Loewe Anagram Tote: a backstory
I’ve heard of Loewe of course; its hard to ignore Loewe’s prominence in the fashion industry, presence in social media, and high ownership rates among my friends.
Yet, my personal encounter with Loewe happened almost by accident. A close friend had fallen in love with the Loewe Puzzle Bag and dragged me to the local boutique with her. I’ve never been particularly enamoured with the Puzzle Bag, so while the friend was checking that out, I wandered about and chanced upon this.
Loewe Anagram Tote in calfskin leather (left) and canvas jacquard (right)
It came in two sizes, and both totes had Loewe’s iconic Anagram logo patterned within soft canvas jacquard.
I did not immediately purchase the bag, and in fact was on the fence for about two months. However, after repeatedly going back to the store to try it on, I couldn’t resist it anymore saw that there’s a place for this bag in my collection.
Structure of the Loewe Anagram Tote
The Loewe Anagram tote comes in two sizes:
- Mini: 22cm x 19.5cm x 8.2cm (newly released in Fall Winter 2022)
- Small: 29cm x 25cm x 14cm
- Medium: 32.5cm x 30cm x 17.5cm
The one I personally own is in Small.
Iconic Anagram symbol in the front
The Loewe Anagram tote has calfskin and grained leather versions.
Mine is crafted in canvas jacquard – a hard wearing canvas – on the outside, and has leather straps and inner workings made out of calfskin.
Personally, I chose the canvas versions because it is much lighter than the leather version.
Plain dark grey behind
Double Hold: Firm Handles + Shoulder Straps
Top view
x2 small inner pockets
Notice the thin leather strings?
Tied a bow
What fits in the Loewe Anagram Tote
x2 A5-sized notebooks, cosmetic pouch, long wallet (the Hermes long Bearn wallet), x1 key holder, x2 card holders, and x1 water bottle.
What fits in the Loewe Anagram Tote
Tote open, straps aside
Cardholders: one per pocket
Two A5 notebooks. The thicker one is about an inch in width.
Water Bottle
Adding in the Hermes long Bearn wallet
Hand sanitizer, some lip products, eyeshadow compact
Zip it up…
I don’t usually carry such a large cosmetic case (in fact I usually carry loose cosmetic pieces as they are, or in a much smaller case such as in the chanel mini o’case or the LV mini pochette) – but with tote bags, there’s plenty of space, and this is just to show how much it can fit.
Throwing in the cosmetic case alongside the key holder.
And there’s still room for more – totally possible to add sunglasses, a jacket, or snacks.
Mod Shots
For reference, I am short. I am 154cm tall, or a little over 5 feet.
As the Loewe Anagram tote has two sets of handles (the firmer and shorter braided handles, plus the softer and longer calfskin leather straps), the carrying length is mildly ‘customizable’.
On the crook of the arm:
Using the shorter and firmer handles
Using the softer and longer leather straps
Only the longer straps can hang from the shoulders
Handheld
Overall Pros and Cons
Pros of the Loewe Anagram tote
- Maintains the structure very well, despite repeated usage. I have brought this to work several times, and I use it rather roughly. Durability-wise, it has held up extremely well.
- Given the cost of luxury bags these days, this is a good entry-level piece. At the time of purchase, it was a little over SGD2k. Even with a slight price increase, it may still be worth it (for now).
- If you want something more unique, the Loewe Anagram tote is less ubiquitous / common than tote bags from other equally well-renowned fashion houses (e.g. the LV Neverfull, YSL shopping tote, or Chanel Deauville).
- Comes in both leather and canvas versions, usually in neutral colours (at the time of writing, I’ve seen the bags in brown, ecru/white, black) that goes with everything.
- Wanna elevate your look? Carry a small structured tote like this one. The bag looks amazing no matter what i’m wearing: jeans and tee, workwear, and even a flower-patterned dress.
with something dressier
A little structured tote in black and dark grey: goes with anything
- Poorer resale value compared to other more-famous totes (e.g. LV Neverfull, Chanel Deauville, YSL Shopping tote). Not surprising, given that the bag is less well known.
- Security: this tote is relatively wide-mouthed and VERY open. The structure is easy to get in-and-out, but it maintains that open-ness. Yes, there are little leather straps to tie and close the bag a little, but it’s generally tedious so most people wouldn’t bother. OK to use in Singapore, but depending on where you live, it may not be ideal if pickpockets are around.
- At this point, it is unclear if this bag will be here for the long haul. While I don’t consider it a ‘trendy’ bag due to the classic and simple silhouette, this may or may not be one of those seasonal items that disappear after a few years – it’s really hard to say.
Hope this helps anyone who’s thinking of getting the bag.
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Love the blank on grey on the light grey couch
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