Bargain Shopping - Michael Kors Sutton Small Saffiano Leather Satchel Review

Michael Kors Small Sutton in Raspberry

The Michael Kors website says:

Sutton Small Saffiano Leather Satchel in color Raspberry

MATERIAL
-Saffiano Leather 
-Silver hardware

DETAILS
-3" Handle Drop 
-18-20" Adjustable Strap 
-Interior Details: Two Top Zip Pockets One Interior Zip Pocket Three Open Pockets One Cell Phone Pocket One Key Fob 
-8" X 6" X 3.75" 
-Magnetic Closure 
-Imported

Retail price: $278.00 
What I paid: ~$160
Where I bought it: Nordstrom

Thoughts on the price:
I was ready to buy this purse in black as soon as the Macy's Friends and Family sale starts this fall. The sale gives you an additional 25% off and applies to a lot of brands that are normally on the exclusion list. That, along with the Macy's gift cards I can get with my Discover cashback ($50 GC for $45 of your cashback bonus), would have placed the bag at about $188. But then I saw this beauty on sale at Nordstrom for $167. Shortly after purchasing it, Macy's also had a sale on this exact bag for $155. 

Thoughts on the bag:
THE GOOD
I originally wanted this bag in raspberry, but then figured I'd get it in black because it is such a classic bag. When I saw the sale, however, I couldn't resist. The black version of the bag was not on sale, but I am really glad I went for this color instead. The bright pink looks even better in person and it adds a fun pop of color to my outfits. Check out the first picture of the bag in natural lighting. The other pictures are taken inside so the color shown might be off.

This purse is basically a cheaper version of the Prada double zip tote. Both have the double zip outer compartments, the side buttons, and are made of Saffiano leather. I actually considered getting the Prada bag while in Europe (because while you're in Europe, spending $2k on a bag is totally justified), but I had read one too many bad reviews on the quality of the Prada bags. At 1/10th the price, this bag will do just fine. 

I really love the leather of this bag. This so-called Saffiano leather is treated in a way that creates a cross-hatch pattern on the surface, rendering the leather stiff and durable. I don't have to baby it as much as I would soft leather since it is pretty scratch resistant and would probably be easier to clean.

Cross-hatch pattern of Saffiano leather

THE (kinda) BAD

I am very satisfied with my purchase but there are a few things I want to mention. Upon receiving the bag, I noticed there were a lot of glue/adhesive spots on the bag. They were the type you can rub away but for a designer bag, I was expecting better quality control (although more expensive bags like Prada have problems too...). There were probably about 10 spots, like the one in the photo below, spread throughout the purse. Annoying, though not a deal breaker.

Adhesive spots on the purse

I opted for the small version of this Sutton purse because of my height. I tried the medium size on in stores and it just looked way too big for my frame, especially if worn as a cross-body (which is what I plan to do most of the time). I've also heard there are issues with using the medium and large sizes as cross-body bags because the lining where the strap connects to the bag lifts up. The size of the small is great. I personally don't need such a big daily bag. The only thing about the small is that it is difficult to stick my hand into the bag without disconnecting the magnetic flap first. It is probably safer this way; I'm just lazy =P.