Bag review: Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandoulière 30, Damier Ebene

This would be my first time reviewing a Louis Vuitton bag and the main reason behind this is to put an informative and thorough review out there in aid of those deciding on the bag. While researching this bag, I got my information from haul & review videos on Youtube and discussion threads on Purseforum. Blog posts were scant so I figured this should contribute nicely. 

Reason for choosing this particular style: As some of you would already know, the Speedy Bandoulière is akin to a Speedy with a cross-body strap. Before the Speedy B was released I coveted a Neverfull for its spaciousness and shoulder-carry option, as opposed to the Speedy being hand-held or carried in the crook of one's arm. The only thing I didn't fancy about the Neverfull was the absence of a zipper. When I discovered the Speedy B on the LV site, I knew it was the one as it was functionally ideal for going about town or travelling thanks to the added strap (adjustable for either cross-body or shoulder) and of course, being zippered up.

The size would be imprinted on the leather strip on one side of the bag, hidden behind a leather tab

Sizing: The Speedy B comes in 25, 30 & 35; with the numbers denoting the length of the bag. The 30 I believe, is the most common size chosen as it is roomy enough and fits most statures nicely (5 feet and up). I am 5'1" and the way the bag hangs on my body is equivalent to that of an oversized bag. If you are petite and need a ton of room (to carry school/ work supplies, travelling-use, fitting water bottles, scarves, paperbacks) then the 30 may be the best size for your purpose; when not much room is needed (phone, wallet, makeup bag, small items: notebooks, paperbacks, bottles) the 25 would look most flattering for casual day- or night-time use. This recommendation would be for petites around my height (5'–5'4").

Canvas type or leather? The Speedy B comes in Monogram, Damier Ebene & Damier Azur canvases. I chose DE for its treated leather (so no extra care needed for patina) and its overall checkerboard appearance. I later read that the DE canvas was the initial design chosen by Louis Vuitton for the trunks (after the Trianon & brown-beige stripes; and to prevent counterfeiting) in 1888 and that the popular Monogram was launched in 1896 after his son had taken over. How's that for trivia! The Speedy B also comes in Empreinte leather at a heftier price tag and I personally love the colour options available (lovely berry colours). I would be wary of easily scratching the leather though so unless I have tons of money to spare (which I don't) I'd go for the canvas over the leather where this style is concerned. Speaking of the canvas, I do have some concerns that I'll mention below.

When unraveling your new purchase, you will discover the bag in a folded state, as pictured above. This leaves temporary creases in the body but will go away gradually. I stuff mine with a plastic bag full of scrunched up packing paper. A concern regarding the canvas would be its thinness. Louis Vuitton cites the thinness of material as providing a lightweight feel to the bag but I of course beg to differ. Apparently older Speedys have thicker canvases and the bags feel sturdier than newer ones and while I do not have any other LV bag to compare with, the canvas on my Burberry bag feels thicker and more durable. I have put that bag through hell and the canvas still looks amazing; neither is it heavy. For how much less I paid for the Burberry (albeit it being a smaller cross-body bag) the hardware, leather and canvas quality is miles ahead that of what I'm getting with my Speedy B. 

Toron handles. 

Despite concerns with the canvas, the leather handles feel weighted and of good quality. So far I have had no creases on the leather handles but this is me having yet to put the bag to use. There should not be creases if the new bag is of quality but some users on Purseforum have complained about receiving bags with creases in the leather or seeing some in store. There will eventually be creases in the leather from use but this usually takes a while to form.

Very obvious that the zippers are a coated metal. 

Note the minor tarnishing on the rivet. The rivets were polished in appearance when I first received the bag and gradually showed dark stains despite having yet to use the bag.

The number on the keys should match the lock's.

