Bag Review – My Givenchy Antigona Medium Bag

I usually pick one combined splurge gift for my birthday/wedding anniversary – and last year’s gift was the Givenchy Antigona Medium Bag in Grey. My birthday was in the summer, but I didn’t choose my gift until December because I wanted to wait until I fell in love with something. And this bag was definitely worth the wait – click through to read my Givenchy Antigona review!

 

The Givenchy Antigona Duffel Bag was first released in 2010 – but I think its minimalist design has made it classic rather than trendy…which is why I still wanted it 8 years after its release! I love the structured shape and the stand-up top handles.

GIVENCHY ANTIGONA SIZES

The Antigona satchel comes in 3 main sizes – the mini which can be carried as a crossbody bag, the small (the most popular size), and the medium (which feels like it should be called the large!). Here are their dimensions:

• mini – 8.5″ W X 8.5″ H X 5″ D
• small – 11″ W X 9.5″ H X 5.5″ D
• medium – 13″ W X 11″ H X 7.5″ D

I own a lot of smaller bags (including the Celine Nano and Pashli Mini) so I was looking for something that could hold a lot (my only other large designer bag is the Balenciaga City). When I’m heading out for longer days, I want to carry a water bottle and a portable phone charger…and I need room to stuff in my winter hat and gloves!

After reading a lot of reviews, it seemed like many people preferred the small size – so I went in store to try it on (in pic above left). However, the dimensions of the Small Antigona reminded my of my LV Speedy 25 and I preferred the oversized look of the Medium Antigona instead. (The Small Antigona is more comparable in size to the Speedy 30, while I own a Speedy 25…but you can get an idea of the difference in capacity in this pic below of my two bags). Apparently the Medium is also a great travel/work bag and can fit a 13″ laptop inside.

GIVENCHY ANTIGONA CALFSKIN VS GOATSKIN

After picking the size, the next choice is whether you prefer the glossy finish (calfskin) or the pebbled leather (goatskin). I’m not really a fan of shiny bags, so I wanted the goatskin version – but while doing my research I was surprised to read that the glossy calfskin is actually quite scratch resistant and is meant to hold its shape better – so don’t be scared to choose it if that’s what you prefer!

With regards to colour – Black is a popular (and safe!) choice but I wanted a colour that would work with the pinks and creams that I wear. And while the nude and light pink versions are stunning, I didn’t want to worry about discoloration, so I went with Dark Grey. It’s pretty trouble free and seems to coordinate well with my wardrobe!

WAYS TO WEAR IT

The Medium Antigona is mainly hand-carried or placed in the crook of your arm. It comes with a short shoulder strap, but you have to angle the bag towards your back when you’re using it, otherwise the rigid top handles will dig in to your arm. I personally prefer hand carrying it, because the shoulder strap pulls on the sides of the bag, and can lead to it looking slouchy or stretched out over time.

PROS and CONS

• PROS – such a beautiful structured bag, and very high quality. Depending on the colour, it can handle a lot of wear and tear and STILL look new! Classic design so your bag won’t look out of date.
• CONS – the structured look comes at a cost…this bag is very heavy – there is no getting around it! I knew this going in, and since I’d be using it to carry light yet bulky stuff (hat/scarf/gloves etc) I didn’t feel like this would be a problem for me. But if you’re planning on getting this for work, I’d definitely try the bag on in store at first to see how you feel after loading it up! Also, because of it’s open design, you may want to use a bag organizer or pouches so that you don’t have to dig around to find things inside.

WHERE I BOUGHT MY GIVENCHY ANTIGONA

The Medium Antigona currently retails for around $2200 – $2400 in store, which is a fair price for a designer bag, given the quality and capacity  – but after doing my research and finding that most Antigonas are sturdy bags that don’t show much wear and tear, I decided to explore buying it preloved.

I found my dream bag at Fashionphile – it was marked down and I stalked it until it went on further sale. In the end I paid US$ 940 for it – which is a CRAZY deal, considering the bag is in great condition. It was exactly as pictured and seemed like new (there were minor issues listed such as scuffs, some structure wear and glazing issues – but honestly, nothing that noticeable to me). Since I’m located in Canada, I had to pay an additional C$180 in customs – but it still was a better deal than anything I could have purchased locally.

I purchased from Fashionphile because they had the largest selection of Antigonas, at the lowest prices. They are a reputable and well-known retailer (with a 100% moneyback guarantee on each item they sell), so I felt comfortable buying from them. Their listings are very thorough, with clear product photographs and detailed descriptions. They also have a great return policy – the bags are delivered with a security tag placed on it – and as long as the tag stays attached, you have 30 days to return it for a refund. Each listing also has a “Buy It Back” price – which is reassuring if you decide the bag is not a “forever bag” further down the line! (Full disclosure – I did my research and made my purchase completely by myself. I contacted Fashionphile about including them in this post and they kindly added an additional retro-active discount to my purchase!)

Do you like the Givenchy Antigona bag? Which size would you get? Click here to read more of my bag reviews!