Celine Micro Belt Bag Review

Celine Micro Belt Bag Review

I’m finally here with my review on the Celine Micro Belt Bag in Clay! I know I briefly told you the story of how I acquired this bag, but for those of you who don’t know and for a more in depth tale, I will start with that as an introduction before I review it. If you’re purely just here for the review, scroll down.

So I had always loved the Celine Belt Bag style, so much so that I had been eyeing it up for around 3 years or so (I saw it on Marianna here). As you know, a couple of years ago I finally got my beloved Nano Luggage in Dune which I reviewed for you, so this makes my second Celine purchase. The colour that I wanted in the Belt Bag though was either the Clay or the Light Taupe. I had decided that the Light Taupe was too similar to my Dune, so I opted for Clay as I thought that made the most sense. I was selling so much of my stuff on eBay to raise money for this beauty, but it took me quite a few months to finally save up enough for it. This is when the trouble started! Typically, as I’d then saved enough and was heading to London in mid April for a doctors appointment, I was going to go to the Celine boutique and pick it up – but that’s not what happened.

The week before I was on my way to London, Celine had removed the Micro Belt Bag in Clay from the website and that sparked concerns with me. I am used to this happening on other websites and it usually means it’s being discontinued and not available anymore. I messaged Celine and they had told me that the Clay shade was no longer available in Europe! I was terrified by this, thinking the bag that I had just saved up so much money for and was buying next week wasn’t even going to be there. Adam called the Mount Street boutique for me, and it was true, there was no Clay left at all. The sales assistant was extremely helpful though and said that he had checked all of the UK stock levels on their system, including concessions, and had found one single Micro Belt Bag in Clay available, and it was at Dover Street Market. He wasn’t certain though as the stock checker isn’t always up to date by the minute.

Adam called Dover Street Market for me and spoke to a wonderful guy there who confirmed they did have one left, the only one left in the UK (and Europe apparently) and that he would hold it for 3 days for me until I could get to the shop. I was ecstatic at this point, but also incredibly nervous! I’d never had a chance to even see the bag in person and make sure that it suited me, was the right size etc, so committing to putting it on hold to buy it was all very last minute. I was 99% sure it would be perfect for me in person, but you know you always worry with something so expensive.

Anyway, after my doctors appointment (when I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome), Adam and I made our way to Dover Street Market to get the bag. I was nervous as I was hoping that it hadn’t been sold by accident, so I was feeling a lot of anxiety at this point. I had never been to the boutique before either and when I got there, it was crazy! The layout and design is extremely futuristic and cool, so it’s not the usual place I would shop. We made our way to the Celine concession and I started to relax more as the guy said he still had it held for me and went to get it. I was browsing around while I waited and saw that they now had a Nano Belt Bag as well, which was catching my eye  and then I wasn’t sure if I wanted that one instead as it was smaller… (perhaps a future purchase?), but as soon as he brought the Micro out and revealed it to me, I loved it.

As we were indoors with the shop lighting, I couldn’t quite see the colour clearly and was unsure on whether or not it was the exact shade I wanted and had seen online, and after examining it for about 5 minutes, trying it on, making sure I wanted that size, I said I would take it and that was that. I was walking around London clutching that gift bag so tight to make sure nothing happened to it! Once I got home though, I was checking it in my room light, but then saw it in daylight the next day and it’s truly gorgeous! I can’t even explain the colour as it has numerous shades, but I will talk about that in the review which I am starting below in just a second. Overall, I’m extremely excited to own this beautiful bag and have worn it numerous times already, as you’ve seen here, here and here. I feel very lucky that I was able to save enough for it and get the last one available, especially as it came so close to not being possible! It was just meant to be and that’s how I know it was right. It was the same with my Nano Luggage, it was the last one in the boutique, so it was made for me!

Buy pre-owned Celine Belt Bags online at Vestiaire.com

The Design & Details

So what attracted me to the Belt Bag style in the first place was purely the design and how classy, sleek, minimal it looked while still remaining beautiful and stylish. It’s been a part of the Celine collection for years and will remain a classic as much as their Luggage bags. As you can see it has a top handle and a large flap closure. There’s a zip closure as well to keep everything secure inside. It also features a outer zipped pocket on the back of the bag, an inner flat, slip pocket, and the closure is pretty cool. You can see how it looks in one of the photos below, but the circular metal component slots into the runner and it secures it shut. This can be quite fiddly to open in a rush though, but a lot of people tend to leave the flap just hanging over the strap, which is really cool! It’s called the Belt Bag because of the belt that’s knotted across the front. It’s purely for aesthetical design purposes, but it’s a great touch! The branding is minimal too, as it is with Celine, so it only has a little gold Celine stamp on the front, bottom location of the bag.

The Sizing

This Micro version is 9″ in length, 8″ in height, and 5″ in depth, so it’s quite a decent size and holds so much stuff. It’s probably my biggest designer bag in my collection actually as I usually prefer the smaller cross-body styles, but luckily this can be worn that way too as it comes with a detachable strap with a 21″ drop. There’s 3 different sizes in total, starting at the largest which is actually called the Small, to the middle size of the Micro (mine) and the smallest size of the Nano, so if you love the design of this bag but think it’s too small or too big, you can opt for another size instead. There used to be a Mini as well, but that doesn’t seem to be available anymore. For me the Micro is ideal as it’s small enough to be worn on my body without being overwhelming, but it’s big enough for me to carry a lot of extra items around that I can’t usually fit into my cross-body bags.

