Chanel Gabrielle bag review (medium size)

Like most others, I was very sceptical when Chanel introduced the Gabrielle bag in the Spring/Summer 2017 collection. Even though intrigued by the chain details, I convinced myself it would not have the staying power the Chanel Boy has and would be lucky to not die a quick painful death like the Chanel Girl bag.

I spoke to many SAs at Chanel, some genuinely love the bag but the majority was like myself, they were not so sure. Yet, defying most expectations, the ‘Gabby’ has only become more and more popular with certain colours and sizes constantly sold out in boutiques across the world.

I started my Gabby journey by hunting down this beautiful purple iridescent bag in medium size (I had always wanted something with this mermaid purple combo). I tried both small and medium but decided that the medium size would be more practical. Little did I know I would end up buying a small size just a few months later and now become obsessed with this bag!

Plus, just look at those gorgeous iridescent hardware chains!

In direct sunlight:

There are just so many ways of wearing this bag. And since the time of taking these photos, I have worked out a couple more ways of wearing as well!

Lowering the chain to wear as both a belt and both a messenger bag length.

Wear and tear:

I’m not one to baby my bags too much but I do definitely treat them with general care (no throwing around on the floor and such!) The bag has held up fine – no scratches to the smooth bottom part whatsoever. I have not experienced any hardware chipping either – it also helps that the inside is fabric so I can throw my phones/keys/makeup in there without worrying about scratching the inside of the bag.

Size:

The medium size fits more things than I ever need to carry! As mentioned above, I also purchased the small size which actually fits my daily things well. However, if you carry a bigger wallet, this may not fit in the small sized Gabby but will comfortably slot in the medium sized.