# Help me choose which Puzzle bag?



## Minie26

Hi guys,
Please help me choose which small puzzle should i get?

Light caramel in grained leather 
or
Tan in smooth leather

I have been going back and forth between these 2.
Initially i leaned more towards the light caramel because i prefer the grained leather and ghw but i noticed that many people prefer the smooth leather. 
and said that the smooth leather is more luxurious?

I'm just afraid of regretting in the future for not getting the smooth leather, plus the smooth leather is slightly cheaper by few hundreds.

Love to hear what you think. Thanks

Pic credit: Youtube/Google


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## ajde.adam

Minie26 said:


> Love to hear what you think. Thanks



I personally like the tan one because it’s more muted in color whereas the light caramel is a little too vibrant for my liking. I am waiting patiently for a multicolored puzzle that I love in smooth calfskin because the one I have in soft-grained leather doesn’t slouch as much as I’d like it to, HAHA.


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## Minie26

ajde.adam said:


> I personally like the tan one because it’s more muted in color whereas the light caramel is a little too vibrant for my liking. I am waiting patiently for a multicolored puzzle that I love in smooth calfskin because the one I have in soft-grained leather doesn’t slouch as much as I’d like it to, HAHA.


Oh, may i know what color is your soft grained puzzle? is it in the small size?
Tbh, i prefer my bag not too slouchy(out of shape).. do you think the smooth leather is slouchier than the grained leather?


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## ajde.adam

Minie26 said:


> Oh, may i know what color is your soft grained puzzle? is it in the small size?
> Tbh, i prefer my bag not too slouchy(out of shape).. do you think the smooth leather is slouchier than the grained leather?



I have the small size in steel blue soft-grained. After playing with them in the store, I can definitely say the soft will eventually slouch more than the grained version. While I love the one I have now and how structured it has remained, the Puzzle is known for its somewhat slouchy appearance so I’m looking to add a smooth calfskin in my collection down the road.


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## earthygirl

I ordered both of these colors a few years ago and compared them irl. I posted pics on this forum...maybe if you do a search you’ll find them? Even though I prefer gold hardware on bags, I prefer the tan smooth leather on this handbag more. The hardware is not prominen...it kind of blends in so the fact that it was silver never bothered me. Grained leather reminds me of the Cole haan bags I used to carry several years ago..in my youth.  The smooth leather is so durable and so lovely to the touch.

The tan goes with literally everything...every color. The light caramel is a bit more orangey or warm toned.  I actually used and enjoyed my tan puzzle for years and then I decided to buy the warm desert color combo puzzle bag and sold the tan puzzle. I love the warm desert combo and it looks great with my skin tone, but I do miss how perfectly the tan puzzle matched with everything.  The warm desert colorway looks great with neutral outfits and certain colors but it’s nice to have a tan bag in your closet that you can grab and not have to consider whether it matches your outfit because it always does!  I live in a warm climate so a tan bag is more neutral and useful all year long than even a black bag.

My vote is tan!


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## Minie26

ajde.adam said:


> I have the small size in steel blue soft-grained. After playing with them in the store, I can definitely say the soft will eventually slouch more than the grained version. While I love the one I have now and how structured it has remained, the Puzzle is known for its somewhat slouchy appearance so I’m looking to add a smooth calfskin in my collection down the road.



Ohh, good to know the grained doesn't slouch as much. Do you think bag organizer would help maintain the shape for the smooth leather? and do you use bag organizer for your bag?


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## Minie26

earthygirl said:


> I ordered both of these colors a few years ago and compared them irl. I posted pics on this forum...maybe if you do a search you’ll find them? Even though I prefer gold hardware on bags, I prefer the tan smooth leather on this handbag more. The hardware is not prominen...it kind of blends in so the fact that it was silver never bothered me. Grained leather reminds me of the Cole haan bags I used to carry several years ago..in my youth.  The smooth leather is so durable and so lovely to the touch.
> 
> The tan goes with literally everything...every color. The light caramel is a bit more orangey or warm toned.  I actually used and enjoyed my tan puzzle for years and then I decided to buy the warm desert color combo puzzle bag and sold the tan puzzle. I love the warm desert combo and it looks great with my skin tone, but I do miss how perfectly the tan puzzle matched with everything.  The warm desert colorway looks great with neutral outfits and certain colors but it’s nice to have a tan bag in your closet that you can grab and not have to consider whether it matches your outfit because it always does!  I live in a warm climate so a tan bag is more neutral and useful all year long than even a black bag.
> 
> My vote is tan!



