An Honest Review: Polène Handbags

My love for handbags goes back as far as I can remember - maybe when I was about 12 years old and got a knock-off Gucci tote that I was obsessed with 😅 Of course at the time I thought it was real and I think that’s when my enchantment with luxury items and leather goods was born. I don’t have a huge collection of bags like some women do; I only own 3 that I wear consistently, but for me I’m a quality vs quantity kind of gal. At the beginning of this year I expanded my handbag assortment and bought 2 bags from Polène after hearing rave reviews. I had to see if they lived up to the hype…and I can now confirm that these bags are in fact worthy of all the hype! 👏🏻 I’m going to give you a breakdown of the 2 styles I purchased and tell you all the things I love about them - which you can also watch here in my latest YouTube video!

Tonca

When I first set out looking for a new bag I was primarily focused on getting a neutral shade because that’s what I was lacking. Of course, my head will forever be turned by the color pink so this was the first bag I chose 😅 I need to give myself a little more credit because it wasn’t just the color that drew me in, but the unique shape as well! That’s really what sparked my interest in Polène overall. I loved that they had a variety of bags in unique shapes and colors that I wasn’t seeing from other designers, and at really reasonable price points!

This Tonca style is a really versatile crossbody that I feel can be dressed up or down. The strap is adjustable allowing you to shorten or lengthen it; and I love the two-tone contrast between the body and strap of the bag, and the gold hardware accents. It has a magnetic closure on the top and is quite roomy once you peek inside! It can easily hold my sunglasses, card holder, car keys, phone, and some lipstick. It also has a suede interior lining which adds to the luxurious quality of the bag. I was very close to changing my mind and getting this bag in black, but Freddy came to my rescue and thought that you wouldn’t be able to notice the fun 3D silhouette. I thought it was an excellent point so I reverted back to my original choice of the blush pink, which is actually very subtle and feels more in the neutral realm. If pink isn’t your vibe not to worry, this bag comes in a bunch of other color options!

Overall I’ve been so pleased with this bag and how it’s held up over the last 2-ish months, not to mention how beautifully it was packaged when it arrived at my house! It came nestled inside a gorgeous white box (which I absolutely kept) wrapped neatly in crisp tissue paper, and the bag itself was bubble wrapped for extra care. It was the most well-packaged item I’ve ever received in the mail! It made me that much more excited for my 2nd bag to arrive, which was the No. 10 silhouette.

No. 10

I ordered both bags at the same time, but this style was on pre-order so I had to wait about a month for it to arrive. Trust me, it was well worth the wait! This bag is exactly what I had in mind when I set out to get a neutral handbag. I love the half moon shape and the full grain calf leather - the texture is stunning in person! Smooth leather has always made me a bit nervous because it’s more prone to scratches and I would get so worried about my nails nicking it just the wrong way, so I’m glad I went for the pebbled leather.

It has a single zipper closure and is also quite roomy inside. If you watch my vlog you can see all the items it will hold - it’s perfect for all my essentials plus a few extras! One of the other draws to this bag is it’s versatility in how it can be worn. I’ve been wearing it as a shoulder bag, but it comes with 2 straps allowing you to adjust and lengthen it as needed. The shorter strap shown in these photos can be lengthened several inches to be worn as a snug crossbody/fanny pack situation which I’m so excited to do for our upcoming London trip! When you want to switch things up, the strap easily comes unhooked and you can swap in the longer strap for a more true crossbody look. There’s so many options when it comes to styling this bag and I will definitely share more photos over on my LTK shop to give you some inspiration!

It’s been a long time (at least a couple of years!) since I’ve owned a neutral handbag so I’ve really been enjoying this style. Whenever I’m not using my bags I put the original tissue paper stuffing inside and slip them into their dust bags to help protect them and ensure they maintain their shape over time. I can honestly say that I’m so pleased with my purchases! I’m definitely looking forward to adding more Polene bags to my collection in the coming years.

One word of advice I’d offer is if you’re planning to make a purchase, make sure you’re really confident in your decision as the return process is a bit cumbersome. As the buyer, you are responsible for the shipping charges (both of my bags shipped from Spain!) so I imagine the cost is a bit higher than say, shipping a package within the US 😉 Thankfully I didn’t have to mess with that process, and thankfully their product images online are very true to what you see in person - no surprises when you open the box!

I hope this honest review was helpful and if you end up ordering a Polène bag I’d love to hear what style you get! xo