Something Old, Something New

You might have seen one of my Mulberry Roxanne reviews. And maybe also my Roxette unboxing  - though I just realised, I haven't done a proper review yet, so need to do that asap! Anyway, back to the here and now: the Roxette is often described as the modern take on the Roxanne, so I thought I'd do a quick comparison video.

I need to state here that I am comparing the Small Roxette with the Roxanne, so you could argue that I should compare the Roxanne with the Regular Roxette but I don't have one of those and the Rosemary is a fair bit smaller that the Small Roxette.

Fancy having a look? Measurements for your info at the bottom!

Which one is your favourite?

Roxanne measures ca width 34 cm, depth 18 cm, height 19 cm. Handledrop is ca 22cm.

Roxette measures ca width 30 cm, depth 14 cm, height 21 cm. Handledrop is ca 10cm - but you do get a long adjustable strap.

Mulberry Bayswater Guide

Nevermind all those Alexas, Roxannes or Darias, the Bayswater has got to be Mulberry's most iconic and recognisable bag. And there are quite a few variations about...

The classic one

Bayswater

Handle drop: between 15.5 and 19cm

W36cm, H26cm, D16cm

Weight: between 760 and 1510g

Pros: Timeless, elegant, beautiful, lots of choices for colour and leather.

Cons: Can be heavy, not easy to wear on shoulder (especially with a heavy winter coat), piping is prone to wear.

The Baby Bayswater

Ledbury

Handle drop 10cm

W27cm, H20cm, D16cm

Weight 600g approx.

Pros: Same iconic design as Bayswater but lighter, available with or without lining, with or without belt, great value, attach a strap with a bit of DIY

Cons: Not big enough for A4, piping is prone to wear.

The functional one

  Bayswater for MacBook

Handle drop: 19cm

W36cm, H26cm, D13cm

Weight: 1000g approx. 

Pros: Bayswater style on the outside, organised on the inside, slightly longer handles, takes A4.

Cons: only available in Oak NVT and Black Drummed Patent Leather, hard to find.

The one with a twist 

Heritage Bayswater

Handle drop 13cm

Strap drop 53cm - 60cm

W38cm, H29cm, D17.5cm

Weight 1350g approx.

Pros: "a bit special", slouchy look, lovely leather, long strap.

Cons: Can be hard to find as fairly rare, limited choices of leather, fiddly strap closure, strain on hardware of strap if bag is fully loaded.

This one also came as a scaled down version

Small Heritage Bayswater

Handle Drop 7.5cm

Strap Drop: 57cm - 65cm

W26cm, H22cm, D14cm

Weight 620g 758

Pros: More unusual/interesting than the SBS, same good looks as the Heritage in a smaller package.

Cons: Even harder to find than the regular sized Heritage, fiddly strap closure.

The popular one 

Small Bayswater Satchel (SBS)

Handle Drop: 7cm

Strap Drop: 59cm - 66cm 

W26cm, H20cm, D16cm.

Weight: 800g approx

Pros: Versatile thanks to handles and long strap, good size for everyday, good choice of leathers

Cons: Piping prone to wear, too small for A4, expensive compared to Ledbury.

The long one

East West Bayswater

Handle drop: 17 19

W33cm, H17cm, D15cm.

Weight 710 876

Pros: Similar size to Ledbury but longer handles, good choice of leather, good value.

Cons: Piping prone to wear, proportions not quite as attractive as in Ledbury/SBS/Bayswater.

The practical one

Bayswater Double Zip Tote

Handle drop: 17cm (variable)

Strap drop: 50-60cm

W42cm, H24cm, D16cm

Weight: 1450g

Pros: Lots of compartments, practical, versatile thanks to long strap and handles (which are also adjustable).

Cons: Bulky items prone to "poke through" if carried in outside pockets, open compartment can't be closed.

Again, available as a small version

Small Bayswater Double Zip Tote

Handle drop: 10-15cm

Strap drop: 43-48cm

W30cm, H20cm, D12cm

Pros: Same practical compartments but lighter and smaller "everyday" style, available in Glossy Goat, which is hardwearing.

Cons: Long strap too short to wear cross body, strap attaches not with carabiner but by looping it through and securing with metal pin.

The casual one

Bayswater Tote

Handle drop: 18cm

W42cm, H31cm, D17cm

Weight: 1100g

Pros: Huge!, classic Bayswater in a relaxed style.

Cons: Huge!, piping prone to wear, limited leather choice.

The relaxed one

 Bayswater Buckle
Handle drop: 19cm
W36-49cm, H24cm, 18cm
Weight: 1350g
Pros: Quite big!, between formal and relaxed.
Cons: Quite big!, bulky as very wide, partially open at the top (pickpockets & rain!).


