First impression of Marc Jacobs small leather tote

To benefit you more with this review, I will briefly talk about where I am coming from as a consumer so that you can understand the pros and cons I listed here for the bag. If you had known me for long, you would know I am quite a practical person. I do have my impulse buying moments, but most of the time, I consider more on the utilitarian perspective and overthink things. I rarely purchase items from contemporary/luxury brands. Not that I can't afford it if I want to, but my practical side often wins the battle of decisions. I am rough on my items, and I don't baby them. I hate to admit it, and sometimes when I am busy with work for weeks, my bags may just sit there collecting dust. Although I said that, I did love some vintage leather bags from Coach and I have collected a few of them.

Before this bag, I didn't consider buying from Marc Jacobs because I thought the brand is too cool for me; I am simply too nerdy. However, the design of Marc Jacobs' tote proved to be highly successful. Every time I opened up YouTube, I saw some review videos about their totes. It was like an unavoided force took over my brain and my soul, and I fell for the bags. To my knowledge, their totes first came out in the cotton fabric. I loved that minimalist structure look. I found it irresistible. However, after watching many review videos, the consistent verdict was, the tote is a lint magnet! I love to condition my leather bag, but I am too lazy to sit there with a lint roller for clean-up.

Later on, the leather version of their mini tote bag came out, and then they followed up on the small size. For the leather version, Marc Jacobs put out at least six colors from what I could find. Currently, only the colors cotton, true red, black, and twine are available on their website. If you search the internet, you may be able to find the pink and neon green colors!

Back of the bag

Yes, you can call me basic. I bought a black color tote. The true red is beyond gorgeous, but I don't have outfits that I can wear to pull it off. I also saw the pink one on some of the reviews, and they were absolutely the cutest bags! I purchased the tote on Farfetch instead of their official website. If you are not aware of Farfetch, you should because they often have a 10% discount code you can use to buy bags and products that are not on sale. Surprisingly, the bag was shipped from Italy even though Marc Jacobs is an American company. My guess was because Farfetch is a company based in London. The shipping was lightning fast! It was faster than something you ship locally with USPS. I ordered the bag on Tuesday, and I received it on Thursday! I am mind blown!

Internal Pockets

Opening up the box, the tote was well packed. They stuffed it with soft tissues, and all parts were protected without flaws. Before buying the bag, I had not seen it in person. I once saw the cotton ones at Nordstrom, but not the leather version. I was in awe while pulling the bag out because it looked and felt exactly like I imagined! "What a perfect bag!" I whispered to myself.

Inside of the bag

Now, let's go into the nitty-gritty. The good thing is, the leather tote did meet my expectations. It is great when you receive a product that looks like the product picture you saw online. You would think this is basic, but sometimes, I opened up the boxes, paused, and thought, did I order this?

On their website, it said the tote is made with natural grain leather. On the tag inside the bag, it says full-grain leather. Reading the little card that came along with the bag, it mentions the leather was naturally tanned. I am not sure what it means exactly. I assumed that should mean it is made from vegetable-tanned leather and not chromed-tanned leather. Other companies kept telling me how full-grain leather often comes with imperfections that naturally occurred with the animal, but this Marc Jacobs leather tote literally looks perfect; can someone explain that? Even when I looked closer with light shined on it, I couldn't find a single flaw. They did an excellent job tanning and dying the bag. The color looks rich, saturated, and even throughout the bag.

This leather tote has gold hardware on the crossbody strap and the zipper. The zipper pulled buttery smooth, and I like how it is longer than what you typically see on other bags. That way, you can open up the tote entirely, it is great for easy access and packing stuff into the bag. Inside the tote, you will see a flap with compartments and a zipper pocket for your organizing needs. At the bottom of the tote, they added a couple of leather strips to strengthen the structure so that the bag won't become droopy since the leather is so supple and soft. I would still suggest you get a bag organizer insert if you plan to carry a lot of stuff; after all, this tote is not lined.

So far, I haven't had many occasions where I can bring this bag out with me. Trying it out at home, I did find a few things I thought they could improve. Upon reading up the info card, it suggests you use the bag gently. I did roll my eyes when I read that. Does it mean this bag is unsuitable for travel usage or if you plan to use it daily? I would hope the tote could hold up better than a rare occasion, gentle usage. To echo that, this bag could have added lining. Right now, it is simply showing the backside of the leather coated with wax or acrylic. I am not sure.

The zipper is blocking the strap

Many reviewers praised how the zipper end has a magnet to stay close to the side and not dangle around. However, if you wear this tote as a crossbody bag, the zipper would be blocking the D-ring for the strap. If that's how you use it daily, it may eventually distort the closure flaps. I would suggest tucking the zipper end inside to avoid that potential outcome.

Tuck the zipper inside

All and all, I love this leather tote from Marc Jacobs! Currently, this is the only black tote I have. The style and the color make the bag so versatile. I don't have much I can complain about, and it is totally worth the price if the budget allows. I consider my first purchase with Marc Jacobs was a success, and I may pick up a cotton one at some point!