First Impression: Gucci Ophidia GG small shoulder bag

I recently purchased the Gucci Ophidia GG small shoulder bag from the Gucci boutique at de Bijenkorf, Amsterdam. I love the look and the idea of this bag but I am so torn about keeping it because of its quality and my experience with it so far.

It all started when I first saw it on the Mytheresa website. I have never really been into the logomania thing but, then I saw that photo. That photo was just so aesthetically pleasing and inspiring that I couldn’t stop thinking about the look and the bag. The overall combination and colors just complement each other so beautifully. I became obsessed with that exact photo and that specific style from the Ophidia line. It then took me relatively fast, about 2 weeks, to decide that I wanted it.

Although it seems that this bag has been out since mid-2018, I haven’t been able to find that many reviews on it. I also tried finding mod-shots on Instagram but I barely found any photos of this exact model. Everyone mostly had the dome version. I found some YouTube videos on this specific Ophidia style, but they weren’t really reviews and more like reveals. If you want, you can check out Shea Whitney, Christy Liew, Megan Ly, or NastasiaM53).

I feel like I should have waited longer for more concrete reviews, or just to be sure that this the bag that I want- but, I already pulled the trigger and so here I am with my Gucci Ophidia GG Small.

Why I love this bag

1. In my opinion, the Ophidia line is a Timeless Vintage

The Gucci Ophidia line is a revival of what has been in the ’80s. The bag is exactly the same as it was then, I think minus the gold chain. The bag worked then and it works now. Although this screams Gucci- looking back at the photo from Mytheresa, I just feel like this bag can be understated depending on how you style it. I love the possibility of dressing it in numerous ways. Imagine the bag with a white shirt and jean shorts! Just thinking of it makes me giddy.

Plus, I know this is super far down the line, but, how nice would it be if one day, 30 years from now, I can pass this on? The vintage vibes make it easy for me to do so without it being out of style. I love the vintage vibes coming from the Ophidia line. Even though I’ve never really been into Vintage I think that this is definitely a classic piece to add to my ‘forever’ collection.

2. That beautiful blue satin lining

I have never been so excited to open a bag. The blue satin lining is just so beautiful. It is literally the most beautiful lining I’ve ever seen in a bag. I love the color, I love how soft it is, and it just works. I get excited when I open the bag.

Things that are both a pro and a con

1. The Magnetic Closure

The Gucci Ophidia GG Small has probably the strongest magnet I’ve ever encountered on a bag. It’s not easy to open the bag and that’s both a pro and a con. I love the feeling that there’s an added security- like, I would definitely notice if someone is trying to open my bag and for sure nothing can fall out. At the same time, it is so hard to open and it’s not that convenient sometimes. I did read that it’s better to open from the sides, but I don’t like how the opening can get all bent (there’s more on this down below).

2. It can fit big objects

Although this bag seems relatively tiny, it does fit more than what I thought it could fit. For example, I could fit in my Sony A5100 (although not easily), and my water bottle (about 250-350ml), and I could fit a small book (but then the book would be tall enough that it makes it difficult for the magnet to touch each other and therefore, not close). It fits but it’s not really meant to fit.

3. It’s a classic Gucci

In my opinion this bag is super gorgeous. I love the classic beige Gucci web, the vintage brown leather, and the combination with the gold strap. And although I love the style, I have to admit that sometimes I’m a bit worried that it’s a bit too extra and that it’s just not for me. I mean, there’s the Gucci web then there’s the shiny gold strap, then there’s the shiny gold Gucci logo, and then there’s the bright green and red ribbon in the middle. It’s beautiful but it can get a bit much. I love it but I feel like I might hate it.

?Absolute? cons and why I am torn about this bag

I hate to say this but I feel like the quality of this bag is not worth €1290. I have exchanged this bag twice and I am still not super satisfied with it. To be specific on the issues:

1. The crooked, not-straight, opening.

The opening of this bag has never been super straight for me. This is how the opening of the Ophidia GG Small is supposed to look like.

Whilst mine looks like this:

Maybe I am being overly pedantic about this, but it bothers me how the opening isn’t as straight as it is on the website. Maybe it’s my luck, or maybe it’s just not meant to be that straight. I don’t know. I’m mainly scared that the bent will worsen over time, especially since the magnet is so so strong that I have to open this bag from the sides. At the same time, when you do hold this bag with the chains (as a cross body or shoulder bag) it does cover the opening and it’s not that noticeable. So in the end I don’t really know if it’s an issue.

2. Minor imperfections / marks

• Although minor, many of the Ophidia GG Small bags are already marked from the store. You can see mine down below as an example. It’s just some sort of glue coming off and It’s really minor (and thankfully in the back), but it’s just annoying in my opinion.

• Also, I know that they are going for the vintage vibes, but I just hate how old and worn out the leather looks. I mean, I haven’t even used it and it’s already looking so worn. Admittedly, this is only in some lighting, but still, it bugs me sometimes.
• The ribbon is already quite furry from the store. I don’t know if that makes sense- but basically, the ribbon part is made out of cotton(?) and it’s already frizzing out. I suppose that’s normal but I just don’t know how it will hold up in the future.

Lastly, this isn’t a con against the bag itself, but I don’t think this is the bag that I actually needed/wanted. Afterall, this was an impulse purchase.

Ever since last year I wanted a cross-body bag which I could use for work and off-duty. It needed to be practical, i.e. it needed to fit all the things I needed it to fit and easy to carry, but it also needed to look good. The top 5 which I considered were basically this.

After nearly half a year of pondering and going back-and-forth, I still couldn’t decide which bag I wanted. I was so set on the Givenchy Mini Antigona because of its practicality. Unfortunately, I thought the Antigona was a bit too plain. Following that, I was obsessed with the Céline Nano, but it just didn’t quite work. I also thought that since the Balenciaga city has always worked for me, I should just go ahead and buy the mini version.

These pondering eventually stopped when I finally saw the Gucci Ophidia GG Small. I became super focused on this bag and I kept trying to find ways to justify getting it. It didn’t fit all that I wanted but I thought it could fit enough. The other bag in the running was even the Gucci Super Mini Dionysus. Honestly, I don’t think my choice in this bag makes any sense. My line of thought was: well fine, it is not as practical as the Mini Antigona, but at the same time it is not as impractical as the Mini Dionysus.

I guess I was tired of waiting and honestly despite all that I’ve said, I think the Ophidia is still a gorgeous bag.

To conclude,

I am so torn about keeping this bag. I just got it now and it’s already like this- can you imagine how it’s gonna get as time goes by? At the same time, I love this bag. I just love the look of this bag and I’m not even sure myself if I am being overly meticulous about the quality ‘issues‘. I can see myself wearing this bag over and over, and I am excited when I see it.

Update 🙂

I decided to keep this bag. I couldn’t bring myself to return it despite not being sure that this bag is perfect. Then again, which bag is? I took the plunge and so far it’s been great. I’m still using this bag regularly and I love the whole look on me. Let me know if you’d be interested in a 6-months or 1-year check-in/review.

 

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I hope this has helped you in some ways. I would love to hear your thoughts and thanks for reading.

x
Hana.

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