YSL mini camera bag
The Saint Laurent YSL mini camera bag, also known as the lou mini bag, is a cute little crossbody made of quited grain pebbled leather.
YSL mini camera bag
This Saint Laurent monogram mini bag is decorated with gold hardware in the signature YSL initials. Measuring 19cm x 11cm x 5cm (or 7.4 x 4.3 x 1.9 inches), it uses a zip closure that has a leather tassel charm, and comes with a leather and chain shoulder strap (not detachable).
Top view: zip closure, leather tassel charm, and strap
Behind, there’s a little back pocket – great for cards (or card holders) or loose receipts. (More on what fits in the bag, stay tuned)
Behind: a very camouflaged back pocket
What fits in the YSL mini camera bag
Being a mini bag and all, the key is really minimalism. My daily essentials are pretty much as such:
Key holder, card case, small wallet, and lipstick
Inside, the bag is also fully leather lined, and there are three built-in card compartments.
It’s awesome for minimalism – it helps to do away with an extra card holder. If you keep your cards to 3 pieces, that is. Lol.
… But for me, I’ve got my wallet too. The bag looks small, but the inside can really pack in quite a bit. The chanel square wallet in itself – holds 6 cards, a bit of cash and receipts, and has a coin compartment. Even with these items, it zips up easily with minimal fuss.
Key holder, small wallet, and lipstick. All in.
And I’ve got so many cards that I still carry a card holder anyway.
The back pocket easily fits a standard card holder. Mine is from Dior – love the cannage pattern.
There! Fits perfectly.
Mod Shots
To me, there’s only one way that I use this bag – and that’s crossbody. For reference, I am 154cm tall – so that’s pretty short.
YSL mini camera bag: Crossbody
I love how the bag sits nicely below the hip. It’s comfortable, and within easy reach of the hands.
A more frontal view
Overall Review
The YSL mini camera bag does come in many colours, but I love this beige one. The neutral nude colour goes well with literally ANY outfit – be it neutrals, colours, or patterns, I’ve not been disappointed. I’ve worn it with a whole range of clothes from fancy dresses to being dressed down with large casual t-shirts and jeans, and the bag never looks out of place.
As a mom with two small kids, I frequently carry huge tote bags (such as my Chanel Deauville Totes) when ferrying around the kiddos and their stuff. But I do need a mini bag to carry my own personal essentials. While I do love and own several mini bags – including the very comparable Saint Laurent YSL toy loulou in velvet – this YSL mini camera bag tends to be the default, idiot-proof go-to.
I also love this bag because it is so incredibly easy to use. With the tassel on the zip, it’s so easy to open and close.
However, when the bag is NOT in use, the tassel and strap can get a little tricky. It does take some effort to store the tassel INSIDE the bag as it is part of the zip.
Awkward. Lol.
And sometimes, part of the tassel sticks out – so usually I tend to just leave the tassel outside and not bother with tucking it in.
Peek-a-boo
The chain strap can also be slightly awkward during storage. While the bag IS IN USE, the straps typically hang in this manner. Which looks relatively normal / elegant.
Note: non-detachable strap, each end of the strap attached to the OUTER side of the bag
However, when the bag is ready for storage… if one attempts to keep the strap INSIDE the bag, you will find that it’s literally impossible.
See how the ends of the chain strap are still attached to the OUTER side of the bag?
In the BEST case scenario, part of the chain and strap goes into the bag, and the rest of it would stick out in this manner.
That’s as neat as it’ll ever get
Of course, it is possible to leave the strap outside of the bag, but it just feels messier that way. Plus, grabbing the bag off the shelf, with a dangly strap – it just falls everywhere initially – so it’s not a deal breaker, but it can be annoying.
In spite of these VERY slight cons, the bag is overall a recommended one. The price point is MUCH better than any equivalent from Chanel or Hermes, the leather is scratch resistant, the durability is awesome (I’ve abused this piece, trust me), and it’s glam enough while maintaining a feeling of classiness.
Dear readers, what’s your favourite mini bags? I’d love to hear what my readers love, so feel free to let me know!
Hello, Beautiful
Love bags like these? Check out my Mini Bags category or see the Crossbody / Shoulder Bags that are featured on this blog! For a more general overview of luxury bags, do click the link below to see my entire bag collection (As of August 2020).
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