Oh wow!
Thanks for letting me know, i have seen so many people like you. After seeing both bags and they prefer the smooth tan too. That is why i'm worried to get the grained caramel. fyi, im buying this bag online because there is no loewe store here.

May i know is your warm desert in smooth leather or grained leather? do you use bag organizer and does your bag slouch alot? for both tan and warm desert?


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## ajde.adam

Minie26 said:


> Ohh, good to know the grained doesn't slouch as much. Do you think bag organizer would help maintain the shape for the smooth leather? and do you use bag organizer for your bag?



The bag organizer will help maintain the shape of the bag for sure. I currently have a thin one in it right now only because I’m not using it. When the bag is in rotation, I prefer not having the organizer because the bag slouches just a tad more.


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## earthygirl

Minie26 said:


> Oh wow!
> Thanks for letting me know, i have seen so many people like you. After seeing both bags and they prefer the smooth tan too. That is why i'm worried to get the grained caramel. fyi, im buying this bag online because there is no loewe store here.
> 
> May i know is your warm desert in smooth leather or grained leather? do you use bag organizer and does your bag slouch alot? for both tan and warm desert?


My warm desert puzzle is in smooth calfskin and it slouches…honestly, over time I believe the smooth and grained calfskin will slouch the same. The small size will appear less slouchy when worn crossbody or over the shoulder as compared to the medium size. It’s when you use the handle, that the small size slouches. I don’t use an organizer in this bag


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## Greentea

I think they all slouch and both leathers are just amazing. I'd pick which shade you like better. I have a smooth black and would probably get a caramel grained if I got another one. It is the best bag and you can't go wrong.


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## scsmith1312

I just received the light caramel, grained leather, gold hardware small Puzzle and it is lovely. I also received the tan mini puzzle, smooth leather with silver hardware. The mini size doesn’t work for me but I do *slightly* prefer the tan colour to the caramel colour. I also *slightly* prefer the smoother leather over the grained leather. But I definitely prefer the gold hardware! No question.

 What I would like is a small puzzle in tan smooth leather with gold hardware!!!! Doesn’t exist though!


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## Julie_de

In smooth leather, the bag puzzle looks noble and, in my opinion, more beautiful. And Tan such a nice color!
But Gate bag I like also in grained leather)


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## CrackBerryCream

I prefer the tan colour and smooth leather, so that’s what I bought (but in Medium size). Still you should buy what makes your heart sing, not what everyone else is buying.


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## despair

Personally I think the puzzle looks better with smooth leather. Grained leather looks better on the puzzle edge... Grained leather somehow makes the bag look more masculine (it was initially designed as a men's bag after all).


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## trixiebellle

I love the tan but hate the white logo, I feel that it ruins the understated vibe of the bag as logo becomes too prominent (even if the logo is fairly unknown).
This is the only reason I haven’t bought one for myself yet. Don’t get why they put the white on the tan and black one, such a pity


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## hijulisa

scsmith1312 said:


> I just received the light caramel, grained leather, gold hardware small Puzzle and it is lovely. I also received the tan mini puzzle, smooth leather with silver hardware. The mini size doesn’t work for me but I do *slightly* prefer the tan colour to the caramel colour. I also *slightly* prefer the smoother leather over the grained leather. But I definitely prefer the gold hardware! No question.
> 
> What I would like is a small puzzle in tan smooth leather with gold hardware!!!! Doesn’t exist though!



