV shows. I love that you mentioned this! I haven’t seen the latest season of Homeland, but I’ve been regularly inspired by Clare Dane’s character’s tomboy-professional style!

  4. Thanks for the thorough review as always! This bag is really pretty so I’m glad it’s functional too. I’m looking for a similar bag but for some reason the clasp on the front of this one is very distracting to me. I tried the new Evelyn bag from The Stowe but I couldn’t fit anything in it.

    1. Hi Lia! I saw that bag from the Stowe too, but I was worried that what you mentioned would happen. Honestly, I didn’t love the clasp on the cuyana one at first. And that’s why it took me a month or so to order it. But in the end all the other benefits outweighed it, so I went for it. And now the clasp has totally grown on me!

        1. That bag is super cute!! I wish I knew more about Lo & Son’s. The last time I did research on them, I had a hard time finding out anything about their manufacturing process. Let me know if you have any insights!

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