Tuesday, April 18, 2017

GIVENCHY ANTIGONA REVIEW


It's been two years since I purchased my first designer bag, the Givenchy Antigona, during our first trip to Italy.  It was such an exciting day, and I remember wanting to skip down the street back to our AirBnB because I was on cloud 9.

When we came home, I shared the bag in a haul video, and featured it many times on the blog in various outfit posts.  Now that I've been using it for two years, I thought it would be a great time to share my thoughts on it, especially since this bag is still going strong in popularity.






The gold hardware has almost tarnished a little bit, specifically on the piece closer to the bottom of the photo--not sure why, I think it's just an oxidization process, which doesn't really bother me.




All of these items fit comfortably in the bag, with plenty of room to spare.  I didn't show my wallet--which would also fit--because I've been using a small cross-body that doubles as a wallet lately, so if I switch over to the Antigona, my cards are loose and thrown into one of the interior pockets.

I'm usually carrying my vlogging camera around with me as well, and nerding out with the baggie of almonds; I always need a snack with me because the hanger is real.



GIVENCHY ANTIGONA (IN MEDIUM)

Released in 2011, the Givenchy Antigona bag has been gaining popularity ever since.  When I was younger, I had always loved the Louis Vuitton Speedy, and so there is something about this shape style that really speaks to me.  After coveting the Antigona for a year, I bought it in store at Luisaviaroma in Florence, Italy.

Since purchasing it, I've used it as a daily bag, and sometimes when travelling.  When I travel, I always bring the dust bag with me to pop it into to go through security or under the seat on the plane--if you're forking out a ton of money on a bag, you want to keep it as nice as possible, while living your life.


SIZING

The Antigona comes in three sizes:

Mini  |  A small cross-body style, great is you like to be hands free.

Small  |  Great if you want a sizeable bag, with a longer shoulder strap, but not as long as a cross-body.  Also a great choice if you're on the petite side and don't want a bag overwhelming your frame.

Medium  |  The size I have and am sharing with you today.  The shoulder strap is a little awkward, some have said, but the bag is a fairly large size.


As someone who is tall, the medium is a great size, but I've seen tall girls rock the small size, and petite girls rock the medium, so it's all a matter of preference.  I will say the medium is quite large as it will fit a 13" laptop and/or plenty of things.  The mouth of the bag doesn't open super wide on it's own, but there is some give if you pull the handles apart.


LEATHERS & COLOURS

Additionally to the sizes, it comes in a plethora of colours and leathers.  I went with the black, shiny, smooth calf skin leather mainly because it had the gold hardware at the time, and that's the metal I wear most.  I did watch a few tutorials between the goat grained leather (there is also a sugar leather now) and the smooth calf to see how each marked.  It's obvious that the grained leather is a little more durable to bumps and scratches, but the smooth leather is also quite resistant, and with a microfibre cloth, you're able to smooth out any scratches.

If I were to repurchase this bag, I would still get the smooth leather, but I love the grainy leather as well, and would love to have a second Antigona in the light grey grained leather.


OVERALL

I love this bag, and I would repurchase it again, it's been a beautiful piece to add to my wardrobe and I plan to use it for a long time.  I would strongly suggest only purchasing this bag if you don't mind holding a bag in your hand or in the crook of your arm.  While there is a shoulder strap, it's not the most comfortable bag to carry as such, and does look a little odd like that (see me wearing it with the strap here).  This bag is definitely a striking piece, but not the bag I grab when I'm running errands or want hands-free shopping.

If you're looking to buy this bag second hand, which I would totally agree with if you're trying to save a little, please ensure you're buying from a reputable seller.  Additionally, this article does a great job outlining what to look for when buying a previously loved Antigona.

Lastly, as with any big purchase, think long and hard about all of your options, how much you love the bag, and do your research.  Work hard, save your money and then purchase the item--it's not worth going into debt over.  I was longing for this bag for over a year before pulling the trigger;  it's a massive purchase, so you want to be sure you really love it. 




I hope you girls found this review helpful!  I'm still loving my bag two years later, and hope that if you decide to purchase your own, you will love it too.

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