It’s been over a year since Celine released the Nino, a top handle bag that managed to have both an uncanny resemblance to a briefcase and also the Celine Triomphe logo on it. To me, the logo a bit looked ill-proportioned to the rest of the bag. And while the Nino wasn’t ugly, it certainly wasn’t glamorous. It looked sophisticated in silhouette, but the unfussy pebbled leather and relatively unstructured shape contradicted that. With a price of $4950, I wasn’t wowed.
And a year later, I saw her. Harps played, the clouds parted, and I became known in my nearby Celine store as “that weird lady who comes in to stare at that one bag”.
The Celine Teen Nino in Cappuccino — or, as I’ve annoyingly coined it, the ‘Celine Teen Cappucine’ (why? I couldn’t tell you) quickly soared to the top of my wishlist.
I saved up for it and eventually, it became mine.
Before we get into the review, you’ll notice that the clear protective sticker is still on the Triomphe logo. I was in the returns period when I took these photos, but it’s been peeled off now.
Things I Like About the Celine Teen Nino
The Color
‘Cappuccino’ is a bit of an odd color name for this bag considering it’s more of a neutral beige or even a soft greige. I’ve had many different cappuccinos, but all of them have been a darker brown.
But let’s talk about the color! I think it’s spectacular. It’s a perfect neutral beige. In the photos I’ve taken of it, it comes across as a bit yellowy of a beige and sometimes even outright grey. I assure you, it’s a neutral beige. The color is hard to capture – see below, for instance.
This is the same bag. That lovely light beige pebbled leather and this mink-grey, cool leather are one in the same. All it took was natural and artificial lighting (and a my Canon DSLR camera versus my iPhone 13). The color, aside from inconsistencies in photographs, is incredibly versatile. It goes with almost anything. It matches black, it complements blues and reds, and it of course, works with lighter colors like ivory, browns, and beiges.
Versatility
Not only does the color match a wide range of looks, but the small shape means it can be taken anywhere. The tophandle is easy to dress up and down and the bag comes with a strap long enough for my 5’5″ frame to wear it crossbody (21″) and short enough to hang it off your shoulder, just shy of 18″. It fits in the crook of my arm, it can be carried, and can be worn on the shoulder or crossbody with the aforementioned strap.
The Size
The bag measures 8 x 5 x 3 IN (20.5 x 13 x 8 CM). She’s tiny. She is not a pack mule. She is a petite little lady. I love little bags, as I never carry much more with me than my phone (which is usually in my hand anyway), my keys, sunglasses without a case, a moderately-sized cardholder, and sometimes I stick the strap in the bag to take with me in the event that I unexpectedly need to have my hands free. So, this size doesn’t bother me one bit — but if you think you might be in need of more space, the larger one may be of interest to you.
The ‘Build’ of the Bag
Pebbled Leather
The leather is soft, supple, and not super stiff. I’ve found that it hasn’t marked up very much (at all) during its time with me (6 months and counting).
Lightweight
This bag isn’t heavy. It’s actually remarkably light, so I have no issues carrying it in the crook of my arm or by hand when I’m out and about. It doesn’t hold tons, so it’s difficult to make it cumbersome to carry.
INTERIOR compartments
# Of Zip Pockets: 1
# Of Pockets Without Zips: 2
Total # of Pockets: 3
Total # of Compartments: 2
The entire interior of this bag is leather-lined (pockets and all), and has a zip pouch in the center and two compartments on either side. A classic interior design, and I like the presence of a pocket that’s easy to reach. Sometimes when I need to grab my keys quickly, little pockets stitched into the sides can be hard to feel around for. The interior also contains two sewn-in side pockets, but they mostly hold random little cards in mine.
The Feet
I love a bag with feet. I especially love a tophandle bag with feet, I think it looks so ladylike and chic. Plus, it protects the bottom of the bag and makes sure it won’t fall over (for most bags, anyway). This bag is not an exception. It doesn’t lean or tilt when it’s set down. The larger one did lean forward a bit, so that’s a key difference. This bag’s metal nubbins are also flat at the bottom instead of being rounded, which I find to be more stable when rested.
The Crease-Proof Back
The flap of the bag and the body of the bag are different pieces of leather. The flap has been sewn over the body, making the part of the bag that would normally crease when opened “a seam”reinforced”. This, as far as I can tell, has hidden the crease that would normally happen if the stitching was not there. This has made me more willing to actually use it as a bag and not worry about marking it up and making it look too ‘lived in’.
What Fits in the Celine Teen Nino?
- An iPhone 13 Pro
- A pair of Ray Bans without a case
- A moderately-sized cardholder
- Keys (3 keys and a fob to be exact)
- A small bottle of eye drops (think Visine or Hyabak)
- A lip product
The bag isn’t packed with this in it, but it’s comfortably full and fits all of the things I like to have with me when I’m out. The bag carries all of my essentials, but it is still by all means a small bag.
Things I Didn’t Like
The Clasp
This is my first Celine bag, so this was also my first time using the Triomphe clasp. Do I hate it? No. Do I love it? No. For those who haven’t used a Celine Triomphe clasp, there are two little nubs that stick out on either side of the double ‘C’ logo. Only one of these unlocks the clasp, the other, I presume, is there for symmetry. They’re very small and can be a bit finicky to push.
This clasp is also a bit tricky for me because I have nails, but it did make me grateful that I chose a pebbled leather bag by happy chance. I have a feeling my bag would be scratched up around the closure had I opted for one of the smooth ‘shiny’ leather styles.
I find my Chanel turnlock easier to access than this clasp, and I find my Lady Dior and Gucci 1955 Horsebit top handle easier to get into because they’re plain zips at the top. So, I wouldn’t call it difficult to use, but it certainly isn’t the easiest. I think that I have a better time opening the bag if it’s full, as it makes the clasp backing a bit more firm and easier to grip.
Sum It Up
In case you couldn’t tell from the review, I love this bag. It’s versatile, it’s convenient, and besides the price point being a bit aggressive for the size of the bag, it’s become a wardrobe staple and I’m certain that I’ll have it for years to come. The clasp could be more easily accessible, but that’s a minor complaint on an otherwise stellar bag.
Until next time,
Megan
