Prada Top Handle Bag Review

I know, you were probably waiting for more date fail stories. But the rest of the fail stories are not as interesting as the ones that were posted, so now I interrupt myself by...talking about a purse! Yeah!

Earlier in the year I wrote about my experience with Prada (the whole buying experience and exchanging the product). I had filmed a bag review but realized it was too dark, and then got too busy with life to re-film it in better light. So I wasn't able to upload it to Youtube. I figured I'll do a video later on, but for now here is a written review.

This review is for those who are planning to buy a bag from Prada and want more information about size, material, structure and how reliable it is. Specifically the Promenade Top Handle bag. Some basic information broken down:

Name: Promenade Top Handle 

Number: BL0837

Material: Saffiano Lux Leather

Colour: Bluette, or Cornflower Blue

Size: 32cm (Length) x 21cm (Height) x 13cm (Width) --> This is the medium size. This purse comes in 4 different sizes: mini, small, medium, large. 

Addition: Comes with a detachable shoulder strap, for both shoulder and cross-body wear.

The Top Handle comes in various colours (about 8) so there is a colour for every girl out there. I chose blue because it matches my car. But mostly because I like blue a lot. 

Shopping Bag:

Companies usually try to keep their shopping bags exclusive, and with Prada's bag, it really screams Prada. In this case, it's a massive white shopping bag.

Display/Storage Box:

If you really want a box for the purse for storage purposes, you will have to ask the sales associate for one. Unless the box is an exclusive one that already comes with a box. When I first purchased the small version in Vegas, they wrapped the bag in the dust bag and then put it in the big white shopping bag. I had to request for a box. Same with the medium. I asked for a box and they were fine with it. The box is heavy (about 5kg?), as it is made out of the same saffiano leather material. So it is a very durable box. Inside, the bag will be wrapped in a blue tissue paper with Prada on it.

Dust Bag:

Prada bags will all come with a cotton-felt material dust bag to protect the purse when it goes into storage. This should not be a request, but it should be included already.

Exterior:

As mentioned above, the purse is made out of saffiano leather all around. It's pretty much calfskin leather compressed into something more durable and more scratch resistant than regular calfskin leather. It doesn't mean it won't ever scratch, but it's just a bit more tougher when it comes to being mis-handled. This bag is lined with gold zippers and hardware. I do not think it comes with silver hardware. With any silver hardware, it makes the bag more for casual outings. With gold hardware, it makes it more extravagant if you were to take it out for a dinner or a night out to somewhere nice. 

So here are a few exterior shots from front to back.

 My wallet is here for comparison in width:

 Back shot:

Bottom's Up:

I like bags with feet. Especially when you are paying a premium price for a bag, you would expect the bags to come with feet to protect the leather. Not all bags will have feet. You spend 6 grand on a Chanel classic flap, and it doesn't come with feet. Then again, the classic flap is a different style. Some bags that are meant for shoulder wear only will not have feet, as it would ruin the look of the bag. Bigger bags would (hopefully) come with feet. Thankfully with this one, it does come with 4 golden feet at the bottom, embossed with Prada. 

Keychain/ring decoration thing:

So a lot of bags these days have this keychain ring holder that hang from the handles of bags. The current Top Handle bags have a small slit on the top of the bag where you can hide the keyring if you don't want it dangling. I'm not a fan of the slit; it just looks like someone sliced the bag with a knife. With this bag, thankfully it did not come with a slit on the top. It makes the bag look much cleaner and classier. If I don't want the keyring hanging there, I could just take the entire thing off. 

Interior:

The interior is made out of saffiano leather along with fabric and the "Prada" logo as the lining. Depending on the type of bag, Prada sometimes uses different colour variations on the inside than the outside. For example, if the bag was black on the outside, the interior would be lined with red and black. In this case, the lining is blue and black. With high end replicas (or super fakes), companies have found ways to replicate the lining to make it look like the real deal. Just keep watch of the way the stitching is, and whether the letters are crooked or have inadequate spacing in between. 

There are two big compartments to fit your wallet, keys, smaller coin purses etc. On one side, there is a zipper pocket where you can keep your more private things like bills or cards. There is also a side pocket right outside the zipped pocket to put more stuff in there. In the middle of the bag is a zipped divider. You can put more bills or papers in there. It's not a huge space so I wouldn't recommend putting anything bulky in the middle. Maybe a cheque book or a small agenda. On the other side, there are two wider pockets that can probably fit a cell phone or small iPod. I usually put lipstick or lip chap, or contact lens case.

