If the world of luxury handbags were your typical high school, the Chanel flap would be Queen Bee: beautiful, popular, expensive, immaculately put together and possessing astronomical levels of can't-touch-this charisma. I don't own one (oh if only), but I sat down with my friend (we'll call her L. for brevity) and had a chat about what makes the Chanel flap bag a great wardrobe addition, and what could stand to be improved.
L. owns two Chanel flap bags, one classic and one seasonal. Chanel flap bags range in size from extra mini to maxi, and the two in L.'s closet are maxi and mini, respectively. L.'s family of bags gives us a nice spread of attributes across only two of the same product.
Note on size: though it seems like a secondary concern next to color and material, we think size is the single biggest determinant in whether a Chanel flap is right for you -- setting cost aside, of course.
Construction
Material: can be patent leather, lambskin leather, caviar leather, etc.
Build: turn lock closure top flap bag with up to 8 or so pockets and an internal flap on the classic models
Measurements
Mini: about 8"x5"3"
Maxi: about 13"x9"x4"
Strap drop varies as chain is continuous and can be doubled back on itself
Aesthetics
From my vantage point, the Chanel flap bag's aesthetics are its strongest suit. There are other bags that occupy this niche in terms of size, function and quality, but only the flap bag is able to speak volumes while maintaining visual simplicity. If you pare the bag down to its basics, it isn't much more than a rectangle on a strap, but Chanel has dressed it up with quilting (ever seen a flat, non-quilted Chanel? looks unsettling), as well as a delicate leather-and-chain strap that looks and feels like built-in jewelry.
IMO, some flap bag sizes are more proportionate and pleasing than others. For me, the closer the flap-height-to-total-body-height ratio is to 1:2, the happier I am, but I have heard others express a preference for a flap that reaches almost all the way down the front of the bag (see the black bag in above photo). Generally speaking, the larger the bag, the larger the flap-to-body ratio.
Then there's the patent vs. caviar vs. lambskin dilemma, and for most Chanel admirers, the lambskin is prized, as it looks as buttery as it feels. However, it seems most people gravitate in practice towards the caviar leather, since its pebbly texture protects against stains and scratches. Personally, I find caviar leather more beautiful up-close vs far away, since it tends to reflect blueish light when viewed from a distance. This make the bag look less of a rich black shade. Again, not a a real issue, and for nine out of ten, the functionality of caviar leather trumps its relative inelegance next to smooth lambskin.
Daily Use
Size is of primary concern when it comes to evaluating the daily usability of a Chanel flap. All are versatile and durable and sport a variety of pockets, so on that front, the flap bag fulfills a basic level of functionality. Thus we are left with size to consider, and L.'s advice (as well as the advice of Chanel SAs) is this: before purchasing a flap bag, you should know exactly what and how many items you plan on carrying in it. This of course means it's not a great choice for shoppers like me, who like to have flexibility in how a single item can be used. But for those who have defined habits re: what they carry and rarely, if ever, switch bags, the flap is an okay choice.
What else the flap bag is not great for: irregularly shaped objects, loose objects, or objects that cannot be stacked on top of each other in the bag's main compartment. It is also not ideal for those who prefer to get in and out of a bag quickly, since the flap bag has just that -- a flap -- underneath the main quilted one. For L., the flap is a comfort because it offers privacy while hunting through one's bag, and a pleasure because it offers a glimpse of the burgundy lining underneath. But if you're like me, that flap is another level of stuff in the way. I'd favor the Boy bag's lack of a secondary flap, were I shopping for a Chanel myself.
Among L.'s other grievances were the weight of the maxi and its open body style (as opposed to compartmentalized). Though the bag’s oblong shape means you can efficiently use all of its volume, the bad news is you will certainly have to stack your belongings, and digging out the right object can be a pain.
Since so many drawbacks of the flap bag depend on its size (amount carried, weight, ease of access), it's recommended that a potential buyer take the time to assess their assortment of Things to Lug Around. The best approach: take those things into a Chanel retailer and fit them, Tetris style, into every size of flap bag they offer until you find the one that works.
Maintenance
How the flap bag needs to be maintained depends on its material. L.'s caviar leather is as tough as her SA mentioned: it shows nary a scratch, hasn't faded, and still looks brand new, despite never having been treated. She brushes it off occasionally but doesn't find the need to do much else. The patent leather, on the other hand, is at the risk of drying out. It seems to do best, surprisingly, in ever-so-slightly slightly moist conditions. Shortly after purchasing it in a cold and dry store, L. found white corners appearing on the bottom of the bag that at first looked like wear or scuffing, but turned out to be spots where the leather had dried. Upon the return of a more humid fall season, the spots took care of themselves.
Quality & Value
When it comes to value, Chanel bags make things a little complicated.
If your idea of value is "will the price tag of this bag guarantee perfection forever," the answer is no, and the bag would not be a good value-for-purchase item. The number of digits on a Chanel price tag do not have very much to do with quality and value, so if you're expecting unchanged flawlessness, the flap bag will disappoint you. Yes, it gives with wear. Yes, some of the stitches will stretch over time. Yes, the strap will stop squeaking when no longer brand new.
Realistically, no matter what an SA tells you in order to justify dropping up to nearly $7k on a plain leather bag, you’re still getting a plain leather bag. You should only own this if its history, branding, and social significance mean something to you — and they do to many people, myself included, to some degree.
That said, Chanel flap bags do well on the resale market, with many shoppers specifically seeking out a vintage model from a preferred year. They also tend to age better than other bags in similar classes, with plenty of people handing classic flap bags down to their children or grandchildren. Finally, if you subscribe to the belief (as L. and I do), that value when it comes to Chanel is more closely tied to "can I afford it and does it make me happier than any other piece does," then I can think of no reason to knock a few points off the flap bag's value rating.
Long story short: it's personal. If you're willing to accept that the flap bag's price tag is not perfectly correlated with any functional quality, and you still think the flap is right for you, then it is. The end.
Pros & Cons
(-) expensive, hard to find in stores in exact configuration desired, no compartments, some leathers are fragile, flap can be a pain to get in and out of, larger sizes are dense/heavy, smaller sizes don't fit all the essentials, inside may scratch
(+) goes day to night and casual to dressy, never looks dated, can survive a generation or two, high resale value, quality hardware, caviar leather is durable, recognized name, secure turn-lock, variety of size and color choices, not maintenance-heavy