Available in 'small'...

Small Bayswater Buckle  
Handle drop: 10cm
W30-43cm, H27cm, D15cm
Weight: 1060g
Pros: Good alternative to classic Bayswater (capacity wise) but lighter, surprisingly spacious.
Cons: Not that easy to get hold of, partially open at the top.


...and dinky!

Mini Bayswater Buckle 
Handle drop: 6cm
Strap drop: up to 53cm
W22-33cm, H18cm, D13cm
Pros: Surprisingly spacious, long strap (goes cross body!), cute!
Cons: Partially open at the top, very short handles.

The 'new' one

 New Bayswater

Handle drop: 16cm

W45cm, H28cm, D17cm

Weight: unknown - apparently lighter than the classic style

Pros: Carry with flaps out or in, lighter than classic Bayswater, no piping that would wear, structured.

Cons: Hardware flimsy and brassy looking, not known yet how this leather and model will wear and age.

 The 'new' SBS

  Small New Bayswater

Handle drop: 9cm

W33cm, H21cm, D13cm

Strap drop: 47cm

Weight: unknown

Pros: Structured, modern, unfussy, roomy, practical, inside pocket on the front makes it more accessible, better position of d-rings.

Cons: Not as cute looking, new hardware looks cheap and feels flimsy, long strap too short for cross body.

Phew. That's pretty much it. And I haven't even talked about the Bayswater Shoulder. Or the Cookies. Or the Tooled. Which one is your favourite?

Mulberry Makeover

I love a good makeover. A bespectacled wallflower (with surprisingly good bone structure) gets primped and prodded until she emerges all smoothed, refined and desirable. Just in time to snag her prince. Hm. Ok...
 
Anyway. Our beloved Mulberry Bayswater had a makeover - as had her little sister the Small Bayswater Satchel. I thought I'd do a comparison between the classic SBS (which in itself is a made-over Ledbury) and the Small New Bayswater.

Size
Very comparable as you can see on the pic.
According to Mulberry's webshop the measurements are
SBS H16, W26, D14. Handle drop 8cm.
SNB H21, W26 - 33, D13. Handle drop 9cm.
I would guess that they are listed with a 5cm height difference because the SBS is much slouchier and was probably measured in it's slouchier, un-stuffed form. You can see here though that they are pretty similar.

Looking at them from the side, is where you'd notice the biggest difference in re to size: whilst the SBS is deep at the bottom, the straps pull it together at the top. Of course, you could just undo them but I think most people leave it like this. 

Structure
The SBS is quite slouchy. This is partially due to the leather, partially due to its construction. (More on the leather later.) The main difference in construction is how the bag's "body" and side panels have been joined. In the SBS the leather is folded in on itself and then piping (re-inforced leather tubes) is sewn to the edges before it is joined onto the other panel. 
For the Small New Baywater the edges are essentially sewn on top of each other and have then inking applied for protection. You can see this in the above picture. This technique was used on quite a few vintage Mulberry bags I've seen, e.g. the Kelly or the Roxanne. 

Leather
SBS in classic NVT Oak: quite soft, varying grain as it "retains the individual grain pattern of the skin", matte. The inside is unlined, so you get the brushed underside of the leather.

NSB in Oak Natural Grain Leather: sturdier, even grain as it "has been print assisted to make the grain consistent and regular". ("print assisted" - seriously?!), more sheen. Suede lined.

Hardware
The SBS has brass hardware, which is fairly matte, so it looks a bit more understated than, for example, soft gold components. It is also less prone to scratches. The postman's lock is made up out of the lock plate, on which the actual lock sits, and the top plate, which covers the inside and outside of the leather flap that closes the bag. The lock is pretty sturdy and the lock plates protect the leather/suede from getting grubby too quickly. On the top lockplate, we have the tree embossed above the hole, i.e. you will see it right above the turnlock when the bag is closed.

The SNB hardware is much shinier and - even though it is called "brass" - looks much more golden. The lock components have been reduced to the bare essentials, so we lost the bottom plate and the plate on the inside of the flap. Instead of an embossed tree above the turnlock, we now have the Mulberry lettering embossed underneath. (Can't believe I forgot to take those pics - sorry! Will try and add them another time!)

Shoulder Strap
Both bags come with a shoulder strap but the SBS' strap delivers a bag drop of up to 67cm, whilst the NSB's bag drop only measures 47cm.

 
On the SBS the d-rings are attached directly to the top of the side panel and rub a bit on the top flap. On the SNB they have been re-positioned in such a way that they no longer rub on the flap. 

