I bought this bag two weeks ago from the Balenciaga US Online Store (SO HAPPY), but no pictures of it yet because I literally took it out of its dust bag to admire and then put it right back in for my mother to help me carry back to Singapore! I’ve been eyeing this bag since the Spring 2011 colors first launched on the US site, naturally because of its lovely pink color – light enough to be girly but not scream bimbo! I wasn’t sure if it was just non-buyers’ regret that I didn’t get the Giant City Rose Gold in Bois de Rose from the Fall 2010 season, which I fell in love with the first time I saw, but a friend bought it so according to some Girls’ Law out there (like the female equivalent of the Bro Code, only this says you can’t buy a scarf in the same color as your friend or a bag they own already) I couldn’t buy it after I’d seen her carrying it. Especially since Balenciaga produces the same styles of bags, just in different colors each season! I was quite crushed, but it’s okay because apparently my friend’s bag (a very light white-pink) has since faded to gray, and you can’t really tell that it used to be pink. That’s what you get with Balenciaga I suppose, as the brand’s leather isn’t known to be the best and the color tends to fade! I think this color will still look gorgeous slightly faded though, and I like gold hardware better than the rose gold.
I went down to Barney’s in Boston too see the bag in person, but they were out of stock and placed one on hold in New York for me. But when I went to NYC that weekend the store had none, even though their computer said that there should still be 4 somewhere! I managed to take a look at the other styles in this color though and knew that I definitely wanted the City in Old Rose, so I placed my order online and had it shipped to Boston. No sales tax 😀 I had it shipped via Complimentary Ground, and although the Balenciaga site has options for Next-Day and 2-Day delivery it still made it to me in 2 days, with the white Balenciaga box inside a nondescript regular brown cardboard box, and with signature confirmation in case anyone else tries to make off with my bag in the mail!
Overall I’m very pleased with the Balenciaga online store and my new bag, and I’ll definitely be getting as much wear out of this bag before next season’s colors come out! This does match most things in my wardrobe (pink) after all..