Seriously, I feel bad for all of you that I have taken on this roller coaster ride with me that is titled “Finding my perfect Balenciaga Bag“. My problem always came down to finding the right color for my Giant City (that I was already set on purchasing). I thought maybe Anthracite would be the perfect color choice but then realized I have plenty of grey bags in my collection. So while browsing Balenciaga.com over the weekend, I felt an overwhelming feeling of excitement when I saw the Giant City in Seigle.
The color was absolutely everything I was looking for and needed. My handbag collection lacks a tan/beige neutral and I loved the lightness of the color. The color Seigle looks fresh, crisp, and stunning. I own brown bags, but nothing light like what I thought this color would bring. So I ordered the bag and paid for overnight shipping, because I HAD. TO. HAVE. THE. BAG.
Yesterday the bag arrived and I varied in feeling disappointed, to liking the bag, to being unsure if I had the right bag, to questioning my eye sight. This Balenciaga bag may not have been the exact color I expected, but in different lighting it looks close to it. That is why this leather is a true chameleon.
Now I have to admit, before proceeding further, that I did not do my homework. At my disposal, the ladies and gents of the Balenciaga forum on PurseForum are extremely knowledgeable and I should have researched and asked questions. But in my defense, I was excited! I had been waiting for the Balenciaga Bag of my dreams for months, if not years.
Also, yes, I know that buying online is not always the way to go. There will be leather variations and differences in bags when you see them online versus in person. But I love shopping online, I do it for most purchases. On top of that, Balenciaga is known to have leathers that are treated in a way that has them appear different in different lighting. In Balenciaga’s defense, I have to share with you all how amazing my online shopping experience was. The bag was shipped very quickly and arrived in pristine condition.
The handbag by itself is gorgeous. The leather is so completely thick yet supple and the color, while not being what I thought, is truly beautiful. After consulting with the members on the PurseForum, I have gone from every extreme from thinking I got the wrong bag, thinking I need to go to the eye doctor, and thinking I just need to check out the bag more.
When I opened the packaging, the bag looked very taupe in color. There seemed to be a grey base with red/pink undertones. I didn’t think I saw one hue of brown in the bag. But when I moved the bag into light, I saw a bit of brown. And after sleeping on it, I seem to see more brown today (cue crazy). I have taken this bag into sunlight, into room light, and into studio light. I have examined and over examined. Fact is, while I first thought this bag was overly taupe, I realized it may have been the lighting. Then again, what the bag looks like in the pictures Vlad took is not quite what it looks like whenever I see the bag (and definitely not what the bag looks like when there is no light on it).
When it comes to Balenciaga, it is all about the colors. I am not sure if I have searched for so long that my expectations are too high, or if I am right in thinking that the bag I got is not quite like the picture on their website or like other bags with Seigle leather. What am I going to do with this bag you ask? I am not sure yet. Yesterday I really thought I would return the bag, but today it seems to be growing on me. After all, a chameleon of a bag works well in one’s wardrobe.
It comes down to me. Now I must decide if I love this bag and color or think a different color is a better option. Either way, Balenciaga has shown me that their bags are anything but simple in the way the leather is treated. What do you think?