I had the small size and sold it since I felt it quite redundant to the LV speedy in my collection, I'm thinking of adding it back to my collection in the mini size. Can you share why the mini size didn't quite work out for you? Anything I should watch out for?


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## Addy

Minie26 said:


> Hi guys,
> Please help me choose which small puzzle should i get?
> 
> Light caramel in grained leather
> or
> Tan in smooth leather
> 
> I have been going back and forth between these 2.
> Initially i leaned more towards the light caramel because i prefer the grained leather and ghw but i noticed that many people prefer the smooth leather.
> and said that the smooth leather is more luxurious?
> 
> I'm just afraid of regretting in the future for not getting the smooth leather, plus the smooth leather is slightly cheaper by few hundreds.
> 
> Love to hear what you think. Thanks
> 
> Pic credit: Youtube/Google
> View attachment 5325924


Which one did you get?


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## Tahoe10

I have the caramel in GHW. I think the tan color would be a better color but the hardware is a dealbreaker for me. I think the GHW is so beautiful on this bag. I still think the leather is outstanding and I love how it is structured everywhere except for the “dip” at the top. I agree with another poster that the white logo would bother me. The perfect bag would be the tan with GHW and a matching logo. Oh well…I also really wish they would make the black with GHW.


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## SkyBlueDay108

I’m new to owning a Loewe Puzzle (got my first one a few months ago from Fashionphile), but loved and admired it the minute I saw it in Dilettante in Perth in 2016.

Hardware and (no white, only embossed) logo were both dealbreakers for me. The shadow embossing is such a tiny, almost invisible detail that helps the bag in this colour remain really clean to my eye. 

So, the warmer Caramel Puzzle in grained leather in a pre-loved Small it is for me.

How versatile is its colour? Warm, plain neutrals (seventies tones and shapes are my thing) with oversized printed T-s, cream and black singlets and wide leg leather pants in tan, olive, tomato and black leather are my staples, and my skin tone tends towards a very warm / sallow. So the slightly more
vibrant, slightly more fun tone of the Grained Caramel works well for me, and goes with absolutely everything.

I like this leather and colour so much that I’ve decided to save for a Medium in the same (very) versatile colour - also in Grained leather, to fit in more of the things I need on a daily basis.

I can feel from the softness of the strap that my preloved Grained Caramel has been relatively well used, and can see that despite considerable carrying by the previous owner that, the Grained leather shows no scratches whatsoever, holding its shape really well. 

Even when it slouches, the thickness of the leather prevents the bag from creasing badly.

I have a Small pre-loved smooth calfskin in the Garnet, Ivory and Red Tricolor that I’m hesitant to use - not because of its smoothness, but because of the lightness of the Ivory sections. However, I have no doubt that the smooth calfskin would still wear very well.

I understand that some Puzzle owners feel that the smooth leather looks less casual and, “dresses-up”, more easily. However, I don’t find that to be the case with the Grained Leather. Perhaps the gold hardware gives it a bit of dressed-up glamour for evenings. But, I just fold mine flat, remove the strap, and use it as a clutch in that super-cute origami shape it folds down into. And being the Small, it looks pretty dressed up folded flat.

I think that the days of grained leather being more casual than smooth leather have changed. And it’s more how you carry the bag, and whatever else you’re wearing it with.

I do agree with the posters who’ve suggested that, most of all, go for the one that you enjoy most of all, regardless of trend.


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## Minie26

Addy said:


> Which one did you get?


smooth tan


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## marinadfranco

I have the Loewe Puzzle in grained leather, small size, in the Dark Blush, and I would say this is a more neutral color than the Light Caramel....a bit too yellow/orange for my taste....Dark Blush is more like a ''nude'' color that can be considered neutral. Hope this helps!


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## Greentea

marinadfranco said:


> I have the Loewe Puzzle in grained leather, small size, in the Dark Blush, and I would say this is a more neutral color than the Light Caramel....a bit too yellow/orange for my taste....Dark Blush is more like a ''nude'' color that can be considered neutral. Hope this helps!


OOH, maybe my next Puzzle then.


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