Today I wanted to sit down and have a chat about my Louis Vuitton Alma BB in Damier Ebene that I got in January of 2016. Basically just let you know any wear and tear the bag might have, how much I have been using it, if I found it to be worth the price, would I recommend it and things like that. After owning it over a year I think I can definitely give you a good review of the bag!
The Basics
The price of the bag is 895€ as of today, which is the exact same price that I paid for it in January 2016, so the price has not gone up since then which is definitely a good thing.
The bag comes in all different kinds of colours, leathers etc. but I mainly wanted Damier Ebene or Monogram, did decide to go with Damier Ebene because I think that with the brown leather on the bottom, it makes that mini bag just look a little bigger. If you look at the Alma BB in Monogram, the vachetta leather on the bottom makes the bag look even smaller than it already is.
Wear & Tear
Looking at the bag itself, since it is coated canvas, I cannot see any wear on the canvas itself. The the leather strap and the handles look fine as well, there are no significant scratches whatsoever.
The only thing I notice is that the handles and the strap start to just soften a little bit so it makes little wrinkles from where it's been bent all the time but eventually that is going to happen with any strap or handle on a bag.
Where I can see the most wear is the gold hardware. I have to be honest though, I do not take the best care of this bag just because I am lazy and I also think that a bag is there to be used. If you're going to baby it all the time, do you even really enjoy it? I don't think so. So I never clean my hardware, I throw the bag around, I basically do not care. Plus the LV canvas bags are usually really durable anyway so there is no real point in taking too much care of it.
So with that being said, the hardware does have a few scratches and is a little dirty from like oily fingers and stuff but I don't really mind it too much. It's not like it's super scratched or anything, it just has got little marks and the gold hardware is still pretty shiny and didn't change colour.
Where I can see the most wear is at the bottom of the bag, where the treated leather is. You can see that the edges and corners of the bottom are scratched and scuffed from putting it on the floor. Even though it has four little feet and the leather parts, it still scratched on the bottom.. honestly, it's more scratched on the actual bottom rather then the little feet (weird, isn't it?).
The inside is in good condition too, there are no scuffs or rips in the lining. It's just a little dirty because I have yet to clean it but there are really no stains or marks that I cannot get out. It's mostly just little hair or fluff.
All in all, the bag is in good condition. I am definitely happy with the wear and tear of the bag especially for how much I have already used it.
How much is it used?
I have not exchanged my bag ever since I purchased this one. It has been my everyday bag since January 2016, I absolutely love it and use it on a regular basis. Whenever I actually take out a bag with me, it has been this one. I carry all my essentials with me and there is still room inside to fit some more.
I use the bag to run errands, when I walk my dog, when we go for breakfast or just see my family on a casual day, but I also use it for dressy occasions like when we go to a wedding, whenever we go to a fancy dinner but also when I go clubbing because if someone spills a drink on it, it's super easy to clean and does not stain at all.
Pro's & Con's
+ I love the fact that it is a canvas bag so it's super durable
+ The price is reasonable and not over the top for a Louis Vuitton
+ It's a great everyday bag
+ Easy transition from a day bag to a nighttime bag
+ Even though it's a mini bag, it does fit quite a lot of things inside
- If you stuff it too much, it will loose it's shape when you zip it up fully
- The zipper itself is not the smoothes
- I find it quite hard to open and close with one hand
Do I recommend it?
Yes, 100%. I think it's a great bag if you love yourself a smaller crossbody bag (remember, the strap is detachable so you can take it off and wear it as a top handle too).
It fits all the daily essentials which is great, it's extremely durable, doesn't mark or scratch, colour transfer is not a problem either.
I think the Alma BB in canvas is an amazing bag if you want to start your designer collection because it can be used in any occasion and the price is not too high compared to other luxury handbags. It's a nice bag if you are a teenager like me, but I have seen loads of women in their 30's wearing that bag and it looks fabulous as well.
Definitely cannot recommend the bag enough, if you have the chance, you should definitely see a LV store and try on the bag and hopefully you'll love it just as much as I do.
xox, Julia
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Thank you for your review! I appreciate all the pictures you included. I can't wait to buy my own!
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