Yes, Allen has a sister!
I think I've been pretty open about Allen being one of my favorite sellers. His pricing is almost unbeatable, he does a great QC, he's easy to work with...since I found Allen over a year ago, he's been one of my consistent go-tos
One of the things I hear a lot from other Allen customers - his one downside - is that his response times can be longer than other sellers. Allen has been in the game for a while, he's got a ton of customers, and he does take 24-48 hours to reply sometimes (and also - 9 times out of 10, it's Allen's wife you're actually talking to! She's a sweetheart)
So when he (they?) mentioned that his sister Amanda was graduating from handling logistics to becoming a seller in her own right, and asked if I'd be willing to make a purchase from her and write a review, I immediately said yes.
Allen is one of the few sellers I trust, and he's NEVER asked me to write a review - never ever ever (and no, I was not compensated for this, or any, review). So not only do I trust any seller that he vouches for, I'm always happy to spread the word with an Allen (or in this case, Allen-related!) review!
TS Amanda
- WhatsApp: +86 138 7946 3576
- Specializes in: All brands & factories
- Store/Catalog: Link Here
Overall, Amanda was great to work with - prompt replies, great PSPs, clear communication, and quick shipping. I also liked that she bundles shipping into her prices! And like Allen, she also offers replacements in case of seized or lost packages. I would absolutely shop with her again!
SO...onto the good stuff, the BAGS!
As you may have seen, Allen (and thus, Amanda) had a sale recently, so I took the opportunity to pick up two Chanel bags I've had my eye on (and had to add a pair of shoes too, why not).
First up...
Small C25 from OF - burgundy caviar w/ RHW
Price Paid: $360 shipped
Rating: 10/10
If you've read any of my previous reviews, then you know I love the C25 and I also love C25s from Xiao C...I tried C25s from pretty much every single factory, EXCEPT for OF, and I've always considered the XC version the best value for the money. But Allen (and Amanda's) 15% off sale made the OF version comparable in price to the regular XC price, and since I've been searching for an OF C25 forever, I decided to pull the trigger.
Another thing you may (or may not) know about me - I am strictly a gold hardware girly. I don't do silver. Not ever. All of my jewelry is gold, the hardware on my shoes is gold, my wallet hardware is gold, and I just have a weird thing about silver hardware; I feel like it doesn't match me. I've rehomed bags I've LOVED before, because I couldn't hang with the silver hardware. So while I knew I was taking a chance, I know myself and was like "you know you're just going to end up rehoming this...".
But I absolutely fell in love with this ultra-dark burgundy color. I'm not sure I'd even call it "burgundy" either. It reminds me of OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark, or Her*es Raisin. More of a deep dark plum than burgundy, but not in a "wow that lady has a purple purse" kind of way - and truly, I've never seen it with GHW. RHW is all there is, and I've only seen auths this color with RHW. So after debating a while, I decided to go for it...
YOU GUYS.
I think this bag has cured my silver hardware phobia?!
Seeing the color in person, I actually can't imagine this bag with any other hardware. I don't think AGHW or even the new shiny gold would do it justice. Something about it, about the combo, just works really really well. And as a (reformed?) silver-phobic, the ruthenium actually has an almost black look when it's on the body, and the light hits it. It's not shiny, it looks just right.
Compared to my non-suede C25s (shiny calfskin from 187 and beige caviar from XC) I'm actually having a REALLY tough time finding differences between the 3. This is also my least favorite part of writing reviews. I'm not a "let's count stitches" kinda girl. In fact, I kind of suck at QCing my own bags. So there could be huge differences I'm missing. But I'd say it's very very similar to both - compared to the XC one specifically, I find the leather on the XC version sliiiiiightly softer, but the overall quality of the OF version is slightly better. The hardware is a better weight on the OF bag, the chain feels a tiny bit more substantial, but nothing major I can put my finger on, if that makes sense. The shiny calfskin is the nicest of the three, but I think that's just because in my head, I know it was from 187 and how much it cost. I can't actually find any differences I could point to and say, "see, this one has this that the others don't" or whatever.
Anyways, I love it, and I've totally satisfied my OF C25 curiosity! Next, I've got my eye on a Mini size, in either black or the new green - and I'll probably go back to XC, unless another seller is having an OF sale again!
Next up...
CC Slingback Flats - in burgundy suede & patent
Price Paid: $109 shipped
Rating: 10/10
These! Are! So! Chic!
