Remember this beauty I got in Paris over Christmas? (See my Coquette review here from January). It's one of my most popular posts and one of the posts that I get the most comments from readers. I have been using this bag for almost 10 months now so I thought it would be great to do an updated check in review.
First off, the Goyard Artois bag is now available at all Goyard boutiques in the U.S. (Previously it was only available in NYC and France.) There are two sizes now the MM and the PM, which is what I have. I actually just spotted a woman with the tote in San Francisco a few weeks ago. You still definitely don't see it as often as the Goyard St. Louis. What's great is that this tote bag includes monograming. It used to be you were forced to which turned me off, but when I emailed with the Goyard Paris boutique she informed me that it was no longer mandatory. (I chose not to get monogramming.) According to the Goyard website, currently monograming is available only on the day of purchase. You can get 2-3 letters without shading, only one font and one size and there are only two places you can get the monogram: either on the front or inside the bag, near the zipper.
The price I paid for the bag was 1420 Euros for a "color" and the PM size. Anything that is not black is deemed a "color" and is more expensive. It was significantly cheaper than getting it in the U.S. since I believe the bag is $2120. If you get it in Europe, you can also get the VAT tax back so it is even a little more cheaper.
One of the reasons I went for the Artois was for the zipper and the reinforced leather for the corners. I had heard of many horror stories of the corners getting holes in St. Louis totes and I knew that I would be using this bag a lot. I have used this bag so much this year. It's been the best investment I've made in a bag because it's functional and stylish. I liked the gray color because it worked well year round and matched everything I wear.
The leather corners are great because they help protect the canvas but it also gives the bag a shape so you can rest on anything without it flopping over. I also have found the canvas for this tote to be thicker than the St. Louis tote. So here's the bad news, I tend to be careful with my bags but with normal wear, the leather corners at the bottom got scuffed within a week of use. I think this is inevitable. I have really loved and used the bag that now I don't really mind it. As you can see from the picture at top, you can't really tell when the back is resting on a surface. But if this bothers you --- just wanted you to be aware of it.
Similarly, there is also wear around the leather border that frames the top of the bag. I'm sure part of this is from me wearing it over my shoulders. On the straps, it's minor but it is happening. Again, to me it feels fine. It makes my bag feel lived in and used. The straps are really durable and I think they are thicker than the St. Louis tote.
The canvas on the other hand is doing spectacular. The color hasn't rubbed off. It's really durable. I usually don't carry much but when I do carry a laptop or files, magazines, the canvas (and the straps) handle it all so well. The canvas inside is a cream color so to not get it dirty I decided to get a purse organizer that was recommend by a woman on PurseForum. This was the best money I ever spent. Not only does it keep my bag clean, I didn't realize how much I loved having everything organized. My phone, pens, Kleenex, chewing gum, keys, etc are all organized that I know where to get it. It makes it so much easier and also lighter because I don't have to carry additional pouches. The Purse To Go insert that works is the Jumbo Size (Price is $24.38-$32.95 depending on what color you get, the tan color is here). It's a tiny bit smaller but it gives you room to also put documents, laptop or magazines between the organizer and the bag like the picture above.
I recently went into the new Goyard boutique at 118 Grant Street in San Francisco to ask how much it would cost to replace the leather bits on the bag.
Here is some info that I received from the sales associate:
$420 to replace the bottom corners
$250 to replace the handles
$200 to replace the trim
$395 to replace both the handles and the trim
As an aside, if you have a St. Louis if you want to fix your corners its $225 and you can get it stitched or have tiny leather caps put on. (I got this info back in April 2016.)
Hope this helps everyone in deciding whether or not to get this bag. I personally have no regrets. I'm really glad I got it. I don't know if I'll ever spend $815 to replace the leather bits of the bag but after a few years I may decide to see if the shoe repair guy I go to can fix the scuffing on the bottom or to a luxury handbag leather specialist. Right now, it's got a nice lived in look.
I get so many compliments on this bag. I love it because it is so functional, stylish and also super light! Even if I stick my water bottle in the bag, I'm not weighed down by it all. Hope this review has been helpful to you. Please feel free to comment, if you have any questions.
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