What else...
On the new model, the inside pocket has been moved into the front, which makes it more easily accessible. Another change is that there is no longer a cloche. Oh, and as I said above, no longer a belt to make the bag bigger or smaller.

So, which one is better? 
Very much down to personal opinion! For me, each one scores a few points:

The New Small Bayswater wins for me because
As I prefer boxy bags, I like the sturdier leather and more structured design of the Small New Bayswater - even if I think the SBS just looks prettier. Ditto on the belt: I like how it looks but the unfussier and roomier version without it, just works better on a practical level for me. The re-positioning of the internal pocket is also a simple but well thought out change. Oh, and last but not least, I think the way the d-rings have been re-positioned is clever.

I can't quite decide who should win
The Mulberry cloche is a quirky and cute design feature but I usually end up moving it somewhere where it doesn't annoy me, so I'm not too fussed about that going. Likewise, I liked the fobs on the inside, as they help me identify a genuine bag (or rather: spot a fake on many occasions) but I have no doubt that other features will soon become apparent that will allow us to do that.

The Small Bayswater Satchel wins for me because
What is the story with the new hardware?! Shine aside, the colour just looks cheap, too yellow. I prefer the more discreet tree logo to the "Mulberry" lettering. The lock mechanism feels flimsy, the absence of the lock plate makes me think that the suede there will just wear really quickly. 
I much prefer the look of the classic NVT Oak: it has real character and looks natural. There isn't much "natural" about the new "Oak Natural Grain Leather": the grain is embossed, the colour looks more ginger than natural leather.
A big disappointment is for me the length of the strap. Truly good design is where function leads the fashion and this has been applied in a number of things mentioned above. Why not make this now even more practical bag suitable for cross body carrying? These extra few centimetres of leather would have made a huge difference but they are probably the deal breaker for me.

Well, I hope the SBS will stay for a while and even if it will disappear out of main stores, that the outlets will continue to carry it, much like they've done with the likes of the Mitzy and the Somerset.

Which one do you prefer? I quite liked her with the glasses on because sometimes what you have is just right - even if you could prod and find fault...

Oak NVT Printed vs Glossy Goat

Picking a bag is hard, right? First you might consider style and features:

• Is it big or small? 
• Structured or soft? 
• Hand-held or (also) suitable to be carried on the shoulder?

Then you have to select the "right" colour, that will work with your wardrobe. Though I don't tend to think about that, I just go with what I like (more often that not that's Oak NVT), I know many of others are more adventurous when it comes to choosing a colour.
 
And then you might become aware that different leathers have different characteristics. Where one finish might age visibly and develop a patina, another one might not change as quickly. One type of leather might make a bag slouchy, another will provide some structure. Oh, and they might also be paired with different hardware: brass, soft gold or nickel... 

Didn't I say this is hard?

As I happen to currently house two Bayswaters (to me the most iconic of Mulberry's styles) in two different finishes, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to compare these!

So scroll down and have a look at my video but I first also a few closeups so you can see the difference really well.

 NVT in Printed Oak

The leather is embossed with a pattern of sorts, that will remind you of a reptile skin - hence it often being called 'croc'. The print lends a structure to the bag, making it more rigid. The leather has that natural oak feel but is not as matte; it appears glossier and will become more so with use. The leather between the printed lines is smooth, colour varies, goes marginally lighter and darker. NVT Oak is notoriously prone to waterspots and many owners don't dare take their oak bags out in the rain. Regular treatment with Collonil will protect against this though.

The hardware on the older oak styles tends to be brass. Matte and more understated than the gold, it is actually my favourite finish. Not least because it doesn't get scratched as easily as the shinier hardware.

Glossy Goat

Since making the video I looked this up (thanks, Shian!) and this nicely even grain is, indeed, embossed. I have heard many goatskin bag owners use the word "bombproof". I can't vouch for that myself but the glossy finish certainly seems less sensitive than NVT. Overall the bag seems softer though and I do know that it will slouch quicker than the printed NVT.

The hardware on this Bayswater is soft gold. It is highly polished and I would say looks more formal and dressier than the brass. Being so glossy, it will show scratches sooner than brass.

Right, I think that's it - have a look at my video for a full on comparison!

Chicken or Egg?

So if you've seen my post on the Ledbury conversion, you know that I essentially took an older model bag (Ledbury) and customised it so I was able to wear it with a strap, effectively creating a Small Bayswater Satchel - hence a newer model.

You could say it's ironic (though it's really just the logic precursor) that whereas I took the SBS as an inspiration to customise the Ledbury, Mulberry took the Ledbury as the inspiration for the SBS.

So what's better? Ledbury or SBS? There's only one way to find out...