My Purchase Story
I've got a ton of bags, and I've already written a separate review about my collection, you can read it here, and by my impression, I have bags for any occasion - dark and light, formal and casual. But in my life, a sudden grey coat appeared, and it turned out that none of my bags look good with it. And no, I love all my bags, but they all look bad with the coat. So, I decided it was time to buy something universal and grey. And guess what? I found it at ARNY PRAHT.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow BagThis already sounds like a joke. I have a lot of their bags - eight, to be exact. I even wrote a review about one of them. And to be honest, I've always had questions about the quality of ARNY PRAHT. I even returned a backpack for repair under warranty. Their material is pretty delicate.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow BagBut somehow, only they seem to be able to make beautiful bags with decent, yet stylish designs in attractive colors at a reasonable price. Seriously, everything I've seen was either grey bags that looked confidently feminine, so you could wear them to the store and still fit a package of pierogies, or something purely decorative where you could only fit lip gloss, or it was already in a higher price range and made of real leather.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow Bag I've come back to ARNY PRAHT again, and I'm not sure if I'm looking for the wrong thing, but this time I'm loving the color, the unique shape, the decent capacity, and the two handles. The quality does leave me with some doubts, but they're minor, and might only show up over time. What's really disappointing, though, is the lack of decent basic bags.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow Bag Material
This is a faux leather... I guess you could call it eco-leather, and it's pretty thin. It's smooth to the touch, but not exactly durable. I'm worried that the bag might start to wear down at the corners. What I do want to highlight as a plus is that the material doesn't scratch easily, even though it's smooth, and it doesn't peel off in chunks – it just gets worn down.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow Bag To be honest, this bag isn't built to last, but I think it'll last me around five years, considering I don't use it every day. Another material feature I want to mention is the magnetic clasps – it's an unusual design, but I'll go into more detail about that later. What I can say is that it's not the most intuitive design.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow Bag Value for Money
One thing I've noticed about ARNY PRAHT bags is that they can be pricey, especially when you're paying full price. But it turns out you can find the same models on Lamoda and in Zolotoe Yabloko, and often they're on sale. Plus, if you have promo codes for Lamoda, you can stack those discounts with the sale prices, which is a nice bonus since ARNY PRAHT is a Russian brand.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow BagAs it turns out, this particular bag model usually costs 13,000 rubles on the official website, but you can find it for sale on other sites for as low as 10,000 rubles. I scored mine for 7,000 rubles, and now a month later, it's already back up to 9,000 rubles on Lamoda.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow BagThe price is starting to feel more reasonable, although I do agree that for this price, you could find a leather bag. But for me, it's all about the look, and I'm really happy with how this bag turned out.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow BagHow it closes
The closure mechanism on this bag is a bit unconventional, but it's actually really convenient. There are two magnetic clasps on the top, and they're surprisingly strong. As soon as you get the bag close enough, it clicks shut.
Arny Praht Naomi Shadow BagI'm really glad the zippers are snug, which means there are no gaps on the sides for things to fall out or get stolen. Plus, even if the bag is packed tightly, the magnets still manage to hold things in place, even if they don't quite snap together perfectly.
Arny Praht Naomi Shadow BagMy only gripe is that the zippers can sometimes catch on the short handle. But after getting used to it, I just tuck the handle down, and the bag opens up easily, allowing me to fit bigger items inside.
Arny Praht Naomi Shadow BagConvenience
One of the bag's strengths is its convenience. I really like the type of closure it has, although it did take me some time to get used to. Plus, the rigid shape makes it easy to see what's inside, and there are two additional pockets inside - one larger one that can fit a card, headphones, or something more valuable.
Arny Praht Naomi Shadow BagThere's also a thin pocket for my passport, card holder, and license. Anything bigger than that won't fit, but everything else goes into the main compartment. Still, it's easy to organize, even with the limited number of pockets. And the fact that it's spacious is a major plus - I'll be talking more about that in the next point.
The ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow Bag Capacity
I've gotta say, this bag has a lot of room inside. Maybe I'm just used to carrying tiny bags, but this one has plenty of space for all my essentials. Like this trendy cow-print bag I've got. It's not huge, but it's got more than enough space for everything I need, and still has a bit of room to spare. Check out my usual state of disarray in the photo above. If I packed a bit more efficiently, I'm sure I could get even more in there.
The ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow Bag And let's be real, there's nothing I need that won't fit in here. I even managed to squeeze in a full-sized tub of moisturizer, which I only break out in the dead of winter. The makeup bag fits too, which is usually one of the first things to go if I'm running low on space. I've also got my wallet, a small notebook, glasses, some hairpins, a miniature perfume bottle, lip balm (which is a must-have in the cold weather), some candy, earbuds, and a pill case. So, in my book, the capacity is pretty impressive.
The ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow Bag Care and Maintenance
When it comes to maintenance, it's a breeze. The material is synthetic, so the only thing that might happen is that it starts to shed. But that's still a ways off. So, maintenance-wise, it's just a matter of wiping it down with a damp cloth if you notice any stains. And that's a plus, because the bag's color is such that any minor dirt or stains are basically invisible. Plus, the bag has these little footpads that keep it from getting dirty on the bottom. That's a nice touch, because it keeps the material from getting stained. All in all, maintenance is a no-brainer with this bag.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow Bag My Takeaways
Fast forward a few months, and this bag has become a staple in my daily wardrobe. The color is versatile enough that it looks great with both darker and lighter tops. I'm really happy with the color choice. And the zipper? It's been a great addition, even if it did take me a little while to get used to it. Yeah, I know the material is a bit delicate, so it might not last me for decades. But I'm not really expecting it to, and that's okay. For now, I'm happy with it. Sure, it's a bit pricey, but with the discounts and promo codes, it's a lot more reasonable.
ARNY PRAHT Naomi Shadow Bag Verdict
One thing that really stands out about this purse is its design - it's absolutely top-notch. If you're into sleek, stylish accessories, I'd definitely recommend checking it out, especially since the color options are pretty impressive. I've even started eyeing a black one myself, although I'm not sure if I need it yet. But that just goes to show how great this purse is. I'd give it a full five stars and definitely recommend it to anyone in the market for a new purse. My only complaint is that Arny Praht stores aren't available in every city, so you might not be able to get a feel for the product in person.