It’s been quite a year for my bag collection. In the last 12 months alone I’ve acquired 4 premium designer bags, and a few more contemporary bags that were gifted to me. With the many additions I’ve begun to switch out my bags a fair bit, allowing me to really baby my more delicate bags, especially my beloved white Chloé Drew. Back when I was fresh out of college with zero clue what I wanted to do I interned and freelanced at Chloé’s New York office. I loved my time there and it was a really exciting time to be with the company as the Drew and Faye era was just beginning. I started crushing on the Chloé Drew bag from the very beginning and I was bummed that I never got one when I was working there.
Fast forward to 3 years later and I was still crushing hard on the Drew when I found this white version on super sale. Though I really wanted it in black, red or grey the deal was too good to pass up and I snagged it without hesitation. I immediately put my stuff inside without really giving much thought to the fact that I now owned a white bag for the first time, until I wrote about it here and many of you questioned my choice. A few commenters pointed out the issue of color transfer, and asked if I was going to do anything to prevent it. Being that it was winter and I was often wearing a long coat I didn’t imagine this would be much of an issue, as I didn’t see my bag actually coming into contact with my jeans, and for many of its first wears, my bag did not.
I babied my Drew at first in the beginning, but as the colder months came and went spring and summer arrived and I sort of forgot how delicate my bag was. I still tried not to use it as much as I would any other bag, but I wasn’t as careful with it as I probably should have been. I often carried her to nights out in the city, and as you can imagine a white bag doesn’t mix well with dark, crowded bars and well, drunk people. Recently I was organizing my bag bin and I noticed a bit of color transfer on the back of my bag. At first I was kind of mad—’I babied this bag all year!’—I thought to myself, until I actually realized that I hadn’t taken as much care of it as I really thought I had.
Though I snagged a really great deal on this bag and I love the shape, size, overall look, and even the color, I kind of wish I hadn’t bought it at all. Deal or not, it’s really upsetting to purchase something nice only to realize that you can’t use it the way that you wish you could. I would love to wear this bag freely and without worry, but I just can’t do that. I don’t want to sell my Drew because I really do love it, and additionally with the way the back of the bag looks the value has seriously decreased. What’s a girl to do?
My white bags are my most used ones, and they still look great. No color transfer so far. It may just be the type of leather because I do wear dark jeans. I’ve spilled coffee on one of them, and a baby wipe (non-alcoholic) cleaned it right up. I also got some dye from a plastic Target bag which also cleaned right up.
I enjoy my white bags and wear them year ‘round. What can I say? I like to live life on the edge.
cry me a river…you’re always either complaining about something or wanting something out of reach…
I wasn’t complaining when I got my new red bag! 🙂
Yes!!!! And I love her style, the most interesting and most relatable articles on here! Keep sharing your thoughts and dreams Kaitlin! 🙂 ??
That bag is so beautiful I want to cry!
I’m a plebe, I guess, but life’s too short to baby things and in a perfect world high-end items would be immune to such faults. “It costs 4 digits and it will last you forever if you take good care of it! ??” sounds like a bad deal to me, and the cheap things I don’t care for don’t routinely fall apart after 6 months, as people sometimes claim (some do, ofc).
But this makes me reconsider if I want a pastel ~$400 bag. I rarely wear jeans, but I would be putting it on the ground and surfaces and wear it during rain or snow, and now I don’t know anymore…
Pastel colours are one of my favourite shades, but I would hesitate to use it in Winter or bad weather. I never put bags on the floor, but if you have to, look for ones with feet. With some of my bags, I do get a little colour transfer (I wear jeans a lot) so you might need to consider what you wear with it too. However, I wouldn’t let this put you off. If you love the bag, go for it!
Thanks for the encouragement! 🙂 Before I started reading about medium to high end bags, I never knew weather was a problem lol. It seems crazy to me that a bag which is an accessory for outdoors, wouldn’t be able to handle precipitation.
White bags white clothes white shoes = red wine/mud puddle/uncapped ink pen/lipstick and makeup magnets
You’ll probably think I’m crazy but I once used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on an off white patent leather Chanel purse that I purchased from a consignment store. It had all kinds of markings inside and out. Well it removed about 85% of the marks and it looked amazing afterwards! Maybe try a small area to see if it will come off without ruining the leather, or maybe just accept it the way it is and enjoy it. It’s a beautiful purse! 🙂
Oops—and I just ordered a cream-colored Furla purse yesterday! It was so pretty that I forgot all about color transfer. Thanks for the reminder to be careful! Hope you figure out a good way to remove the color—maybe Antonia’s suggestion of a Magic Eraser will work for you too?
Furla bags have amazing durable leather. I was so amazed by my first Furla bag. It was the metropolis with a top handle in black. I don’t think you should worry much with Furla unless it’s a smooth leather. Other than that, their leather have a coating on them that provide some level of resistance to stains, water and scratches. Enjoy!
