Prada Vitello Daino Leather Tote Bag Honest Review

(Pardon the messy work station–I was working on a bag when I took these photos haha XD)

Finally found some time to work on another bag review. This Prada tote is my sister’s–I have the same bag in black, but I figured that any damage or scuffing would be more visible on the blue one. We got this blue one for 800+ euros, while I scored the black one in the outlet for 600 something euros (classic black bags are quite rare in outlets–usually, you get the seasonal stuff over there, and the classics remain at regular price). We got these a few years ago. I think the bag is now over a thousand euros.

We chose this pebbled calf leather instead of the saffiano. Although the saffiano leather is what they are known for, I personally just don’t like how it looks and feels. The calf leather has less structure compared to the saffiano (which has probably been given more structure via stiff interior layers like salpa), and a bit heavier, I think. The hardware is brass (a good gauge–legit brass hardware is heavy. If you encounter hardware that’s too light, it’s likely zinc or some metal mix that isn’t sturdy) and almost all the hardware is branded with the Prada logo

Some scuffing on the bag feet

Scuffs as well on the corners of the base of the bag, usually this can be recolored

Snap buttons on the sides of the bag

D-ring for shoulder strap attachment is stitched onto the sides of the bag interior, but given that it’s only 1.3mm wide or so, this will not be able to carry a super heavy load

This is a potential problem area, because the stress of the weight of the bag is on this teeny tiny strip of leather, and it has been stitched onto just the lining portion (if it had been stitched onto all the layers, we would see stitches on the exterior of the bag), which pulls and could potentially rip right off of the bag

You can already see the warping in this area due to the constant pulling from the bag being carried with the shoulder strap

There are also a lot of spots like this where the blue is starting to fade. It’s not very obvious from afar, but I imagine that if it continues to fade, you can just have the bag fully recoloured at a bag repair shop or leather specialist

Shoulder strap is 1.5mm wide. Pretty standard, size-wise, although I feel that the problem with skinny shoulder straps is that they become painful on the shoulder if your bag is too heavy

The bag is an open tote but has multiple zippered pockets for the stuff you want to keep more secure

The middle zippered compartment is the largest, while the zippered pockets on the sides are for flatter items, like your phone, etc. The middle one is big enough for a bulky wallet or giant pack of tissue.

Signs of cracking on the edge paint (a common thing to happen to handbags)

Not a problem in terms of usability of the bag, but if this keeps cracking and comes off, then we would need to strip it entirely and probably reapply edge paint to protect the leather edges

Overall good stitch consistency, and the interior branded fabric doesn’t get dirty very easily, although it sometimes snags on stuff, like if you have a hangnail or something, so that’s just something to be careful about.

Otherwise, the bag has proven to be pretty practical, and can be used in both casual or business situations. It does get a tad heavy when it’s full, but you can switch between shoulder strap and top handles, so that usually helps mitigate things. I don’t think I’d pay more than what my sister got it for though (800+ euros)–and the good news is that this bag, (plus several variations) is available in the outlet (I got mine at The Mall in Florence), so it makes for a good first or second bag purchase, if you’re looking to get something designer but not too entry level, and it’s not too expensive but it also doesn’t look cheap (unlike this Balenciaga bag which I hate with a fervor). That’s a pretty difficult mix to get right hahaha