Bag Review: Mark & Graham Elisabetta Slouch Handbag

Hello Fellow Purse Lovers and Bag Ladies!

At Chickwares we LOVE bags, accessories and all things Fabulous!  Regularly we provide reviews of bags and other accessories to help keep you , the reviews may be of the latest “IT bag”, a recent Fabulous bag we came across or perhaps a poular trending accessory or style.  We aim to provide readers with useable and entertaining information. We hope you enjoy!

Today we are reviewing the Elisabetta Slouch Handbag from Mark Graham.  I picked this bag to review because I’ve been interested in the brand since my first purchase and was pleasantly pleased with this new bag and thought I’d share for others out there interested in purchasing or just discovering the brand.

Let me begin by saying that I did not receive my bag as a part of any promotional incentive.  This bag was purchased by me, for me :).   I’d been eyeing this particular bag for a while, I loved the style and the fact that I could get it monogrammed.  Every item offered from the brand can be personalized free with a monogram, if you are a lover of any and all things monogrammed like me, this is a big plus!

As I mentioned, I’d been eyeing the style for awhile, but held off from committing to the bag purchase because of the price.  The bag retails for $398, I was a bit leery handing over $400 for a bag that I couldn’t touch or feel from a brand I wasn’t so sure about.  I’d only previously purchased the M&G Boho Suede Zip Pouch (which I love) from the brand, so no first hand experience with their handbags.  I knew that it was possible to purchase a Tory Burch or a Marc Jacobs bag for example, brands whose quality I was very familiar with. I asked around and spoke to a few people who had purchased M&G leather bags which helped to put my mind at ease about the quality of the bags.  That being the case I knew that I still wanted to see if I could catch the bag on sale, I kept a watchful eye and finally my diligent stalking of the site paid off!  The bag in a color I wanted was finally on sale AND, I’d received a coupon from the brand for my birthday!  Happy Birthday to me!

I received the bag, wrapped and packaged so nicely that I almost didn’t want to open it!  The first thing I noticed was my monogram, loved it!  I immediately transferred my items to my new toy!  I was a bit surprised by the leather, I expected it to be less stiff, as per the description.  The bag was described as being slouchy, relaxed and unstructured,  this wasn’t the case in my opinion.  I felt that the bag had more structure which may or may not be a bad thing, just noting that the overall feel was not as described.  I did appreciate that the bag had two separate compartments, made organizing my goodies very easy.
The bag is large, measuring 10″ h x 15.25″ w x 8″.  Made in Italy.  Available in:  *Crimson, Black, Fog, Tangerine, *Squash, Navy, Kelly Green, *Teal and Cobalt.  *indicates color is currently on sale

PROS:

• 100% Italian Leather
• Comfortable rolled leather straps
• Inside zippered middle compartment and large zippered pocket
• Bag is fully lined
• Protective feet on bottom
• Great size; could hold a small laptop, definitely holds an iPad comfortably
• Good value, the bag retails for $398 however, I snagged mine, monogrammed for ~$265
• Free monogramming (available free on any item)
• Timely shipping; with monogram delivery took only about 5 business days

CONS:

• Retails for $398; I think $398 is a bit steep for a lesser known handbag brand; could easily find other styles by popular well-known brands
• Leather felt a bit stiff
• Bag is fully lined (pro), however the “natural” color of the lining was a bit disappointing, would have preferred a more tonal lining (which is available on other colors)
• No closure; this didn’t bother me very much, but I know that this can be an important feature for some
• Does not include a shoulder strap; I knew this prior to purchasing but after carrying the bag and an armful of groceries I realized I would have appreciated a shoulder strap.

Bag Scorecard
Looks:  8
Value:  7 (based on the regular price of the bag)
Functionality:  9
Extras:  9 (free monogramming & gift wrapping)
Overall Rating: 33/40; great looking, stylish bag for work or play

All in all the M&G Elisabetta Slouch is a great bag, it looks very polished and the monogramming gives it that something extra special!  I think anyone who owns this bag would be very satisfied with it.  Given the discounts I was able to take advantage of when I purchased mine made my deal even sweeter,  and I have no regrets, the Elisabetta is a nice  addition to my collection!  Select colors are now on sale, if you love this bag, don’t miss the opportunity to grab one at the discounted price!

What do you think–is the M&G Elisabetta Slouch Handbag the bag for you?  We’d love to know what you think!

XOXO,
–Chickwares
Pretty.Fabulous.Things

 

 

 

**Bag images were pulled from the Mark & Graham Website

Mark & Graham is a brand under the Williams-Sonoma brand house offering jewelry, totes, leather goods, housewares and more.   Mark & Graham is relatively new to the handbag and accessory world, the brand launched in 2012.

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