UNBOXING: Louis Vuitton Alma BB (+ Review)

I recently went to the Louis Vuitton store for the very first time in my life. I have been eyeing the Alma BB in Damier Ebene for a long time now, basically ever since Emily Canham got hers and showed it on Youtube. I have never owned such a high end bag but I wanted to treat myself for my birthday that is coming up, as well as just starting 2016 off with my depression left behind and starting over with a new handbag. You know how girls are.

The experience in the LV store was incredible, I have never even been in such a luxury store before, it was honestly overwhelming. Everything in there is incredibly beautiful, the store associates were all super nice. All in all it was an amazing experience and definitely made me love luxury bags even more.

I have never done anything like this on my blog but I know that I have done a lot of research on the Alma BB before actually going out and buying it, I read blogposts, looked at pictures, watched basically all Youtube videos on the bag.. it was all very helpful. So if you are interested in the bag, this blogpost might help you decide on whether to take the plunge or not!

As far at the price goes, the bag was 895€. I personally don't mind sharing prices, you can easily look the price up online as well so I don't see a problem with sharing details on money at all. This is my very first luxury designer bag and I wanted to get it brand new rather than pre-loved because of that reason. Of course if you got it pre-loved (or any other bag for that matter) you could save a lot of money (depending on the bag of course).

But... Let's get into the unboxing now, shall we?

The handbag comes in a nice big box with a leather band around it, as well as the envelope with the business card of your sales associate and your receipt. Also, can we just take a second to appreciate that big LV bag? Love.

When you open up the box, the bag comes nicely wrapped in it's dustbag to keep it from damage. I personally love dustbags, especially with luxury handbags so I can store them in there when I'm not using them.

Here is the little beauty with all the things that come with the bag. We have the long crossbody strap, the little bag with the classic LV lock and the little authenticity card that also tells you what materials your bag is made out of. In this case, my Alma BB is the coated canvas one, meaning the bag itself is made out of coated fabric, the handles as well as the crossbody strap, the bottom trim with the feet are cowhide leather and it has man-made lining. 

Speaking of the lining, the lining is a classic red. It has one little pocket on the back/front (depending which side you wear the bag) without a zip. I usually store my train tickets in there for easy access.

The zipper goes all around to the bottom of the bag which means even though the coated canvas is very stiff and sturdy, with the zipper opening this far, the inside has easy access and you will not hurt your hand while trying to grab something out of your bag.

The zipper is very smooth as with all LV items I have experienced. The two zipper ends both have the little hole through them for you to close your bag with the lock (I wonder if anyone ever locks up their LV really). You can also put the lock only through one zipper hole to store your lock. I prefer to put mine on the handle part.

On the cowhide leather trim on the bottom the bag has the "Louis Vuitton Paris, made in France" exgraved.

As you can see very nicely from the picture, the zipper also has the LV logo on it.

On one side, the bag has the keys for the lock attached to one handle. I like to keep it on there just because I think it looks really nice. Personally, I don't know if this is leather but I feel like it might just be plastic. Correct me if I am wrong though, I would love to know! The case for the keys also has "Louis Vuitton Paris" engraved.

The bottom of the bag has four little gold feet to keep the bottom from scratching if you put it on the floor. Honestly, who really puts their LV on the ground? Not me. I usually always keep my designer bags on my lap or I put it on a chair next to me because it's better to be save than sorry. Also, I just like to see the bag and I'd probably be way too worried if I put it on the ground somewhere next to me without having it in my sight every second. I really couldn't deal with my bag stolen.

Lastly I want to show you how the crossbody strap is attached to the handbag because this might the reason for not buying the bag if you are very particular about your crossbodies.

As you can see, the hardware on the handle is different on the left and right side. The rectangular shape on both sides, but one side having the rounded part to it. This is where you hook your strap in. As you are able to tell from the picture hopefully, the same thing is on the other side, but diagonally. 

So when you hook in your crossbody strap, you can see when you pull the bag up by the long strap, the handles come up a tiny bit. This, as well as the shape of the bag (small on top, bigger bottom) make the bag not lie flat on your body when you use it crossbody. If you have an issue with your crossbody bag not lying completely flat and tight on your body, this handbag is definitely not for you.

After you have seen all the close-up pictures, I want to give you my quick thoughts on the bag and telling you if I personally think the Alma BB is worth the 895€ it currently costs.

I am extremely pleased with the bag. I have done so much research on the Alma BB before purchasing it and I came across a lot of people saying LV is not worth its pricetag because the bags are not even real leather.. let me just say that you always have the option to get the Alma BB in the epi leather version if this is what you prefer (price is higher though). I personally don't think the fact that the bag is coated canvas makes it poor quality and/or not worth the price. The coated canvas is extremely durable and sturdy. You can run your nails over the bag, nothing even happens. Leather bags are a lot harder to take care of, especially if it's lambskin so I would rather have my bag be coated canvas which is extremely durable and will last me forever than spending 7k on a Chanel jumbo flap in lambskin and have it be ruined withing a month just because someone scratched my bag by accident. 

My point is, if you want to have a real leather bag, you have to think about how you want to use the bag and for what occasions. If you want it to be an everyday bag, really think about what leather it is and if leather really is the right choice. If you want it to be a bag for special occasions only, go for leather, any leather really, it's going to last you ages. But since I love the Alma BB as an everyday bag, summer and winter, the coated canvas was the right choice for me. I do pet this like my little baby but definitely not as much as I would a real leather bag just because it is really durable and sturdy.

When it comes to the overall quality of the bag, it definitely is there. The stitching, the hardware, the handles.. everything looks perfect and high of quality. The clasps of the crossbody strap are great quality, not those flimsy ones on like H&M bags that break within a year, the lock is heavy duty, the zipper is very smooth and nice. Everything just looks very high quality.

Is it justified to have the Alma BB in Damier Ebene be 895€ ? No, probably not. But at the end of the day, you do pay for the name Louis Vuitton of course, as well as the fancy dustbag it comes with, the box, the paper bag and the service you get in the LV store too. The service at LV is great, you can get it hotstamped with your initals anytime, at any store, for free if you want to personalize it. If it's gotten dirty or scratched or anything is wrong with it, you can go into the store and get amazing service, they are always there to help you and make your LV experience the best. 

I am a huge fan of the brand, I love luxury handbags and small leather goods, it's become my passion recently and I personally don't see a problem with spending your money on things like this. Of course they aren't an essential and are well overpriced because of their name and the status they have in society but if you like a bag and you have the money, go for it. Ain't nobodys place to judge.

I really hope this blog was helpful if you are trying to decide whether to get a Alma BB or not! And if you have any more questions, you can leave them down below and I'll try to answer them.

xox, Julia