Teddy Blake Carla nano handbag*
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to dropping some of my hard-earned cash on a handbag, I’m usually pretty quick to look at the brands that I already know. I’m a creature of habit, and I seldom stray from the path of the familiar. So when the opportunity came knocking to road test a bag of quality, without the steep price tag, I literally jumped at the chance.
The brand in question is Teddy Blake; a New York based company offering three very iconic styles in small and large sizes (two of which bear an uncanny resemblance to Hermes). I took the less obvious route, opting for the ‘Carla’, which struck me as a more affordable option to Saint Laurent’s Sac Du Jour.
Now if you’re wondering about the quality, there’s little that I can fault. It has all the hallmarks of a luxury or designer handbag – beautiful pebbled leather, good structure, suede lining, and steel feet at the base of the bag. The one thing that completely baffles me though, is the nylon lining in the inner zip up pocket – it feels a little inconsistent and is the only aspect of the bag which feels a little cheap to me.
I picked this up in the nano size, so it’s pretty fair to say that you won’t be fitting everything and the kitchen sink in here – it’s strictly a wallet, keys, phone and a few miscellaneous tubes of lipstick that are going to be fitting in here. I’m usually want to carry around a little more than I need, so this has been great for those weekends when I’m running the odd errand, and only want to take the essentials with me.
Overall, I’m quite impressed with the bag, and all it has to offer. The quality was more than I could ever have expected, and I’ve gotten more than just the occasional compliment when wearing it.
So, that brings me to my question; would you shop from a brand that you’re unfamiliar with?
* bag was gifted to me for review purposes; this is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
Hi Jamie-Lee! I wanted to give you some love on your blog! I stumbled upon your youtube channel a few weeks ago when searching up Everlane reviews and have been hooked on your channel since. What makes your channel different and unique to me, is that you work in a corp office so I can really appreciate your fashion tips as I am in the same position. Also, you are a very educated shopper and I appreciate that. It is so important to know your brands and how to judge quality; that is something I am really trying to educate myself on so when you talk about quality of fabrics, ease of washing, pilling, how materials wear etc it is so helpful in a review and something I haven’t seen before in fashion channels.
I also love your minimalist style! I’ve been working corp for a few years now and looking to upgrade my wardrobe, and your videos are great inspiration. I commend you for working full time and also having a consistent videos uploaded (I don’t know how you do it!).
If you are ever stumped for video ideas, some things I’d love to see you talk about are caring for your high quality pieces ie how to care for silk/leather/linen etc or maybe a demo on your de-piller (I now want to buy one since you mentioned it!). For someone who has rarely invested in high quality clothing, but now would like to, I think it’d be great to know how to care for more expensive items.
Keep up the great work! Cheers!
Author
Hi Jainna! Firstly, I want to apologise for the incredibly late response – somehow, I managed to miss your comment, but so glad that I found it. I’m so glad to hear that you have been enjoying my channel, and I hope that all has been going well in your own journey towards a cohesive wardrobe (filled with clothing you love that is also great quality!).
I’m pretty grateful that Luke helps me out with outfit photos on the weekend, and I have a job that runs form 9.30 – 6, which gives me a little bit of extra time in the morning. It’s funny because often I wonder what I would do with myself if I didn’t have my blog & YT taking up my spare time.
I’ll add that video to the list – and I can highly recommend a de-piller. They only cost about $15 which in my opinion, is a complete bargain given how much running one of them over pilling sweater can do. I hope that you’ve been having a wonderful weekend so far, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions (or any other videos you would like to see!) x
I would try any brand, EXCEPT brands who do copies. These guys sell Hermes rip offs and this is obviously heavily inspired Celine… I. Just. Can’t.
Author
That’s fair enough! I thought it was worth seeing how the quality compared, particularly as there are some whose budget’s don’t extend to the likes of Saint Laurent et al. Definitely going to be looking to somewhere like Kate Spade for my next bag – affordable and cute! 🙂
I am waiting on my purchase of a Teddy Blake. These are not copies — this is a style — Hermes does NOT have a patent on it, clearly. I will NEVER be able to afford a Hermes, nor would I want to. I’d never spend that amount on a bag. I’m an LV lover & decided to try something different. But I’m irritated by those who say it’s a “dupe”, “copy”, “knockoff”. I love the STYLE, so that’s why I ordered it. I can’t wait to get it in a few days. Why should I be begrudged a style because I don’t have nor would I spend $10,000?! I have an LV Petite Noe — a bucket bag — which is a STYLE, made by lots of different brands. Michael Kors, which I also own, has said to have similiarities to LV’s — ok, so? Again, it’s a style — the hanging logo, similiar styles, i.e. the MK Grayson Satchel is very similiar to the Speedy. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with people who buy MK bags that have similiar styles to LV — because not everyone can afford LV’s & MK’s are much more affordable.
I did some research and found out that this brand is around since 1958 and launched their bags before Hermes..
Hi Jamie-Lee!
Just wondering how you are enjoying this bag after a few months of use? I am interested in purchasing one for myself but wanted your thoughts first as it is still a substantial amount of money to spend for a bag coming from overseas on a website I have never shopped at before!
Also, just wanted to say that the content on your blog is fabulous and I really enjoy reading your posts and watching your YouTube videos!
Laura x
Author
Hey Laura!
Mine’s held up really well and I quite often get compliments when I’m wearing it. The leather has worn well, no scratches, and the interior still looks great too so definitely a good option if you want that Saint Laurent look without the Saint Laurent price tag! 🙂
And thanks lovely! So glad you have been enjoying it xx