Take a look past the traditional Balenciaga bag

Even for a dedicated lover of Balenciaga handbags like me, it can sometimes be hard to remember that the brand makes purses other than their famed motorcycle bags. When the brand is mentioned to me, I always conjure up an image of a City or Day bag with giant silver hardware, but there’s much more to Balenciaga’s accessories that just that. If you haven’t seen (and felt) the Balenciaga Chaine Bag in person, you’re missing out.

BlueFly claims that this bag is made of calfskin and I have no real reason not to believe them, save for the fact that it might be the softest leather that I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I’m not one to exaggerate needlessly, so believe me when I say that you’ve got to feel it to understand just how divine this leather really is.

If Balenciaga suddenly decided to start making its brightly colored motorcycle bags out of this leather, I’d be able to die a happy woman. I did a double take when I felt it for the first time and was so impressed that I seriously considered plunking down the two grand for it right then and there. I restrained myself (just barely), but it was a good reminder that Balenciaga does a lot more than we sometimes give them credit for when it comes to handbags. Buy through BlueFly for $1996.