I’ve had my Louis Vuitton Pochette Métis for a year now, which means it’s finally time for a review. I’ve used it both as my daily bag for work and as a travel bag. It is one of my most practical and beautiful handbags. Here she is:

I’ll give you a quick tour of the bag, walk you through the pros and cons, and will then rank the handbag on a scale of great, good, average, or terrible.

Tour of the Pochette Métis: The bag is divided into three internal compartments and one external zip pocket. The first two interior pockets are large (e.g., the middle pocket is big enough to fit a Louis Vuitton Toiletry 19), and the third interior pocket is better suited to a phone or documents. The outside zip pocket fits my iPhone XR with a case and a pop socket. The bag can be carried three ways: (a) hand carry with the handle; (b) shoulder carry with the strap; and (c) crossbody with the strap. It closes with a press clasp. On the clasp, there are two nubs, but only one of them moves to let you in and out of the bag.

Pros:

– It fits an absolute ton. I normally carry a toiletry bag (either my Toiletry 19 or a Chanel cosmetic pouch), sunglasses, wallet, key cley, coin purse, and iPhone XR.

– It is relatively lightweight. As canvas handbags go, this is on the heavier side, but it’s still pretty darn light. There are just a lot of compartments to the bag, which does add to its weight. That being said, even when it is totally full, I find that the bag is a lot lighter than some of my leather handbags.

– It is organized and structured. I am one of those crazy people that likes to have a perfectly organized handbag that holds its shape. All of the things I carry in my bag actually live inside different SLGs, but the nice thing about the Pochette Métis is that you can take that organization one step further with the interior compartments and outside pocket.

– It is secure. The clasp is super secure and easy to use. You just slide the one nub that moves and it pops open. I have no trouble using the clasp to easily get in and out of the bag. It is also generally pretty pick-pocket proof. You’d have to encounter a very determined pick pocket if they are going to get something out of your Pochette Métis.

– The monogram is dreamy. I love the Louis Vuitton monogram. Now, I know that for some, the monogram is just too much. I get that. But I think that, even for those who don’t necessarily like monogram, the way it looks on the Pochette Métis might sway them. To me, there’s just something special about monogram on a really structured handbag.

– You can tie a scarf on the handle. Adding a scarf to the handle comes with two benefits. First, you can add a bit of color to the bag. Second, you can protect the vachetta if you’re stuck in crummy weather. Here’s a bathroom selfie from work where you can see my Burberry scarf on the handle:

P.S. I love the color of my pink Manolo Blahnik mules, but I hate how slow I have to walk to keep them on my feet, lol.

– There is minimal vachetta. Some monogram handbags have a lot of vachetta, which can be stressful. On the Pochette Métis, though, you just have the handle and three small tabs (one on the front and two on the side). Most notably, the strap is canvas. I repeat–the strap is canvas. This is a lifesaver. You don’t have to worry about picking up the bag when you have lotion on your hands or when it’s hot out (meaning, you get a little sweaty). The strap is totally carefree. Yay.

– The strap is adjustable. One of the most frustrating parts crossbody bags is when the designer gives you a one-size-fits-all strap (I’m looking at you, Celine Nano Luggage Tote). The Pochette Métis strap is adjustable, which allows you to wear it on your shoulder or crossbody (regardless of your height). There are five different hole options on the strap. For reference, I’m 5’7″, and here’s what it looks like on my shoulder on the longest hole:

– The strap is fully detachable. Another added benefit is that you can completely detach the long strap, which allows you to use the Pochette Métis with just its little handle. Sometimes, I like using the small handle because it makes me feel like I’m carrying a tiny briefcase. You can also use the long strap on your other monogram handbags. For example, if you have the Louis Vuitton Favorite in monogram, you can use your Pochette Métis strap instead of the vachetta strap that comes with the Favorite.

– It comes in a variety of colors. There are two different canvas options (monogram and reverse monogram) and multiple empriente colors (black, blue, pink, cream, red, etc).

Cons:

– Watch out for 2013-2015 preloved versions. Louis Vuitton had some trouble with the glazing on some of its 2013-2015 bags. I have a 2017 version and haven’t had any issues, but if you’re going the preloved route, make sure to check your date code. Even if you stumble across one from this date range, all hope is not lost. Louis Vuitton did a recall for any bags in this date range that suffer from glazing issues, and they are giving store credit if you have a defective bag. I believe that’s true even if you bought the bag preloved.

– It is hard to find. If the handbag is hard to come by, I always add that as a con. I hate it when I decide to buy a bag but can’t because it isn’t in any of the boutiques. There are some tricks to tracking one down, though. I got mine by getting on a waitlist at my local Louis Vuitton. They told me it was going to be 4 to 6 months on the waitlist, but it ended up only being about 2, which was a nice surprise. I’ve also known folks who stalked the Louis Vuitton website and saw it become available for purchase online. If neither of those strategies work, you can always go the preloved route (but see above for the date range problem).

– When fully loaded, it can get heavy. The Pochette Métis can fit an absolute ton, but keep in mind, if you stock it full of heavy items, it is obviously going to get heavy. Even so, the canvas (as opposed to leather) is light to begin with, which helps with the weight.

– The gold plate can scratch. Like all Louis Vuitton gold plates, the one on the Pochette Métis stretches pretty easily. I’ve just come to accept this for Louis Vuitton handbags. The Pochette Métis isn’t nearly as susceptible to scratching as my Louis Vuitton Favorite MM. I’ll note, though, that if the scratches ever really start to bug you, Louis Vuitton will replace the gold hardware (for a fee).

Conclusion:

All that being said, I think the Louis Vuitton Pochette Métis is a great buy. Over the last year, it has easily become one of my all-time favorite handbags. Especially during this last summer and fall, I sometimes had to force myself to change out of the Pochette Métis into something new. I think that’s the mark of a great handbag. More still, my repeated uses have dropped my cost-per-wear down considerably.

Cheers to the Pochette Métis!

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