Polene Number One Mini Bag Review

I don’t think I’ve received as much interest in a new wardrobe addition as I have with my latest handbag: the Polene Number One Mini. Cross body bags have become my bread and butter now that I work from home, and I tend to prefer something that is more of a small to medium size. Enough to carry all my essentials, but not large enough that it looks boxy or bulky against my frame.

Wearing Faithfull midi dress (here in green), Polene Number One Mini bag in ‘sand’ (gifted), Marks & Spencer nude mules, Madewell earrings (old but love these), Mejuri necklace

I was first drawn to Polene after spotting their Number One Bag. It’s a large, structured day bag with a thick leather cross body strap. But the bag that really caught my eye was the Number One Mini. It felt more delicate, and I loved the contrast of leather with the fine chain strap. So when the lovely team at Polene reached out and asked if I’d like to try one of their products, I jumped at the chance.

Now that I’ve had this bag on regular rotation for over a month, I wanted to sit down and run through some of my thoughts. What are the quality of the materials like? How does it wear? And is the Polene Number One Mini worth the splurge?

Let’s dive right in…

QUICK FACTS

Price: $330 USD
The Polene Number One Mini is available in fifteen colours: burgundy, monochrome burgundy, terre de sienne, black, monochrome black, green, sand, camel, grey, monochrome pink, monochrome red, blue, peach, pastel blue, and pastel green
Made in: Spain
Fabric: Full-grained calf leather
Dimensions: 20.5cm tall, 18cm wide, and 9cm deep
Care: Avoid contact with water, and when not worn, keep away from light and moisture. A clear nourishing milk or cream can be applied to the grained leather up to three times per year.

SIZE & QUALITY

SIZE: This is one of the smaller handbags that Polene carries. It measures 20.5cm tall, 18cm wide, and 9cm deep. It’s enough for all the essentials, though if you like to carry more rather than less, you may need to edit it down a little. I’m 5’8” and I think that it’s perfectly balanced against my frame. The aged gold chain is adjustable, and can be knotted on the inside to suit your height. I’ve knotted it about 3 inches in, in the photos above.

FABRIC COMPOSITION: The Polene Number One Mini Bag is made from a full-grained calf leather. It has a smooth pebbled finish on the lower half of the bag, and a brushed suede finish on the flap. Being a lighter colour, it will be prone to colour transfer, so the first thing I did before taking it out and about was to spray it with a leather protectant. A grained calf leather is incredibly hard-wearing and one of my top picks when it comes to throw-around every day handbags. Minor scuffs or scrapes generally buff out with ease, and it wears well over time. The suede on the other hand, is much more high maintenance, especially if you pick a lighter colour. I opted for the ‘sand’ color, and despite pre-treating the bag before use, have already managed to get a small mark on the suede flap.

DETAILS: The details I really love about the bag are the small pouch-like design, and the brushed gold hardware. The chain strap with the brushed gold finish has the effect of looking like jewellery; the perfect addition to elevate an outfit or to throw on for date night. The closure is a hinged metallic clasp which can be opened with one hand, and around the top closure of the bag, are a couple of snaps which makes the interior more easily accessible. The interior is lined in a light cotton canvas, with a small pocket. There’s also a small slip pocket at the bag of the bag which could fit a travel card or receipts, and feet on all four corners at the base. The actual bag is quite structured, so despite being such a smooth soft leather, it does seem to hold and retain its shape very well.

FINAL VERDICT

The Polene Number One Mini Bag is billed as a day bag with an elegant, easy-going style. And, I’m inclined to agree. It feels a lot more dressed up than the larger day option, which I think makes this a great transitional piece from day to night. The combination of grain leather with suede gives the monochrome style more of an elevated feel, which is enhanced by the aged gold hardware.

The thing that really blew me away was the quality of the materials. It’s a designer quality handbag that stands up to the likes of my Celine and Phillip Lim bags, but without the same designer price tag.

My favourite feature by far is the chain strap. This is admittedly quite long, and I don’t love how it looks full length on me, so I knot this a few inches in so that it sits at hip height on me (as per the pictures above). It’s an easy fix however I can’t say how the chain strap will wear when knotted over time at this stage. There’s the possibility that the chain could tarnish, scratch, or chip, but I haven’t had any issues in the two months I’ve had it.

I also really like the effectiveness and simplicity of the closure. It can be opened and closed using one hand, and there’s enough space at the mouth of the bag to reach in and grab your belongings. It’s handy that there’s a snap closure at this opening too, in case you want to put a wider item inside. That said, it’s not the roomiest bag I own. I can fit all my essentials: wallet, keys, iPhone 8S, sunglasses and lipstick. The one thing I’m always left carrying when I use this bag is my latest read.

As a nod to practicality, it’s great to see that there are feet at the base of the bag. However it’s probably safe to say that I prefer to keep this one on my lap rather than on the floor, especially given the light colour I chose.

Perhaps my only niggle with this bag is the suede flap. It’s both a treasure and a curse. It adds an additional layer of softness and elegance to the design, but it’s far from practical. Despite spraying it with a leather protectant, I’ve already noticed I have a small mark on the left. Suede is beautiful, but high maintenance to be sure, so if you’re a little clumsy with your bags I would either opt for a darker colour or a full leather option.

TL;DR: Overall, I really adore the Polene Number One Mini Bag, and have enjoyed adding it into regular rotation. The price point is great given it stands up against its designer counterparts – the quality of materials is superb. Only thing worth noting is that the suede is high maintenance, so opt for a darker colour if you want something a bit easier to care for.