Neo Alma BB Monogram Empreinte First Impressions

I am so excited to share my first impressions of my new Neo Alma BB in the Black Empreinte leather. I have been obsessed with this bag since I purchased it a few months ago. I will be posting photos of it to Instagram soon. I needed a classic black bag in my collection and this is what I ended up with after a long search.

I originally had the Mini Fendi Peekaboo on my list. I looked for one pre-loved for a while and just kept seeing the same wear and tear issues over and over. I also noticed the Peekaboo is very popular right now so it’s going for a lot higher on the pre-loved market. Even with noticeable wear, they were around $2200 - $3000. For me personally, if I’m going to buy pre-loved, I would want to save more off retail. The Peekaboo currently retails for $3,590. I was just not ready to spend that much on one bag that was still pretty small and seemed delicate.

I started looking at Louis Vuitton’s Empreinte Leather. In the past I had been looking on the preloved market at the older discontinued Empreinte Speedy models such as the Speedy 20 and 25. Since I already have a Speedy 30 and a Speedy 25, I wasn’t sure I wanted another Speedy. As much as I love Speedies, I like to have different options within my collection.

Enter the Alma BB. I had always liked the Alma but I need a shoulder strap. So when I saw this size and the way the strap attached I was very interested. I did look on the pre-loved market before considering purchasing new. However, at the time I was looking, the particular bag I wanted was going for several hundred dollars over retail as well as being sold out on the Louis Vuitton website. I then reached out to my client advisor and bag wizard Manni. Even he was not able to source one but he said he would keep an eye out. A couple of weeks later, I attended the grand opening of the new Louis Vuitton Store in Dallas where I got lucky! Manni found one for me! I tried it on and all my things just fit perfectly. The material felt like it was going to be durable and last well. It also looked perfect with the other bag accessories I have. It was meant to be.

I have been carrying it for the last 3 months and I have to say, it’s a great bag. It’s a great small size, durable, and versatile. I have highlighted some of the details I thought you all would be interested in below.

The Details

The Dimensions are 9.8 x 7.1 x 4.7 inches. It comes with a lock, keys, cloche, and a non adjustable bag strap. The strap length is 45.25 inches and the drop is 20.5 inches. It’s a little short for me. The Speedy strap drop is 21.7 inches which is better for me crossbody. The bag features an orange microfiber interior with one slip pocket. It currently retails for $2270. This bag is currently less expensive to buy new than pre-loved. Always make sure to do your research when buying pre-loved to make sure you are not paying over retail unless you are doing so for a specific reason purposefully.

Weight empty with strap 1.2 pounds.

What Fits inside

All my essentials and a pair of sunglasses in a soft case. I would skip the bulky sunglass case if you carry this bag. My essential small leather goods are all Louis Vuitton and include a mini pochette accessories, two key pouches, zippy coin purse (I use as a mini wallet), hand sanitizer, mini hand lotion, my Jabra Elite Headphones and my iPhone 11 Pro. This bag is also wide enough to accommodate a full size wallet such as the Louis Vuitton Sarah Wallet. I prefer carrying a smaller wallet but if I wanted to switch to my Sarah Wallet I could and it would still fit.

Previously I purchased the 1854 Bandoulière strap in black and it looks amazing with several of my bags but it’s my favorite with the Alma. They compliment each other really well. The strap does make it sit a little high if you are wearing it crossbody, but I have gotten used to it. The strap dimensions are 35.4 x 1.6 x 0.1 inches.

I have also enjoyed dressing it up with Bandeaus as I do with all my bags. With the bag being black, almost any bandeau will look amazing, but I loved this combo with the 1854 contrasting bandeau and strap the best.

I hope this helped if you are considering the Neo Alma BB in Black Empreinte for your collection. Shoot me a message on instagram if you have any questions I did not answer. Check out my Youtube video on this bag below.