There are definitely issues with hardware tarnishing and while LV claims to use brass hardware (which they have now conveniently removed from the product details on the website), the hardware of "cheaper" models like the canvas Speedy B's have only coated metal or are of lower-quality brass. I have not used the bag yet there are already gradual signs of tarnishing. To compare, the hardware on my Burberry is solid brass and has remained shiny all this while after years of heavy use. While I may be picking at the Speedy B, I am only doing this to provide a fair review against the supposed quality one would come to expect from a brand such as Louis Vuitton. In the advent of rising prices, and might I remind you even for the already overpriced canvas ones; cost-cutting, irregularities and diminishing quality does not come to mind. Yes, bear with me I may be having some buyer's remorse here.

The metal zippers feel the poorest in quality while the hooks on the straps and the lock feel and look more substantial. The metal on the strap hooks and lock are polished and shiny in appearance whereas the keys, hook rings on the sides of the bag, zippers and rivets are a little dull in comparison. 

I was thrilled to see that my bag didn't have any obvious zipper-gaps in the ends. Some have reported on having bags with gaps so wide the red interior of the bag could be seen. It is fair to expect some deviation for handmade goods but not to the point of it being a flaw. 

Though the quality of the bag isn't dependent on where it is made, I was happy to snag a MIF as the ones made elsewhere will not have "made in France" imprinted on the leather strip but have a cloth tag inside the bag stating where it is made, like the ones made in the USA. 

Interior pocket

Interior D-ring

The interior of the bag is a gorgeous, contrasting red. The quality of the lining may feel coarse in comparison with my canvas Burberry but seeing I have no other LV bags to compare with, I will regard this as LV's standard-quality lining. The code for the bag's manufacturing place and date are imprinted on the leather strips beneath the interior pocket, just above the rivet. 

The straps are of thick leather and feel smooth. For the Speedy B, the strap comes with an adjustable extender that, when in use, lengthens the strap for cross-body use. Without the extender, the strap is ideal for shoulder-carry.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's it with the review and I hope it has been helpful to some of you. Despite pressing concerns on the quality of the bag, it still feels like any other Louis Vuitton bag and I guess this air of luxury surrounding the bag dupes us all into falling in love with it one way or the other! If you are considering a bag from a higher-end brand, I would advise against "investing" in Louis Vuitton's canvas bags as regular-use handbags due to constant rising prices and dropping quality standards (instead save and get LV's leather bags later on if you're hellbent on having one).

If you like the look and style of the bag (say, a Speedy B) then by all means feel and try it on for yourself in the boutique and if you do notice signs of wear or shoddy craftsmanship on the bag, I would advise to keep asking for a better one or to just buy a bag from a similar price range from the many other designers out there. I have read about many disappointed Speedy B users who ended up returning their bags for a different style because the quality of the bags were so poor and inconsistent in comparison to their other LV bags. But if you do find a Speedy B in store that is to your liking then yes, we can be bag twins! There are many great contemporary brands with cult leather bags for the same or slightly higher price of a Speedy B so if you're investing for a capsule bag collection then you may be grateful for looking at some other brands before considering a LV canvas bag.

Am I happy with my Speedy B? I'll say yes as it doesn't have any flaws and it is holding up pretty well for an unused bag (lol). I am however, disappointed in the overall quality of the bag in comparison with what I have come to expect of the brand. Hope that makes sense!

Thanks for reading! All Images are my own.

Edit: Sleek bags under US$500

Finding a handbag or purse does not have to be difficult — though patience will certainly help. Depending on how much you are willing to spend, there are many upmarket brands (e.g. Coach, Furla, Michael Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs) that offer quality-made leather bags in sleek designs at a fraction of the price of their higher-end cousins (e.g. Céline, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Burberry). The challenge is searching for these bags and creating a shortlist of the ones that meet your budget and most importantly, suit your style. Here's my edit of the bags under US$500 that I find covetable for a capsule bag collection that's easy to style with (I like minimal designs & colours with no frou-frou):

There are also many other brands that are accessible should your budget range from US$500 to upwards of US$1,000: e.g. Mulberry, Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim, Reed Krakoff, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Burberry, Dior & Louis Vuitton (canvas totes).