The Marc Jacobs Snapshot Bag | Review

If there's one thing I know for sure about my approach to style, it's that I'm totally a bag lady.

Bags - and their contents - always fascintate me. There's no aspect of fashion as guaranteed to get me obsessed.

Over the years, I've learnt that a well made accessory gives me a huge amount of pleasure. And although I still find the odd irresistible bargain, these days I prefer to save up for something that will really last. The first job I had with a bonus, I spent it on a Mulberry Alexa and my collection has just gone from there.

The latest addition to my collection is a bag which seems to be all over the internet - its bold colour blocking, wide canvas strap and neat, boxy shape seem to be capturing everyone's imagination. The Marc Jacobs Snapshot had to be mine.

The Snapshot has been a best seller for the designer since launching and even though it's a very small bag, it's also supremely practical as well as stylish.

When I was recently in Florence, I spotted several immaculately dressed ladies rocking it - and one very fabulous looking guy.

It's a luxury bag but at quite an accessible price point compared to many - it can be yours for £290.00, which isn't that dear for a designer bag, and one that is made to such sturdy quality. This is no delicate Chanel lambskin - it's definitely robust enough to stand up to daily life.

The bag comes in a huge array of colours, from sleek neutrals to eye popping brights.

Being a practical sort, I opted for the classic French Grey colourway, which also has white and black panels. They have a spotted version which I love as well - and floral, bejewelled, covered in cartoon frogs! There really is something for everyone.

Each colour bag also comes with its own strap design - in this case a black, white and gold metallic canvas with the Marc Jacobs name repeated on it - but other options have geometric or striped designs.

You can purchase additional straps from Marc Jacobs and customise to your heart's content. The bold design is a big part of the look of the bag, and having such a broad strap makes it very comfortable to wear. It's easy to adjust the length of the strap to suit your height, and wear it as either a cross body bag or off the shoulder.

A big feature of the bag is Marc Jacobs' signature bold, gold hardware - chunky zips with the logo, large clips attaching the strap to the bag, and a gold metal double J design on the front panel - all quite sleek.

The top panel is also embossed with the Marc Jacobs New York logo. It's a little more shouty than I usually like my bags, but that is the vibe here - a bit 80s and the kind of bag which would sit well with the athleisure mega-trend. It's a very sporty, cool, youthful look, while the bold strap really makes it stand out.

Made in Saffiano leather, the bag is hard wearing and feels like brilliant quality. Cleaning this type of leather is very easy - any mess can be wiped off with a damp cloth - which makes the bag both practical and low-maintenance. And it means I don't have to worry too much about the kids and their sticky little hands around it!

You can also feel free to use it for daily life, as this type of crossgrain leather is designed to be tough and stand up to a few scrapes without marking.

So, what can you fit in the Marc Jacobs Snapshot bag? 

Storage wise, although the Snapshot is compact and structured, it holds more than you might expect. I'm a fan of travelling light anyway, and I like that I can have this smaller cross body with all of my personal items, and keep the kids stuff in a separate tote if we're heading out for the day.

To give some comparison, the bag holds more than my Chanel Wallet On Chain, which really does make anyone into a Minimalist whether they want to be or not!

There are two zipped compartments, one with a divider internally. I can fit my phone, a small wallet, keys, some mints, makeup essentials - lipstick, powder and concealer - and my sunglasses in comfortably.

You could possibly squeeze in a little bit more, but I keep one compartment exclusively for my phone, as I pull it in and out so much and I don't want other things flying out and getting lost.

There is also a small slip pocket on the back that I haven't found a use for yet! It would work well if you use an Oyster card or something of that size that you need to keep handy, or if your phone is small enough to fit comfortably in there (mine isn't, but then it is a Plus model with a large screen).

The size and shape, practical durability and bold style make this bag the ideal new addition to your collection, in my humble opinion. They might also be why the Snapshot bag is turning into a juggernaut trend - so why not get on board?