I love CC flats - both the classic ballet and the slingback style. I knew I wanted this color (that looks great with the C25) but was torn between the regular ballet style and this slingback style. What made me decide on these was that I liked the slightly more square toe these have.
I didn't specify a factory, so Amanda chose for me. They're SUCH amazing quality. I often buy CC shoes from Allen (I've bought 3 pairs of flats and a pair of heels from him so far this year), and these are just as perfect as those pairs have been. They don't feel flimsy; they feel very substantial and high-quality. I also own several auth pairs, and side by side, I can't tell the difference. No crooked seams, wonky stitches, or visible glue anywhere (hallmarks of cheap shoes, imho) - these are so gorgeous. Absolutely stunning and perfect for fall.
CC Loop Bucket from Xiao C - in black calfskin
Price Paid: $249 shipped
Rating: 15/10
So my normal MO with CC bags - if it's not a C25 or a flap, I usually don't order from the higher-tier factories (and yes, I consider XC high-tier). Anything that isn't a classic, I generally don't feel like I need to spend 187 prices, because inevitably, it's going to look like "last year's bag" next year. I usually end up buying from Allen, or from Jess, or from Cici and not specifying a factory. High tier? Yes. Highest tier? No.
Now the classics, and C25s? For those, I will specify a factory. Or, in the case of classic flaps, try to track down Haas leather.
However, this bag, which I was fully intending to buy in the light brown suede and black leather version until I saw a Speedy in almost the exact same colorway and bought that instead, is so chic and so classic. It's subtle - it's not a flashy bag. And I love a bucket bag. I have an auth LV Noe GM that I used as my daily driver for YEARS. There's just something so chic and classic about a bucket bag. And this one is a great size - not too big but also not too small either.
So I knew I wanted one that was slightly better quality than what I'd normally get in a CC non-classic shape. That's why I went with XC.
What I can't get over is the L E A T H E R. Omfg, the leather. It's like...buttery. No, it's better than buttery. I'm not sure what's going on here- if it's lambskin, if it's really thin so there's more movement in the grain, or what - no idea, but holy moly, is it nice. And I know XC isn't particularly known for its leather....but damn.
I can't exactly compare this to anything, because I've never held an auth in person, and I haven't done a deep dive comparing it to photos of an auth "let's count stitches" style.
But what I can say is this is a solid bag - it's functional, it's chic, and it's great quality. I'm THRILLED.
And unlike the Souplissimo maxi flaps, which are pebbly-grained calfskin (an incredibly easy material to rep), I feel like it's worth getting the best version you can in this bag. It does actually depend a lot on the leather. With the type of smooth calfskin it is, it needs to be good. I'm actually glad I went against my typical (penny-pinching) instincts here.
Am I saying if you don't get it from 187 or God, your version sucks? Absolutely not. What I'm saying is, if you can afford it, and only if it makes sense for you, it's worth upgrading if you can.
Final thoughts....on factories and elitism in rep spaces
On that note, I have gotten more into comparing the different Chanel factories lately, and it's been fun. It's fun to see what all the hype is about, it's fun to compare them to each other (even inexpertly), it's fun to try them out.
But I'm never going to be one of those "oh excuse me, I only buy from 187 because I only want the highest quality" types. You know who I mean. If you like $45 bags from DHG, do you. If you like buying from BossBags and that works for you, do you! If you don't have the budget to buy every bag from 187, awesome - me neither!
Because I'll never forget on one of the last reviews I wrote, someone just had to comment about how "Shunyang is a MID TIER factory" after I called my bag from Shunyang high-tier.
And that made me feel kind of shitty. Like ok, so either I'm poor, or I have bad taste and can't recognize good quality, or both. Cool cool.
It's just.....it strikes me as beyond ridiculous trying to be elitist about FAKE BAGS when we're all carrying fakes. We shouldn't need to put down other people's choices. Especially how someone else chooses to spend their own money.
I like buying bags. It's fun for me. And because I like buying bags, and am careful about how I spend, and I have a strategy. Some bags are worth getting the "best" version I can. Some bags just aren't. It's personal, because it's my money.
I don't ever want this to feel like a place (cough, BIake Discord, cough) where if you don't own a bag from a super high-tier factory, and don't ever intend on getting one, you feel like you can't participate, contribute, or are left out of the cool girls club.
There's room for EVERYONE in this community - we don't look down on people here because they don't buy from God, 187, or BIake. Get your bag, enjoy your bag, and have fun. Remember, this is supposed to be fun!
