I have been using my Saint Laurent Leather Tote bag in black for over a year and thought it would be a perfect time to share my honest opinion about the bag.
In this post, I will share details of what I purchased and why I would or would not recommend this bag to you.
Why I Bought It
A black tote bag is an essential in every woman’s wardrobe since its really versatile. But I was also looking for a minimalist bag that I could take to work which won’t have a lot of logo details screaming designer. Unless somebody paid attention to it, no one can tell its an expensive bag.
But I also did not want to spend an arm and leg on a tote bag because for me they are purely for utility purpose.
And I was eying this bag for some time now, so decided to pull the trigger before a work trip.
Saint Laurent is known for its minimalist style and their handbags speak for it. This shopper tote bag is big enough but has minima gold logo details that you can barely see. This was the key feature why I bought it.
Name: Saint Laurent Shopper Large Tote Bag
Price: $1450
Measurements
The measurements you see on the websites usually would be the measurements taken from bottom and tote bags are usually wider on the top than the bottom.
Below are exact measurements of the Saint Laurent Shopper Tote bag:
- BOTTOM WIDTH: 14 1/2 inches
- TOP WIDTH: 18 1/2 inches
- HEIGHT: 11 inches
- BOTTOM DEPTH: 5 inches
- HANDLE HEIGHT: 9 1/2 inches
The measurements of the small Pouch is:
- Length: 8 1/4 inches
- Height: 4 1/2 inches
Does a Laptop Fit In It?
This is the biggest reason someone would want to buy this bag for work. So, I needed to make sure of that as well. Now I have both a 16 inch MacBook Pro and an old 15 inch MacBook Pro, both of which fit nicely in the bag.
Most non apple laptops people carry are either smaller or the same size as the MacBook Pro. Also sharing a screen shot of the MacBook Pro current sizes as well as MacBook Air which is a compact version.
Weight And Material
The YSL tote bag is made out of 96.3% calfskin leather and 3.7% Polyurandhane (You find this in leather protectant sprays that helps retain leather quality). While you might not like that, its a good thing because this bag is made out of smooth leather which can scratch very easily.
But combining it with polyurandhane makes the bag sturdy. And I can speak for it, because I have used this bag a lot for the past year and it has not lost its lustre yet. It still looks brand new and I have taken it to India in monsoon season.
The other best part of the bag is the weight, its very lightweight, which is why its called a shopper bag. Its light so you can carry stuff in it and the bags weight does not add much to the overall weight of what you are carrying.
This definitely helps while you are traveling and also when you are carrying you laptop on your shoulders. My 16 inch MacBook Pro is 4.7 lbs heavy. Imagine carrying that around for work. But this lightweight bag helps.
Handle Length
A lot of tote bags these days don’t have good enough handle height to carry them on your shoulders. For me that is critical for a good tote bag. This way when my hands are occupied or tired, I can hang it on my shoulders.
This was an important factor for me when I shop for tote bag. While there are so many beautiful tote bags, functionality is critical if you want to invest money into it.
The Saint Laurent tote bag’s handle height is 9.5 inch which sits comfortably on my shoulders even when I fill the bag a lot. The moment I tried it, I was assured that it will work for me.
Durability
This bag has seen a lot of monsoon. I took it to India with me during monsoon season and yes it got wet. Even after that, I have se no signs of damage or wear. If you are traveling you know, no matter what you cannot take complete care of your luxury bags. But this bag has no scratches or scuffs so far which is pretty amazing.
I also put a lot of stuff in it while traveling and there has been no handle sagging or anything.
The bag itself is not rigid in shape and I think that’s the best quality. It does not loose its shape or style.
Look And Feel
I wanted a minimalist bag that will compliment my work outfit or will look good with any of my travel outfits. And the small logo detail of the bag makes it perfect luxury bag with barely there visibility that its a luxury bag.
The leather is soft but its not delicate. And the inner lining is black suede making it the perfect minimalist styled tote bag.
You do have the YSL logo as a bag tag with the same black leather, but its detachable. So if you don’t need it. But has a small luxe detail to the overall simple style of the tote bag.
The stitching detail is just on the shoulder strap. The top edge of the bag is raw which again looks minimal and simple.
Overall Thoughts
This bag is perfect for you if you are looking for a simple bag that does not scream designer all the time. Or you need a minimalistic tote bag that will compliment all your outfits.
Its definitely a little higher on the price point, but if you compare this tote bag with Gucci or Louis Vuitton, the price would be double or more.
The latest version of the bag on YSL’s website is priced at $1450, but you can find this a little bit cheaper at other stores, I have listed them in the Where to Shop section of this post.
The small pouch could easily carry your small items like lipsticks, mints, AirPods and is detachable, so you can also use it as a push bag if you just need to head out with something small.
Also sharing some of my favorite moments with this bag or you can say how I wore it.
Best Color Options
This bag comes in a lot of shades, but below are my top picks that looks luxe and minimalist.
Where To Shop
You can buy it straight from Saint Laurent’s website where its priced at $1450. But there are other stores that sell it and you might get a better deal.
- Bloomigdales
- Nordstrom – Also available in other shades
- Farfetch
- Neiman Marcus – Also available in other shades
- Gilt – Cheapest
- Saks Fifth Avenue