Here are some interior shots

Shoulder Straps:

I'm a HUGE fan of removable shoulder strap bags. When I go out, there are times that I would like to have my hands free, especially in a grocery store or when taking the little ones out for a stroll. It's a pain when you have to carry the bag by the handles and then have a bunch of stuff to carry. My goal was to use this as a nice night out bag, but that's what I always say with any bag I initially buy. I have taken the Prada out for casual days, and I find it convenient because of the shoulder straps. But one thing to note: the bag itself is already heavy without anything inside. Once you put your entire life inside the bag, it becomes quite heavy. I took this bag on a trip to Niagara recently and had my wallet, camera, keys, card holder, coin purse and probably a few other little things. After a while, my shoulder started to hurt and ache. So I had to take turns with the opposite shoulder, or carry it by the handle. Also note that the strap is not wide either. It's pretty thin. If only the strap was maybe like 2cm wider, it would probably be a bit better.

The shoulder strap clasp also swivels so you don't have to clasp it only one way. The easiest way is to clasp it with the opening facing OUTWARDS. If it faces inwards, it takes forever to clasp on. The first time I tried putting the shoulder straps on, I tried to clasp it facing inwards and I couldn't get it in. Eventually I tried outwards, and it works like a charm. There are two "D" rings that are hidden behind the handles, on opposite sides.

Hopefully the picture below can show you more of what I'm trying to say.

Authenticity Card:

All Prada bags come with an authenticity card. On the back of the card, it will say the serial number, the type of material, the colour, and also the location of where the purse was purchased and the date of purchase. The store will stamp the location and date.

How much can you fit inside?

A lot. I usually like to carry a lot of crap with me, and this bag can carry all my crap alright. My big wallet, my 3 key holder cases, card holder, glasses holder, camera, contacts, agenda, pens, paper, feminine hygiene products, lip gloss, medicine, hair brush or small make up bag, cell phone. I could go on. Obviously the more I carry, the heavier it is. Thankfully the purse has a very structured shape. It does not sag like some bags do (think LV's Speedy 25 or 30). If you are not the type of person to carry a lot of things, then the small version of this purse would work better for you. The mini is way too mini. It's like a purse for 5 year olds. 

As you can tell from the above, I have plenty of space to fill.

Right above is a shot of some of my stuff while I still had the small version of this bag. Length of the small bag measures 25cm. So it is significantly smaller. It is wide enough to carry one large wallet in a compartment and that's about it.

Final Thoughts

It's been about 7 months since the purse was purchased. I don't use it everyday (although it could be used as an everyday bag), but so far the purse has been wonderful. Maybe a few tiny scratches on the leather, but it's easy to rub out. Otherwise it has still maintained its structure, no fading in colour, the hardware is still awesome (maybe tiny scratches here and there), and it still smells like fresh leather. Stitching is still all intact. I've had in the past used a bag from Coach (I still love them!) and the stitching just all came off in less than a year. Not cool. But Prada so far is still holding strong. No loose stitching anywhere, no cracked leather.

The Good:

-Structured purse

-Colour is just amazing

-Material is very durable

-The option of removing shoulder straps

-Lots of compartments to organize and fit according to your needs

-Very roomy

-It has feet!

The Bad:

-Price. You can buy an intercooler, intake, exhaust, a tune for your car, and you will still have leftover cash to spare.

-It's already heavy as is

-Shoulder strap could be a little wider

-Zippers take some time to break in. They are stiff in the beginning

-When you are in a hurry to open your bag to grab something, you can't because of the way the bag is (curves) so you will need two hands to open the bag and close it. It's not like a quick zip open.

A few years ago, I did not care about bags at all. I just saw them as just bags. Why spend the money to get a bag. It's so girly girly. BARF.

Funny how things have changed in 5 years. I never would have imagined that I would own one of these bags. In a way, it's also part of life experience. You get to see that for the price you pay, you get in return a very durable bag. It's one of those "let's just give it a try" moments. And when you live that moment, you will understand what I'm talking about. Work hard, play harder.

I will admit, the price is a bit ridiculous. Don't go broke because of a bag. Manage your finances first before you commit to doing something like this. It's also a better investment than a car. Whereas a car loses a huge chunk of value as soon as you drive it out the lot, a premium purse will retain its value over time. It can be passed to future generations, and that's when resale value would be priceless.

People have complained about Prada's reliability in the past few years, where buttons have fallen off or the emblem fell off, mediocre stitching, and the terrible customer service. I cannot speak for that, but I can say that when I wanted to upgrade from the small to medium, they still took my bag and exchanged it, even though I bought it from a different country. I have no issues with their service. If anything, Prada has given me exceptional service. If something does come up that requires me to take it in for servicing, I will do an update on that.

So, if you decided to go the Prada route, I applaud you! If you are still debating, I recommend you go to the store and try out the purses. Seeing pictures and videos can help to some degree, but the best bet is to try it on in stores to see if it fits you. Happy shopping!