# The Arco Bag



## Rashmi

I’m finding the Arco bag in medium quite attractive. But I’m torn between these two colors. Wood and Rust 

Which color do you like more out of these two? I wish they were in the $2500-$2800 range though.

Has anyone had a good or bad experience with the handles of this bag?


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## monkeyjuju

Hi! I actually have three of these: a small, a medium (the exact same size you are showing in the photos) and a maxi slouch.

The bigger the bag, the uglier the handles get! The flap also gets super wonky, which does not look good IMO on a bag that is supposed to be structured. The leather is also super delicate on the medium one and scratches very easily (the ones from my small and maxi are different and sturdier).

I guess my recommendation would be to either stay away from this bag or get the slouch version (I do not know if this is still available, though).


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## Rashmi

Thank you for your response. Wow what made you buy three of the same style? In what way does it get wonky? Does it stretch down the road? I think the Arco's design is quite unique and I don't mind the leather getting scratched as that is bound to happen in all smooth calf leathers. Plus i like the worn look and hopefully down the road once it has a nice patina those scratches won't look too visible? I don't like the maxi size however i wish the medium sized came in Rust and Wood colors with the same crinkled paper calf leather that the maxis come in. I think they only have the green and yellow in paper calf slouch. The yellow isn't that bad either but i love the wood and rust more.


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## Euclase

Rashmi said:


> Thank you for your response. Wow what made you buy three of the same style? In what way does it get wonky? Does it stretch down the road? I think the Arco's design is quite unique and I don't mind the leather getting scratched as that is bound to happen in all smooth calf leathers. Plus i like the worn look and hopefully down the road once it has a nice patina those scratches won't look too visible? I don't like the maxi size however i wish the medium sized came in Rust and Wood colors with the same crinkled paper calf leather that the maxis come in. I think they only have the green and yellow in paper calf slouch. The yellow isn't that bad either but i love the wood and rust more.


I believe that, over time, the Wood color would lend itself better to a patina of wear than the Rust color.


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## RT1

Euclase said:


> I believe that, over time, the Wood color would lend itself better to a patina of wear than the Rust color.


Totally agree here!


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## monkeyjuju

Rashmi said:


> Thank you for your response. Wow what made you buy three of the same style? In what way does it get wonky? Does it stretch down the road? I think the Arco's design is quite unique and I don't mind the leather getting scratched as that is bound to happen in all smooth calf leathers. Plus i like the worn look and hopefully down the road once it has a nice patina those scratches won't look too visible? I don't like the maxi size however i wish the medium sized came in Rust and Wood colors with the same crinkled paper calf leather that the maxis come in. I think they only have the green and yellow in paper calf slouch. The yellow isn't that bad either but i love the wood and rust more.



I actually got the small and medium as gifts! The maxi slouch was the only one I proactively bought earlier last year and it was due to the color (Racing Green) and because I just felt that the slouchier version suited this specific design better.

So, the handles are supposed to be straight and look like a swing’s ropes, thus having a longer drop. However, they just move to the sides a lot and make the drop shorter, especially when the bags are not being used. They just look and feel like spaghetti or like long curly hair.

As for the bag’s body and flap, they do stretch and my medium has a huge crease where the arm falls both on the flap and the body, which I hate because it looks like a bag that was once structured and has seen better days overall vs the maxi slouch, which looks like it has always been that way. That is another reason why I do not like the smooth leather with scratches on the medium one — it just makes it look even more beaten up, but not naturally as on the maxi or a PS1, a City (or any other Balenciaga), etc. This is personal opinion of course.

And talking about care, storage, et cetera, I just feel like this is a really high maintenance bag, which is strange even for me (I even baby my canvas LVs). Regarding the patina, I am sure it will definitely blend a lot of the scratches, but my bag looks so beaten up right now that I do not even want to take it out to get some fresh air and sun, so I really can’t tell you much about my experience on that.

As for the colors, there are some really lovely ones for the regular medium and I think you cannot go wrong with any, even if the ones you like are only available on the slouch.

Anyways, sorry for the bible, but I did not want to miss any of your points. HTH!


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## Rashmi

I appreciate your long response. I think I’m going to wait on the secondary market to purchase the soft calf skin medium Arco. I can not justify the now increased price of more than 4k! I also loooove the slouch in racing green! Would you mind sending me pics of all your arco bags? That’ll give me a better idea too whether or not I should go after this bag  thank you.


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## jagwomen

Oh I would love to see some pictures of your bags worn. I think they look so lovely new, it’s a shame they don’t wear well


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## babypanda

Same here! @monkeyjuju would you kindly share some pix and perhaps some mod shots?


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## jennopho

Hello Everyone! I hope everyone is well and staying safe out there 
I just purchased an Arco from TJ Maxx (please don't judge) and was wondering if anyone can determine its authenticity?
The serial number is identified as "*B08923725Q*" which was located within the zippered portion (I've seen a few pictures where the serial number is easily accessible) on the outside of the zipper pocket. I've also included pictures for reference.
I have been scouring the internet for any tidbit of information but I'm still unsure, so I'd greatly appreciate it if I can get some clarity!
Thank you!


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## Lisamylovex

monkeyjuju said:


> Hi! I actually have three of these: a small, a medium (the exact same size you are showing in the photos) and a maxi slouch.
> 
> The bigger the bag, the uglier the handles get! The flap also gets super wonky, which does not look good IMO on a bag that is supposed to be structured. The leather is also super delicate on the medium one and scratches very easily (the ones from my small and maxi are different and sturdier).
> 
> I guess my recommendation would be to either stay away from this bag or get the slouch version (I do not know if this is still available, though).


I just bought a pre love small Arco and the handles don’t stand up anymore. They fall to the side. Is this what you mean by “wonky”? I wasn’t sure if this is normal or if the previous owner didn’t store the bag correctly


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