Walasa Luna Vintage Clutch

In September, yet another enticing Facebook ad called out to me. I was quite taken by a red handbag in a vintage style from the 1940s-50s. And of course, it was on sale.

The red handbag was from Walasa, a brand that was new to me.

Frame and Clasp Closure

The old-school look with a frame and clasp closure has always appealed to me. In fact, I had a couple of bags in this style during the ’80s and ’90s.

The bag below is the Walasa Luna Vintage Clutch.

The purse frame is made from titanium and has a gunmetal tone. The frame is adorned with an additional piece of titanium that’s carved with an old-fashioned design. The balls at the top of the frame are what form the clasp.

Colors

First, I adore red, especially for purses, shoes, gloves, and hats. The red color was really what initially caught my eye.

Though the red color is definitely my thing, the bag also comes in 4 additional colors:

• brown
• black
• coffee (dark brown)
• green.

I like the white stitching that goes around the middle of the front and back of the bag.

Type of Leather

I’m not 100% sure that I understand the material “split leather”. Here’s how Walasa explains the term on the website:

“If a skin is divided into several layers over the entire surface, this process is called “splitting”. Thicker leather mostly cow leather, which is 5 to 10 millimeters thick, is split. Sometimes the leather is thick enough for a middle split. The split, separated from the grain split, is also called drop split.” Huh???

Walasa goes on to say:

“We choose the leather of the bag as per the requirement of the design. Some designs are not possible to be made with Genuine leather, so we use Split leather for those designs.”

Hmmm, I know I have at least one frame bag from a different brand made from top grain leather, though I think my second frame bag might also be split leather. Confusing though it may be, I’m OK with whatever Split leather is because of the affordable price I paid for the bag. Also, the bag feels like leather.

Actually, I researched split leather online elsewhere. Split leather is genuine leather, however, it comes from a different layer of the hide once the top grain layer is removed. Suede is a form of split leather. Split leather requires more processing including color to make it smooth.

The red leather on my bag (see the photos above) is embossed with a design that the company calls “celestial embossments”. To me, it has a sort of patchwork look. Maybe that has something to do with the “Split leather” material?

Handbag/Shoulder Bag Straps

The bag has two straps:

• a removable short handbag strap
• an adjustable long strap to wear the bag as a shoulder bag.

Dimensions

I carry a fair number of things with me in my purse, so I needed to determine if the bag was big enough for all of my stuff. The dimensions are 11″ W x 8.6″ H x 3.2″ D. I measured those dimensions against a current purse that I own to make sure it would be large enough, and it is. It fits my jam-packed wallet, makeup bag, reading glasses, tissues, and sunglasses.

Inside the bag with its dark brown cotton-y lining, there is one zippered pocket and two slot pockets, one of which may be used to hold a phone. Truth be told, my gigantic iPhone 13 Pro Max is too big to fit in any of the pockets. As a result, I just put my phone inside the purse, and I have no trouble finding it.

The handbag weighs 1.05 lbs before filling it, so it isn’t too heavy.

Big Red Leather Bow

An additional promotional offer was going on at the time: a removable big red leather bow for free! Of course, I went for it, and I love how it looks!

Dust Bag

The handbag arrived in a lightweight white dust bag for protection and storage.

Retail Info

Walasa bags (of which there are MANY different styles) are sold on the Walasa website. The bags are designed in the US but manufactured in factories in Asia.

Although Luna Vintage Clutch has a regular price of $129.99 which is too much money for this bag, it seems to be always “on sale” for $79.99. In fact, when I was on the website page this evening, the price decreased by an additional 20% to $63.99 – I think that’s what I paid and that seems like the “right price”. There are additional discounts if you purchase more than one bag of any style.

The large leather bow is free with purchases of $69+.

Currently, trackable international shipping is free.

Returns and/or exchanges are accepted within 15 days after receiving the bag.

Final Thoughts

Although this is the first time I have heard about “Split leather”, I think in the past I have also bought bags made from split leather, though I had no idea about it. Certainly, the suede shoes I have purchased over the decades, I have now learned, are also split leather, I guess.

Regardless of the fabrication of the leather, I am more than satisfied with my Walasa Luna Vintage Clutch. It’s so cute! The red color and the retro style definitely suit me.

Allison Cohen

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