This is a long overdue post.

Today I’m sharing my review of the Balenciaga Classic City Mini. I picked up this bag from the Balenciaga outlet store (we love a good deal) in Palm Springs during my bday trip as my 30th birthday gift.

I was looking for a medium-sized summer bag in a bright color to break up my usual neutral color palette that could be worn as a top handle or cross-body. As soon as I entered the store, my eyes went straight to this bag and it was love at first sight.

The City bag is a classic bag that was designed by Nicholas Ghesquière for Balenciaga as the “Motorcycle City Bag” and was released in 2001. 20 years later, it’s still loved by fashion girls around the world. I first discovered it back in my Tumblr days when I would build collages of fashion inspiration and every girl would be carrying the City bag in the large size.

Balenciaga City Mini Review

I love this Mini size because it’s not as slouchy as the larger one. It still has that cool look, while also still being structured and elevated. I feel like I’m having a full-circle moment from back when I first got into fashion magazines and blogging and my love of luxury fashion really blossomed.

I love the Citron Green color and feel like although it is brighter than anything else I own since I tend to stick to more neutral outfits, it surprisingly goes well with a lot of my looks.

What Fits Inside

I decided to go with the Classic City Mini because I love bags that are small enough to be worn crossbody but roomy enough to comfortably fit all of my essentials. The City Mini can comfortably fit my iPhone 11 Pro Max, vlog camera, cardholder, air pods, 3-5 lip products, gum, and my car key.

Packaging + Design

I’m not sure if Balenciaga’s handbags usually come in a box but at the outlet store, they packaged the handbag first inside its dust bag and then a large shopping bag. The exterior is a Citron green crinkle textured leather with silver hardware. The interior is a black canvas color that can be easily cleaned. I haven’t noticed any color transfer in the 9 months I’ve owned this bag but I will update this post later to let you know if that stays the same.

It comes with a removable strap, so it can be worn crossbody or you can choose to wear it as a top handle bag. It also comes with a cosmetic mirror attached by a leather strap in the front of the bag that I tuck inside the front pocket.

Price

The full retail price was $1950 but the outlet price was $1359. There was also an additional promo at the time so after tax, I paid $1356.57.

tip: since you can easily find Balenciaga on sale on most luxury sites and this specific style in good-to-excellent condition on resell sites, I would not suggest paying full price for this bag. With a little patience and research, you can find the color you want at a discount.

Availability

I’ve noticed that the classic style has been sold out on every department store site, so I think it’s been discontinued. However, the brand has released a new version of this bag called “The Neo” that is more structured, which I’m also a fan of, and have in a black croc version on my wishlist. The Neo still features the motorcycle look but has more structured edges. There’s also a new shape that resembles the design and texture of the classic called the “cagole” that looks like a guitar bag.

That said, if you are looking for any variation of the classic city bag, there are so many in great condition available on luxury resell sites like FashionPhile and Rebag. If you’re looking for this exact color, I recommend checking a nearby outlet store and resell sites.