Overview

The Chanel small Boy bag is perfect for a night out or an event with a smart-casual dress code. The Chanel small Boy bag effortlessly elevates any outfit, and is able to hold the essentials only.

Bona Fides

The Chanel Boy bag was designed by the legendary Karl Lagerfeld in 2011 and quickly became a key part of the Chanel line up. The Boy is an edgier, more millennial option compared with the classic flap and reissue, with its chunky chain and hardware and its front flap extending down the full front face of the bag. The Boy has been produced in myriad materials and styles season after season, including goatskin, smooth calfskin, pebbled calfskin (caviar), lambskin, jersey, tweed, and exotics.

My small Chanel Boy is in iridescent galuchat (stingray) leather and gold metallic calfskin with gold tone hardware. Pictures cannot accurately capture the vivacity of the colour, where the light reflects and bounces on the iridescent stingray scales in opulent multicolour. This small Chanel Boy is best seen in natural light to be believed.

The exterior of the small Chanel boy bag is 20 cm/8 in long, but due to its construction, where the exterior flap extends down the front face of the bag, the interior is effectively a smaller suspended pouch between the exterior facing. Interior dimensions of the small Chanel Boy bag are 17 cm/7 in long, 5 cm/2 in deep, and 12 cm/4.5 in high.

There is a chunky chain strap with a leather piece intended to rest against the shoulder. This is not adjustable. The drop is 55 cm/22 in which makes it comfortable crossbody or on the shoulder, when the strap is lengthened, allowing for the chunky chain to rest against the top curve of the bag. The chain can also be adjusted equally, which is comfortable for shoulder wear, but is too long for arm or hand carry.

What Fits the Small Chanel Boy Bag?

Due to its small interior dimensions, the small Chanel Boy fits the essentials only. It is really a mini bag. This is a good bag for a night out, or whenever you do not need many incidental items. I am able to fit the following:

• Chanel flat card case
• Sunglasses
• Lipstick
• Hand cream
• Hand sanitiser

I am able to fit my phone, the iPhone 15, if I remove the sunglasses. A larger phone will not fit. The small Chanel Boy bag cannot fit the iPhone Pro Max versions.

How to Wear the Small Chanel Boy Bag

As a statement piece, my small Chanel Boy bag is often the focal point of my outfit, or used like a jewellery piece so that it can make a statement. The Small Chanel Boy bag can be used for formal or smart casual events, dinners, parties, and date nights.

Staying Power

Is the Chanel Boy bag outdated? Well it depends on your point of view and personal style. When the Boy was first launched, it was ubiquitous. Its popularity has certainly waned, but the Boy continues to be produced as by Chanel, with new styles coming out each season. If your style leans more edgy or alternative, or if you prefer to make a statement rather than classic capsule, then the Chanel Boy bag is for you and will add some pizzazz as a finishing touch to your outfit.

Verdict: Rock that Boy with confidence.