I’ve always been such a big Mulberry fan, and I think it all started with the Alexa… such an iconic bag at the time, and one I constantly gushed over, but never actually had the privilege of owning. Now I’m a little older, and I’m able to treat myself, I’ve discovered I have a particular penchant for the Zipped Bayswater, so much so that I’ve now found myself with two in my handbag collection; and so I thought it might be nice for me to discuss the difference between two of the sizings in a little more detail (especially now I’ve had a chance to use both for quite a while) as when I was initially looking to purchase these, it is something I wondered myself.
So first things first, if you are after a Zipped Bayswater, I’d highly recommend waiting for the seasonal sales, especially if you’re not after it in a classic colour such as black. I got my nude coloured one in the sale last year with almost £300 off the full price; so do keep a look out for those. Now do you need both sizes? No, you don’t even need one! They’re only handbags… but if I had to only choose one size, I’d probably go for the mini, as it can be used as a day bag, but also dressed up and accessorised for evening occasions such as a fancy meal out, it’s also a great crossbody bag, as well as being able to be used as a tote and shoulder bag.
In terms of the bag names, I don’t feel like the “small” is so much of a small bag – this one is a great all rounder, but I’d probably describe it more as medium, and the mini as small in all fairness. The small can be used for things such as shopping and work, and fits everything I need in it and more – I carry all my essentials in here, my purse, phone, perfume, key pouch, makeup bag, and occasionally blogging camera (which is actually quite large when in its protective pouch), and all that fits in really nicely with room for more. The mini fits all of the above in, minus the blogging camera – and also has enough room for everything to be comfortably contained – you could also quite easily fit a sunglasses case in there for summer too. The length of the small is what really makes it differ in size from the mini. Exact measurements are as follows:
Small – H 25cm, W 29-38cm, D 16cm, Top handle drop 12.5cm, Shoulder strap drop 45cm.
There is a variance in the width measurement on the small, because the sides can either be worn extended (as shown in the pictures), or pushed in, to make the bag smaller.
Mini – H 21cm, W 23cm, D 12.5cm, Top handle drop 10cm, Shoulder strap drop 50-59cm.
Both have the same robust structure that will hold its shape without having to be assisted – I do love the traditional Bayswater too, but I was put off buying it due to the fact that the leather is so soft and therefore doesn’t hold its shape as well – and both are made from grained leather, so are both much more resistant to scratching than a smoother leather. I’ve been using both on and off for quite some time now, and there’s been no issues with them keeping their shape.
Appearance wise, although they are exactly the same design, I honestly don’t feel like I have two of the same bag. This is the only style bag I can say that for, if I had (as an example) a Givenchy Antigona in two different sizes, they would literally look exactly the same, just smaller versions, as they are scaled down – wheras because the Zipped Bayswater scales down more dramatically in length, but not as much in height, this really makes a difference in terms of appearance. The mini is a much boxier version, and because of this it makes it look a lot different to the small, probably even more so in real life. I wear the two in completely different ways – the small is always almost carried in my hand, like a traditional tote, and the mini is always either worn as a shoulder bag, or a crossbody. The small is (ironically) too big really to be worn as a crossbody. They are both also only available with gold hardware.
I adore both, and it is difficult to choose between the two. I’d say I use the small very much mid week, so for work etc; and the mini more so on a weekend. The small is an everyday, real traditional tote bag; whereas the mini is very much on trend with the smaller bag style that’s in right now, and is better suited for leisure purposes. Both amazing bags, in their own equal right.
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