Miu Miu Large East West Tote | Large Classic Sand Colored Leather Tote

Posted on: Feb 24

Miu Miu is almost always surprising. Their quirky, irreverent designs are the perfect complement to the more classic Prada line, and I always look forward to seeing what Miuccia will come up with next.

With the Miu Miu Large East West Tote, I find myself surprised, but not in a good way. I am surprised by the uncharacteristically bland design of this tote. The color is perfectly neutral, and I'm sure it will go with anything, but honestly, I just find it a bit boring. It might be a nice shade on a different bag, but on something so boxy and uninspired, the neutral tone only contributes to the overall blah-ness.

The shape itself isn't bad, really. But the details take the boring rectangular shape and make it look clunky and over-thought. The pleats are oddly placed next to the cute pouch pocket, and the pocket itself looks less cute with the enormous hardware slapped onto it.

The dual rolled leather handles are durable and comfortable to carry, but they look awkward on top of the tote. Perhaps it is the squarish goldtone rings that attach the handles to the bag, but they just don't flow with the lines of the bag. Also, they seem a little thin for a bag that you could easily pack ten pounds of stuff into.

All-in-all, I am deeply surprised and disappointed with this lackluster bag by one of my favorite lines. And for $1,295 retail, there's just no excuse for being boring.