Have you tried cleaning it with a leather cleaner? I’ve had really good results using any of the brands TPF recommends, such as Cadillac or Apple Guard.
+1 about trying to clean it! I’ve had color transfers on my lilac Prada bag and was able to get jeans marks off easily with colorless shoe cream. I imagine that leather cleaners do the same job. Good luck!
I’ve had good luck with this too.
Eeeep! Even though I love the look of white bags I’m scared to invest in them for this reason. It’s a beautiful bag though!
Two things: First (little typo but it throws off your style), you wrote ” I immediately put my stuff inside without really giving much thought to the fact that I know owned a white bag for the first time, until I wrote about it here and many of you questioned my choice.” It should be “I immediately put my stuff inside without really giving much thought to the fact that I now owned a white bag for the first time, until I wrote about it here and many of you questioned my choice.” Second, keep the bag and say lesson learned and do not buy another white shoulder bag. I learned that lesson the hard way with a beautiful YSL Roady that I bought on sale. Your bags have to work for you and your lifestyle and not the other way around. Have you considered sending the bag to a handbag refurbisher?
Fixed!
I’m going to try some of the DIY methods listed here first. Then I would consider the leather spa here in NYC.
Croissant!!!!
lmfao same
Love that you added your own chain!
This version was actually released for SS17, and I’m not sure why they didn’t do this version again. I love it this way as I’m able to double it to wear it shorter, over my shoulder or I can wear it long!
What?! Omg. Send me to fashion jail! I have failed :c
I was wondering about the chain! I had a feeling it’s supposed to be more delicate!
I liked this new chain a lot more than the very thin one! 🙂
I’ve never done it, but I know there’s people out there who dye leather- they’ve posted many tutorials on YouTube.
Would you experiment with dying it a darker color?
Oh god, please don’t!
That’s an interesting thought that I never really considered.
I can’t see the colour transfer.
This is a really gorgeous bag though!
It’s very faint in a line towards the bottom of the bag. I still love it though, and I’m going to try some of these methods to remove.
I’ve gotten denim marks out by using a damp paper towel and some dawn dish soap! Works for me 🙂
I’m going to try some of these tips! 🙂
I love the bag. I’ve never purchased a white bag for this reason. But really, the color transfer is on the back which no one will see, and the bag has a distinct front and back (as opposed to a tote) so the front should stay relatively clean. This actually makes me think that I could get white or cream as long as it was a “front/back” bag. Don’t fret!
I’ll try not to fret 🙂 You make some very valid points!
Would love to know where you got your chain! Just bought a drew bijou nano and it has a leather strap that I’m wanting to switch out.
This version was actually released for SS17, and I’m not sure why they didn’t do this version again. It’s sturdier and less delicate than the typical chain. I got this bag at intermix, and at the time I had seen it at only a few other retailers. I’m surprised buyers and consumers weren’t more into it!
You know what? This bag is TRES CHIC that’s all I have to say! 🙂
This would seriously irritate me and now I will never consider white..even more.
Send it into one of the very good leather care/restoration shops — Leather Surgeons and Margaret’s Cleaners come to top of mind — and have them remove the color transfer and condition the leather. And consider never wearing a white bag with dark clothing or to a dark bar! IMO, a white or very light-colored bag is extremely impractical and I’d never buy one expecting to use it regularly, especially in the winter unless you live in southern Florida or California. Yeah, I know the “rule” about wearing white shoes/bags after Labor Day is passe, but I still think light bags look oddly off during the snowy & cold winters here unless your entire outfit is winter white. But each to her own.
I know this problem. Bought myself a Balenciaga Classic City in white white white. Everybody, I guess, knows the handles…
and yes … I did not think about the fact, what one hot summer could do to them.
NOW the colour on the inside of the handles is kind of… off-white ?. But i still love this Baby and .. it will get a day Spa, when the Time is right.
beautiful bag indeed…I would clean it and then have it as my winter beauty 🙂 I have my share of off-white bags – Yves Saint Laurent mostly because I absolutely adore their off white leather and pale gold hardware , I love them dearly, however I wear them only when winter is frozen here, deep freeze like a snow queen land…we have that at least for two months …I wear them with beige and light clothing, suede coat…the second it starts melting and raining – Docs and black and red bags are out …summer here is also dirty for light bags….just white clean winter. Don’t wear white past labour day ? never followed that really
It’s not that bag. If you’re worried, get the cleaning lotion and clean it then use it. It’s beautiful and bags are meant to be enjoyed. Keeping it in the closet and whine won’t help. Tough love, I know. But you need it, believe me.
I’ve had a few white or off white bags in my collection. All gone except my Saint Laurent SDJ which is a pure white. I’ve had a lot of luck keeping it clean and when I see a spot on it, I use a baby wipe and it comes right off. I do think it’s the kind of leather though and it does not absorb other colors. I hope you were able to find a way to clean this beauty.
Hi Kaitlin, I love your bag! Could you please tell me the exact name of the colour? Thanks in advance.