I’m no stranger to beautiful bags. As an avid reader of PurseBlog for the entirety of my adult life, nearly all of the brands I purchase handbags from are due to this site. I’m a creature of habit, so I have been known to fall into the pattern of buying from the same brand repeatedly—I’m looking at you, Louis Vuitton. It’s not a habit that I’m proud of and I’m always looking to shop outside of my comfort zone, in fact, I’ve made it a goal of mine. So when PurseBlog features new brands that I haven’t heard of before, I perk up quite a bit. Last August Megs posted about a new Parisian brand named Polène, and I seriously felt my eyes turn into hearts, just like an emoji. The bags featured were just that beautiful!
Megs featured the Numéro Un and Numéro Deux bags in that post, both of which are extremely eye catching…but for me, the Numéro Un stopped me in my tracks. This bag screams Parisian chic, which is probably why I love it so much. I’ve always been obsessed with French style, and Polène delivers on all counts. Parisian style is known for being understated, elegant, and of course timeless, and the Polène aesthetic upholds that legacy. The clean lines exude sophistication, and this is truly a bag that will never go out of style. With such a timeless silhouette it provides an added bonus for anyone who thinks of handbags as an investment like I do.
It would be unjust not to mention the amazing price point of this brand. For between $400 and $420 USD depending on the materials you choose, the Numéro Un can be yours. At that price, it feels like a steal and I could easily see myself paying double, if not triple the price of that for this handbag. When I saw my first photo of a Polène handbag, I expected a premier price point. I was overjoyed about the price tag since I am all about a bargain, and this brand truly feels like you are getting more than your money’s worth, which is always a pro when I’m looking to purchase a new handbag. There’s no better feeling than falling in love with a bag and then falling even more in love with the price tag, which is exactly happened to me when I discovered this brand last summer.
While the Numéro Un clearly caught my eye, it’s hard to choose just one bag from Polène, because I truly love every single bag created by this brand. Apparently I’m not alone, many of the styles are sold out on the website. Their bags are created with only the finest materials, so it’s not hard to imagine why so many items are sold out. I spent a good bit of time familiarizing myself with their website, which includes a handy guide of the luxurious materials they use. I am loving the croc embossed leather and suede versions of their handbags. There is no shortage of color options either, as they offer a variety of rich hues on their bags. Since the price point is so great, I could see myself collecting many bags from the brand—I already want multiple colors and materials offered.
Have you bought a bag from Polène? I’d love to hear about it! I think this brand has the potential to shoot to the top of my favorites list.
Shop Polène Bags Here and discover more via @polene_paris on Instagram.
I got a Numero Un in trio grey for Christmas and I love it to pieces. I kept seeing it on Instagram and for the price it was a no brainer. Even though I’ve been a Purse Forum fan since the blog’s inception, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found Big Brand Names to be less and less appealing and prefer things that are beautifully made without obvious logos or iconography, so this brand was a perfect fit. It’s a beautiful, yet unusual design and very well made. And my favorite thing is the fact that I haven’t seen it anywhere outside of the Internet.
I am obsessed with this bag really leaning toward grey. Would you describe it as a taupe grey or true grey?
There is a YouTube video of the grey but the lighting is poor.
It’s definitely more of taupe grey!
Thank you
I fell in love with the Polene Numero Un when I first saw it as well. I was even planning on making it my next bag purchase, but then I realized it looks very very similar to the Chloe Lexa I already have so I decided to go with a something different first. The Numero Un is a very pretty bag though! I have a particular affinity for the pink color.
I saw this on the forum over 2 years ago. I went to Paris to run the marathon and went and found this adorable little shop and bought Numero Un in trio camel, it’s the best!! I get compliments on it all the time!
Yes, we were in the Polene store during our four-week holiday in Paris and bought two bags — a green (Trio Vert, which has teal undertones, not the forest green) Numero Un and a Numero Six in Terre de Sienne. I also left with two small pouches in the same green that were gifts from store to make up from some snafus in my order. The store was quite busy the day we were there and the times we happened to pass by later in the month.
I plan to do a full reveal and review, with bag and store photos, in TPF soon (there are a couple already posted in the Polene bags thread). Even though the Numero Un has a sturdy and adjustable shoulder strap, I mostly hand carry it. Note: the Numero Deux is still not available. The SA at the store told me the manufacturer has had problems with the closure and Polene has decided not to re-stock the bag until they’re 100% sure it works perfectly. I see that all but one of the Numero Six colors are currently out of stock. I guess there were lots of Polene bags big and small under Christmas trees last month!
