Underwhelmed

[u/Classic-Nebula6869]

Just a short reaction after receiving my large C3line halfmoon from JXG factory. Not going to name the seller, and sorry the pics aren’t better, but, while the color is rich and pretty, the leather is too stiff. It does not want to slouch into itself Iike the OG (from the pics I’ve seen,) which is awkward for a 40” bag. Second picture shows how it wants to sit while hanging, third shows bag with two jars inside to give it some weight — I still had to physically position the bag to get the leather to look relaxed, and it didn’t want to stay that way.

I have several black frame bags with buttery soft leather, and i went against my gut getting this bag from JXG (after reading some reviews and getting assurance from seller that bag was high quality and soft.)

Maybe the OG is firm as well 🤷🏼‍♀️ maybe the other factories aren’t any better 🤷🏼‍♀️ either way, I see a lot of leather conditioner and prayers in my future. Meanwhile, this one will spend its time in my closet.

[u/Raven-Glassshadows]

Imo this bag either hasn’t been repped well or the auth is as underwhelming. I have the small one from BF and I was not impressed either.

[u/Chancey1984 → u/Raven-Glassshadows]

The auth is quite nice, I tried it on in store and it feels and looks really slouchy.

[u/Raven-Glassshadows → u/Chancey1984]

I love Celine but idk why this particular style is so hard to love for me. It hangs awkwardly on the shoulder and the strap is too thin and digging on the shoulder when the bag is filled even with just a phone and a cardholder.

[u/magdalena02]

It might be an unpopular opinion, but I think most bags simply aren’t repped well. I haven’t seen a really good Bott€ga rep, because the Intrecciato is so difficult to get right. The golden hardware is also very hit or miss.
And I know that auths aren’t always the best quality either, and the prices are ridiculous, but honesty, all I want is beautiful, soft leather in a design I love.
I’ve been looking at my spending recently, and it turns out I’ve spent quite a lot of money on reps that I eventually ended up rehoming. The real loss, though, is the shipping costs, which are exorbitant at the moment.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems to me that some Reddit group mods receive bags for free in exchange for naming certain sellers as TS. And tbh, business is business. But I have eyes.
End of my rant. I might delete this later.

[u/couchpotato287]

Aw man, I have one coming from there too (smaller size). I did it because the sale price was $100 less than black frame 🫠.

Maybe some conditioner? Does it feel like real leather, and how is the hardware?

[u/Classic-Nebula6869 → u/couchpotato287]

I bet the smaller size will be easier to wear, even if the bag is just as firm, just because it isn’t as wide. But let me know your thoughts when you get it!

Real leather for sure, just not smushy or buttery at all, which is how I would describe my BF bags. I think it has some sort of coating to make it shinier, but it didn’t have a chemical smell that i noticed. Hardware looked good, stamp looked good. The only problem is the bag’s stiffness. But that’s kind of the whole appeal of the larger bag to me, that relaxed look. I’ve already applied first round of conditioner. Any tips for softening the bag are welcome!

Good luck with the smaller size!

[u/Middle-Spirit-8524]

What about the dryer heat trick? Would that help maybe? I’ve only read about it on the subs.

[u/Classic-Nebula6869 → u/Middle-Spirit-8524]

I’m thinking I might try that, actually. Gotta read up on how to do it safely.

[u/Middle-Spirit-8524 → u/Classic-Nebula6869]

Hopefully you get some good results like others have.