One, two, tri(o)

A few days back, I got a comment from Hydra asking me about review of the Trio. Here it is.

What: Trio bag (small) by Céline. 3 pouches attached by snap fasteners with an adjustable long strap attached on the middle compartment. Dimensions: width 22 cm x height: 15 cm. Inside of the bag is lined with grey felt.

When: Bought in November 2013.

How much: 650 euros.

Frequency of wear: at least once a week sometimes more. When on vacation, it can be my every-single-day bag.

Aspect: What it looked like when I bought it here (sorry I didn't think to take more pictures back then!) and what it looks like after more than 2 years of use:

The leather at one of the bottom corner is fading, the leather at the strap is fraying a bit.

Content:

What I can easily put in my Trio:

wallet,
transport card
pouch with lady stuff (tampons, pad, physiological saline etc.)
hand cream, lip balm, lipstick, hand sanitizer gel, tissues, chewing-gum, vitamin C,
Shopping bag,
glasses (not featured because on my nose)
earphones and phone which I used to take the picture so...

Protection tips:

Waterproof spray is essential to protect leather from stains. I do wear my Trio in the rain BUT like any other bags I usually extra spray it before leaving the house. I also have a big bell umbrella which offers much more coverage than a standard one. 

Finally if it rains too much or if I'm in a place where I fear some damage could happen to it, I either put it underneath my outerwear (like Keira here) or take out the folded shopping bag I carry in one of the pockets and put the Trio in it.

Downsides:

Be extra-careful when putting your stuff in one of the pouch, the space in between can be misleading. What I mean is that, I more than once almost dropped my phone in the space in between the pouches!

The leather is very fragile, mine is doing OK after 2 years + of intensive wear and even if I don't "baby" it (I took it to bars, concerts, the beach even), I'm careful with it. Unless you are able to shell out that amount of money anytime (good for you!), I'd recommend to be mindful and at least waterproof spray it very often.

Also for that reason, be careful with second-hand. At first I tried to buy one on Vestiaire Collective to save a little money. The seller described it as "new". When Vestiaire Collective received it, they contacted me to inform me that the bag had as evidenced by the pics they shared with me (huge) water stains on it which clearly were not visible nor stated on the seller's notice. I was able to cancel the purchase. My advice would be that it's best to see/inspect what you get or rely on a trusted consignment service.    

What having a Trio taught me:

that I didn't need a companion wallet,

that I could survive without my whole house,

that I could use my outerwear pockets to store a book and/or an umbrella if needed,

that my shoulders and back appreciate the weight drop,

that it feels good to regain the use of my arms and hands: I've always been a fervent partisan of practicality which is why I've abjured bags with short handles that can't fit over the shoulder (never understood the concept of wearing a bag in the crook of the arm à la Victoria Beckham, it's so awkward and must be quite painful at the end of the day),

that it goes with everything and works on any social occasions, 

that it was worth all those bucks but I'd appreciate if the ever increasing price would stall or even stop so that I could maybe contemplate buying the Trio in bordeaux. I guess as long as it remains popular, one can dream.