The Leather

This Belt Bag is made from a Grained Calfskin so it has that drummed effect to it, just like my Luggage bag does. It’s a really sturdy leather and it’s strong, but it can easily get scratched. I’ve noticed that it’s quite delicate as it doesn’t seem treated or as smooth/shiny feeling as my other one. The leather is very matte in appearance and with that, it can easily mark with nails. There’s a little worn area by the closure which I noticed, and a little tiny scratch under the top handle on the top of the bag, both of which I am assuming is from nails. It features a calfskin lining as well, as you can see, and that’s more of a suede type inside, or the underside of the leather if you will. It’s of extremely high quality and made in Italy, so you can see it’s of the highest standard and it has that smell to it that designer bags have. Since it’s delicate though, you obviously want to avoid contact with water, grease, perfumes and cosmetics and keep it stored in the dust bag when it’s not being used. I’m always really delicate with my bags anyway, and since this doesn’t have any metal feet on the bottom of it, be very careful where you place it too so you don’t scratch the bottom.

The Price

Now this is the tricky part as Celine had a price increase in March and this Micro Belt Bag is now £1500. It’s gone up quite a lot since I first fell in love with it years ago, but as with inflation and most designer items, that’s what happens. I never know what to write in the price section of my reviews though as it’s always person dependent. If you love designer bags and are saving up for one, you know the drill and this is more affordable than most other designers. However, other people will be completely shocked and freaked out by such a price tag which can often be 2-3 months rent. I justify mine by the fact that I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t smoke, I don’t go to parties or have nights out etc (not because I deprive myself – it’s just not me) and I sell a lot of my old pieces to make money for newer ones. I absolutely love fashion and since this bag is going to be with me for a lifetime and is classic enough to be worn at any decade, that’s how I know it’s something I want to do. Plus, since it’s a classic, it’s always an investment piece as you can sell them for almost the same money you paid – near enough. So yeah, no judgement on this section please as we all spend our money on what we like. I know some people who wouldn’t think twice about spending £2000 on a TV and that might only last a few years etc. It’s all what we choose, and if you know Celine and adore the quality as much as I do, you will appreciate this one. The craftsmanship is outstanding!

The Colour

As you know, this bag is called Clay and it’s so hard to describe! In some ways it’s actually just like clay, the light grey, air dried clay when you are making home made pottery, but in other lights, it has a taupe appearance to it that is just warming. I don’t know how it’s possible for a bag to look warm and taupe in some lights, but cool and clay grey in others. It also changes shades of lightness and darkness. Indoors, it’s a darker taupe, so it’s misleading in colour, then outside in the sunshine, it’s a really bright, almost white/light grey to the point that it looks entirely different. That’s what I love about it as it makes it incredibly versatile and suited to literally everything you want to wear, whether it’s warm or cool toned outfits! Since this isn’t available anymore though, I recommend the Light Taupe as the next option. I’ve seen it in person and it’s very similar, but warmer with more of a beige undertone than grey, but it’s still a perfect neutral.

4 Ways To Wear The Celine Micro Belt Bag

Now as you can see in the pictures below, this bag is so versatile in how you wear it. There’s 4 ways to style it and that consists of across your body so it sits securely on your front, or your back, however you choose to make it sit. Then there’s the draped off one shoulder, which is really easy and stylish. There’s the holding it on the crook of your arm, which is very easy to do and looks chic with dresses and jeans, or you can easily hold it down by the side in your hand with the top handle. As I said, it’s so versatile that it works for any occasion. Whether you’re a mum on the go and need to have it cross-body to keep up with the children, but would want it carried by the top handle at night, or if you’re someone who loves shopping in the daytime and carrying it on the crook of your arm, it works. Since it’s a great size, it makes a perfect travel bag too with the detachable strap.

My Overall Opinion

I literally have nothing negative to say about this bag at all. I wouldn’t have bought it if I wasn’t 100% sure on it as it’s an investment piece with a hefty price tag. Compared to most designer bag brands, Celine is often at the more affordable end of the scale actually, so if you were to buy a bag this size and of this quality from another designer, you’d be looking at paying well over £2500. That, in my opinion, makes it more worth it alone. I love the design and shape of it, the little features and details, the Clay colour, the ways to wear it… It’s all beautiful.

I guess my only complaint if I had to make one would be that the leather can mark easily, but that’s not just a complaint to this bag only, pretty much all of my designer leather bags are delicate. It’s just how it is. For me, it’s one of my best purchases (I love it almost the same amount as my Nano Luggage) and that’s why I’ve waited to write this review as I wanted to do it properly. Can you believe it’s just over 2500 words long? With that being said though, I wanted to make sure I did it justice, shared the right photos with you, and wrote as much as possible about it to help any of you who might be wanting to make the purchase. It’s worth it if you love designer bags! It’s a 10/10 from me. It’s one you will reach for regularly! If you do have any questions, please just leave me a comment below and I will respond. Lorna xx.

Buy pre-owned Celine Belt Bags online at Vestiaire.com

P.S. – Here’s a video below showing the bag in a bigger size from another blogger. I thought it was useful to see the design and how it moves in person as well as my photos.