The numero deux is now available! Visited the store a few weeks ago and grabbed the black croc right away. Haven’t stopped using it. And there’s no VAT!
Your bag is gorgeous! I love it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
oops, the photos of my two Polene bags are here: https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/what-is-the-last-handbag-you-bought-share-a-photo-with-us.924408/page-265 (in the bottom half of the page)
I bought the Numero Un Mini last year, and had to return it because of the weight digging in. The chain isn’t too bad, but the leather is thick and heavy. Also, it does require two hands to close the mini b/c the closure doesn’t line up w/o help.
The customer service was great though, and it was such a beautiful bag. I really could feel the quality, and I would still recommend it highly if you’re used to a heavier bag. It fits a lot and goes with everything.
I have the Numero Un in yellow and I loooooove it. Honestly? I never get compliments on any other bag the way I do on that one. It’s so special. Highly recommended.
So after reading all the rave reviews, I just ordered my first! 🙂
Me too, me too. I just can’t pick a color, I’m gravitating towards the pastel ones – blue, green or pink.
I prefer the Linjer doctor bag featured in a recent post. This one looks awkward to open.
I have the numero un in light blue. I love it so much. It is very functional. Lining is a light color so you can see your stuff. With the top unsnapped, it opens up big. I use the long strap crossbody for daytime. The little handle is perfect for social outings. I have my small handle wrapped in a blue twilly, and I’ve gotten tons of complements. Best money I’ve spent. And several friends have now also ordered the bag. But we all have different colors so we don’t look matchy-matchy. I plan to get the pink next. At this price point, my husband has actually encouraged me to get a few more! That’s never happened before.
Ha, ha…well done! I have 9 Max Mara Whitney’s.
http://a-woman-of-a-certain-age.com/2018/12/now-9/
You can’t go wrong when buying a Polène bag and their Customer service is adorable ! I have two of them + a wallet that was gifted to me (I’ve been a faithful Customer since their beginning) and these bags are among the best bags I own (quality, functionality, soft leather…). I think they’re very elegant but still feel Young, which is Something quite hard to achieve as far as fashion is concerned (at least IMO).
Instead of making us click, can you please just publish the price in the article. Oh. Wait. You need us to click.
The price is included in the article 🙂 It’s such a good deal! I just ordered my first.
Well yeah, they need money. Isn’t that how things work in advertising?
I am totally obsessed and want one in the worst way.
Huge dilemma.. what color!??
I am torn between sand, grey, black with croc, or navy with croc.
They are all gorgeous but I really love the navy with croc 🙂
Yes, me too. It looks so beautiful on the model. I’m assuming that’s the one you ordered.
Enjoy your beautiful bag once it arrives
I really love these bags. The shape is minimalist yet original. Also love the combination of colors and materials.
I’ll definitely visit their shop next time I’m in Paris!
I live near their showroom in Paris and visit them many many many (did I mention many?) times a year. I have 2 Numéro Un so far…
I just purchased a Numéro Un in red. It is my Valentine’s day gift from my Husband. I am in love with them both.
Oh no! Now the secret is out and everyone loves them. 🙂 I bought two Numero Un about a year ago and love them!
Go for it!
I bought one a year ago and I love it. Great design and great quality. It is also one of my most functional bags!
I see more and more people wearing it in Paris.
Just got the pink. It’s a warm pink for sure. In some light, it looks peach. In others, beige. It’s not a “traditional” pink. Just an FYI. I love it and have already carried it for several days. As it is a bit of a chameleon, it matches almost any warm color you wear.
Hello! Just like you when I saw Numero Un my heart skipped a bit and I felt that I really need it.
I have done some reading and research that confirmed my desire. The most difficult was to pick a color, I love them all. But finally I ordered monochrome black. Only 3 days later it came.
Amazing!!!!!!! It exceeded my expectations . Perfection. Period. Now I want Un mini with chain in pink or sand.
I have the Numero Un purchased just a few weeks ago from the Paris shop, unfortunately the threads as well as snaps have already fallen apart. I’ve just written to customer service to see what they can do about it. I’m wondering if they have changed manufacturers recently or process. Im disappointed as felt the quality would be at the very least decent. I’ve only worn the bag one week!