Review: MCM Milla Tote Medium

I've recently downsized my bag collection and have decided to get rid of bags that I haven't been using or ones that can be replaced with a more practical style. I was really excited to get the MCM Milla as the bag is practical for work and weekends. I think a lot of people are surprised that this is an MCM bag since it's not monogrammed to death.

I've been looking for a work bag for a while now and I've noticed that a lot of girls use the Prada saffiano tote as a work bag. I decided against that as I'm not a fan of saffiano leather or Prada's quality for price (I just checked as I'm writing this post and that bag is almost $3000 Canadian! WTF). I also didn't want to get the Louis Vuitton Neverfull as I don't like the look and lack of security of open totes.

The Milla tote is probably still pricey for many people (around $1100 CAD), but the price for quality is amazing. The stitching and details on the bag are comparable to the Saint Laurent Sac de Jour at almost 1/3 of the price. I actually had the Sac de Jour in the small size, but sold because it was unbelievably heavy even when empty and the leather was just too prone to scratches. Unfortunately, I'm still looking for a floor-length mirror so I don't have any modelling pictures, but below is a model picture from the MCM website.

The Milla tote comes in pebbled leather, which tends to be heavier, but the bag is a comfortable weight. You can see in the picture below how nice the leather is and how the small details add some luxury to the bag. It would've been nice if the clochette was mirrored like it is on the Milla tote with silver hardware, because the gold one is pretty useless. I'll probably be removing it because these are always swinging around and tend to make an indent in the front of the bag after a while (like it did on my SDJ).  

Like the Prada tote, the Milla has several compartments. I think the way they did the outer compartments with magnetic closures is quite unique. I find that having the flap laying flat on the top part of the bag, but not having the magnets attached provides better security than just having a zipper compartment open. The bag also has a clasp that attaches the handles together. I usually use this to when I'm using the long strap, so the handles aren't jutting out.

The bag doesn't have a cellphone compartment, but it does have a large inner pocket in the classic MCM monogram canvas. The compartment is great if you have a giant phone like I do. It's not so great if you're using it for storing cards. I usually put my transit pass in here and I have to make sure I put it right in the corner or else I'll be fumbling around for it.

There are also accordion pleats on the sides of the bag like on the Sac de Jour, but I don't think they work as well on the Milla as they do on the SDJ. They don't really make the bag that much roomier when you release the button holding them down. It is still a nice detail to have, but I think the pleats make the bag a little "fat" looking from the side.

The Milla also has 4 metal studs on the base. I know the coating on bag "feet" eventually wear down, but I think the coating that they used on the Milla isn't very durable (as compared to a brand like Louis Vuitton). I NEVER put my bag on the ground and I will even put my bag on a separate chair so it doesn't get squished (TPF people get it haha). I've only been using the bag for a few weeks and the some of the coating has worn off already.

The canvas and leather strap really surprised me too. I wasn't a big fan of the strap when I first saw it, but it's much more practical and comfortable than the traditional all leather strap (like the annoyingly thin one on the SDJ). The clasp and d-ring are well-constructed and the way they've been designed to fit together is better than some other bags with long straps (ex. the mini Givenchy Antigona).

Overall, I think MCM did a great job with this bag. I haven't had any issues with it other than the metal studs on the bottom and even that's minor. It's nice to finally have a designer bag that has a price that's fully justified by it's quality. Don't be put off by the fact that the bag is made in Korea and not Italy or France, because the quality is definitely up there with the bigger designer brands (maybe even better depending on which bag you're looking at).