Purseonals: Celine Triptyque

2011 was a year filled with Celine bags for me. I went from owning zero Celine bags to owning three Celine bags with one more on the way. While most know Celine for its Luggage Bag, my favorite Celine bag may be the under-the-radar Triptyque.

Vlad and I spent the holidays in Germany and the Czech Republic and I decided to only take one bag with me. After much thought, I decided on taking my Celine Triptyque and it turned out to be the perfect option. With ample storage space, a refined design, and plenty of fashion appeal, this bag deserves more love from me.

Here is how my Celine Triptyque scores in our PurseBlog Purseonals ratings:

Aesthetics

From the first time I laid eyes on this bag, I was sold. Part briefcase, part 70’s flight bag, I knew this bag would be ideal for traveling. The design is simple but there are lovely touches that are visible, including braided detail on the zipper pulls.

The East/West shape works so well on this bag, giving a professional feel that can easily be dressed down. From the side, you can see the three separate compartments. There is a bit of flare from the side view of both the front and back compartment, but I don’t find it distracting.

Celine bags are very simple and elegant, and the Triptyque shows this beautifully. I love the gold hardware against the rich red leather and the top handles along with the optional shoulder strap.

Usability + Functionality

This bag gets a perfect 5 out of 5 for usability and functionality. I am ultimately obsessed with this bag for many reasons, but mostly for how easy it is to use. I used this for our trip overseas, and each separate compartment not only came in handy but also was easily accessible.

My wallet, passport, and tickets went in the front pocket. This was extremely easy to access and the long zip around made the pocket easy to get in and out of quickly when needing to present my passport and ticket. Even with my continental wallet inside, there was plenty of room.

The middle compartment is where I put all of my “stuff”. From gloves to lipgloss, to tissues, to snacks, to headphones, to my travel checkers game, the middle zipper compartment took everything inside of it easily. The best part was it did not make the bag stick out funny in weird places and is also just as easy to get in and out of.

Lastly, the back compartment is where my small liquids were stored. I have to travel with my inhaler for my asthma and Benadryl for my allergies. Along with those, I always carry Advil and nose spray. Since the back compartment is the last I try to access, this is what I deemed my medical area.

Quality + Construction

I’ve owned this bag since July of 2011 and I can still smell that beautiful luscious leather scent. I got caught in snow/rain showers a couple times on our trip and the bag held up beautifully. The markings from the water are gone now which shows the high-quality leather being used.

The inside is lined in canvas, which helps keep the weight of the bag down and has remained clean even though I throw everything inside. The zipper pulls still move seamlessly and it is easy to open and close the bag.

The only wear that I see after close inspection is the gold lettering on the Celine logo is starting to show wear. I suppose that is to be expected, but with my Type A personality, it bugs me a bit. Since there is no other reference to the designer of the bag and I feel like the namesake looks lovely on the front center of the bag, I would hate for it to rub off completely.

Value

The Triptyque costs a few hundred dollars more than the Luggage Tote, and while I love this bag dearly, I am not sure the difference in price is warranted. While the functionality is much higher, the bag is not that much larger in size and I would expect it to be similar in pricing. However, the quality of the materials is supreme, the design is beautiful, and with the amount of time I use this bag, the value works for me.

The ‘It’ Factor

This bag is much more subdued in style than others. Classic appeal matters to me greatly when it comes to the staying power of a handbag, so this bag scores high for its wearability over time. The clean lines and gorgeous red leather will always make my heart go pitter-patter and I highly recommend this bag for any collection. However, if you are looking for a more recognizable bag, this is not it – stick to the Luggage Tote instead.