Gucci Experience

Greetings!

So lately I've been trying to look for a clutch-like purse to carry to evening parties. With 4-5 weddings coming up this year, I figured I should change up my purse. The purses I have in my collection are more for everyday use, so they are bulky. Big enough that I will fall off my chair if I had it sitting behind me.

Question is (well there are many questions really) which brand? And on what budget? What colour? What style? What material? You get the idea. It's like asking yourself what to wear to go out for a nice dinner. Except it could take hours trying to figure this one item out.

First thing, I had a budget set. I knew I didn't want to spend over X amount of dollars, so off I went online shopping on various brands. I started off with Louis Vuitton, then Prada, then Chanel. And I fell in love with the classic double flap bag (or what they call the "Reissue"). This was the perfect evening bag that I was looking for. Only problem is...the price. I remember seeing the same bag a couple years ago and I thought it was pretty mad already. But this was already an increase of 10% minimum. In only 2 years! But what I've also learned is if you decide to go the luxury brand route, their products have an annual increase on pricing. Some are twice a year. Highway robbery much?

Anyways, I tried finding used Chanel bags online and they were still expensive. North of $4,000 if you want a really good used one. So I knew this wasn't the right route for me. Keep on looking.

I didn't find much at Prada or LV. Then it hit me. Gucci! I totally forgot. I hit up their website. The first few scrolls, I was turned off immediately. The bags were bland, and they were pricey. But I didn't give up. I kept scrolling until I saw one that I knew was the one. It's called the Emily Chain Shiny Guccissima Leather shoulder bag. Like what in the world! It was love at first scroll. The price was reasonable, and the colour was just right. I searched online to see if it was available in stores. The search turned up NOTHING! How is that possible?! I was about to call the store here but figured if an associate had no idea what I was talking about, they could just say it's unavailable. I figured the best thing to do is to go to the store myself and see it.

So off I go with my girl friend to the Gucci store. We made a quick round at the front and didn't see anything. But wait! There is another section. We turned the corner....AND THERE IT IS!!! 

The amount of excitement at that time for me is like having your water broken. And having your kid pop out anytime (of course I can't really relate, but it was a mix of fear and excitement). The sales associate who attended to me (Rachel, lovely girl!) was very helpful in telling me about this purse. The colours, the fabric, the design. She said to take my time in deciding, and gave me her business card along with her cell phone number (no, I was not trying to pick her up). I told my girl friend we should go eat some food first so my brain can think a bit. But really, I didn't want to get the purse and then go eat...in case someone stole it or dropped food on it.

After a while of thinking and eating, we headed back to the Gucci store. She welcomed us back and asked if I was ready or if I was still thinking about it. At this time, I pulled the trigger (not literally), but you know, I said "Ok I'm taking it!"

She went to the back and grabbed the purse and told me to take my time to inspect it. I found that there was a tiny stitching issue which sort of mangled the leather a bit, so I showed her. She was more than happy to go down to the basement and find me another brand new one. So she disappeared to look for it.

While we were waiting for her to get back, I saw the bigger version of the purse and decided to try and look at it more closely. Being the clumsy person I am, I struggled to lift the first shoulder strap (this came with 2 straps), and while I struggled with that, I ended up knocking over the display purse that I was going to purchase. There were maybe 2 or 3 customers in store at that time, with several SAs around and security. Let's just say when a bag of that price falls to the ground, it's a scary moment. My girl friend and I froze in fear, wondering if security or if another SA was going to kick our butt for dropping their expensive bag on the floor. But thankfully nothing happened. It was a bit of a funny moment. 

Rachel came back with a brand new bag and once again said to check it over, and to take my time. So I did but this time the bag was almost all wrapped up new. Stitching was perfect. Colour was great, no blemishes. Perfect. I'll take it!

So after all the paperwork blah blah blah, I finally got the purse! I requested to have it put in a box, and she was more than happy to give me one (although the box isn't as sturdy as Prada's saffiano box). Before I left the store, I kindly asked Rachel if I could take a picture with her along with the bag I purchased. She was happy to do so. I told her I take pictures with them when it's my first bag purchase from a big company, for memories sake. She thought it was really cute ^_^

So there you have it! My first experience with Gucci, and it was a very positive experience. Thumbs up!

Check out my youtube channel for an un-boxing and "what's in my bag" review (youtube/yayashi), or what I like to call "how much crap can I fit into this little thing".