photography by @katemcreynoldsblog

Outfit Details: coat: J. Crew // top: ASTR {also on sale via Zappos} // jeans: Madewell // necklace: Le Papier c/o // similar pearl earrings: Nordstrom Rack // sunglasses: Ray-Ban // sneakers: Veja {also via Anthropologie} // bag: Goyard // mask: MedTecs c/o

My Thoughts on the Goyard St. Louis GM Tote

This past summer, as I was getting ready to move into New York City, I realized that I wanted to invest in a classic tote bag that I could use every day. We were actually on a day trip to NYC to look for apartments for my sister, when I suddenly seemed to hijack her day of touring and we wound up at the Goyard store on 63rd, between Park and Madison. 😊

I was thinking I would just “pop in” to see what I liked best in person, but we found the door to the store locked so I rang a doorbell for a security guard to let us in. He told me that they were only accepting appointments, which I’m not sure if they were doing because of Covid regulations, or if that’s their standard procedure. I described how I was just in New York for the day (this was before I had moved to the city) and knew what I wanted to purchase, and he was kind enough to let us come in to do so, sans appointment.

The store was absolutely stunning– a multi-leveled old-fashioned feeling place that had cases of vintage Goyard luggage and bags, as well as newer items and the various ways that you could personalize them displayed. I believe we were the only ones in the store at the time, and the sales person I worked with was wonderful (I so wish I remembered his name!). I told him that I was interested in the Goyard St. Louis GM Tote (I explain why I was interested in that exact bag below), and he guided me through the whole process.

I knew that I wanted it personalized with a monogram, so he took me over to their monogram display in the store so I could get a better sense of the font and color options. I describe exactly what I went with below, so that if you like how mine turned out you can do something similar. It took about two weeks to ship to me after we designed it, and I’ve used it almost every single day since!

Overall, I absolutely love the tote and it’s been the perfect fit for me. It fits SO much, goes with everything (since it has black, brown, gray, pink, and cream in it!), and is the type of bag you can have forever and isn’t particularly trendy (which is a huge testament to why the Goyard brand has been successful for so long!).

It was also 1000% worth the price for me, since I get so much use out of it. Don’t get me wrong, I saved up for it, but it’s been one of the smartest splurge items I’ve purchased. Take a look at the below Q&A and please let me know if I missed anything at all that you’d like to know! xx

Commonly Asked Questions

What is Goyard?

Let’s walk through a quick history lesson because it’s actually fascinating… Goyard dates back to Paris in 1792 when it’s original founder, Pierre-François Martin, who was a trunk and leather goods maker, founded the company under the name Maison Morel. Then in 1853, Edmond Goyard, purchased the company from Martin’s successor and renamed it to Goyard.

Since then, they’ve stayed pretty low key (despite all of the celebrities and royals who accessorize with and collect Goyard pieces), and they’ve done an impeccable job in preserving their iconic branding and print. They don’t advertise, sell their items directly online, or really market their brand at all (not like Louis Vuitton or Gucci does, for instance), which is one of the major reasons I was so drawn to the understated coolness of the brand. It’s now renowned as the world’s oldest luxury leather goods and trunk company, that’s still very much active. This article really goes into the history of Goyard if you want some more depth there!

Where did you purchase it?

I talked about this more above, but I went to the Goyard store in New York City at 20 E 63rd St. I would suggest calling the store before you go in to see if you need to make an appointment– it looks like their phone number is 212.813.0005. Goyard does not directly sell any of their bags online (not on their website or in any online department stores), so the only way to purchase one online would be through a resale site, in which I would recommend Fashionphile or The Real Real. Even then, I’ve noticed that the bags are priced more than they would be to purchase one new, so if you can get to a store, definitely purchase it there! I linked a few above and below, in case you want to take a look at some resale options.

How much did it cost?

I kept the receipt because I knew that I wanted to eventually review the bag and that this would be a hot topic. I’m going to brush over the fact that it’s usually taboo to discuss how much you spent on something, and instead reiterate that it’s part of my job to share how much things cost, and whether or not I think they’re worth that. But it’s not cheap and I did not make the purchase lightly!

It cost $1,620 all in (monogram included) and I believe that I unintentionally saved on the sales tax since I had it shipped to New Jersey, as I was still living there at the time. I’m not going to say that it’s an investment bag, because I’m not planning on reselling it (especially with the monogram), but it definitely gets the most use out of anything else I own, so the cost per wear has been worth it to me so far!

Why did you decide on the GM size?

Because I am 1000% that person who will randomly pull out a bottle of wine from my bag on a whim and I wanted to make sure my tote could handle such antics. 😊 I was comparing the size to the Goyard St. Louis PM, which is much more of a purse size, and not a traditional larger tote. Here’s a direct comparison if you’re interested–  to give you even more insight, the St. Louis GM was originally designed as a beach tote, so it can easily fit a towel, a book, etc.!

• Goyard St. Louis PM Size: Shoulder Strap Drop: 6.50″ // Height: 10.5″ // Width: 18.5″ // Depth: 5.5″
• Goyard St. Louis GM Size: Shoulder Strap Drop: 7.75″ // Height: 12.25″ // Width: 22″ // Depth: 7.25″

Which monogram and colors did you get?

I took a screenshot of the order form we filled out in the store so that I could make sure I had the exact details to share. Here’s what I went with for my bag design:

• Bag: St Louis GM
• Color: 0103
• Initials: AJL in size medium (2.2 cm)
• Font/Style: Serif, without point
• Colors: Letters in ‘light pink’ and shadow in ‘ivory’
• Monogram placement: Center handle
• No crown, no stripes

I decided to go with light pink to bring some personality to the tote and make it feel very me, and shadow the monogram in ivory to give it a little depth without distracting too much from the pink and all of the other colors/shades in the bag. I also decided not to do a stripe on the bag, and keep it simple and dare I say understated (jokes, it’s a designer bag that I monogrammed in pink, nothing understated about it 😊). It took about two weeks for them to customize it and then they shipped it to me, free of charge.

What all can it fit?

To give you some context here, this is what I have packed in mine before– my 13″ laptop (which I put in this laptop case), my cell phone, my laptop/phone chargers, a full cosmetic case, three sunglass cases, disinfectant wipes, my cell phone, my apartment keys, and a water bottle. So basically everything I would need from running errands to traveling on an airplane.

There also aren’t any pockets in it, besides for a removable pouch (where I keep my receipts actually), but I honestly don’t miss them because I’ve always organized my tote bags with smaller, individual pouches, such as this or these.

How durable has it been?

I’ve used it almost every single day for the past six months, and even took it on the plane when I went to Florida for the holidays, and it shows zero signs of wear. I am not an over-cautious person with designer items either– I want to get my use out of them and don’t drive myself crazy with being over-protective, and it still hasn’t shown any scratches.

Now, the inside is a light cream canvas material, and that has already accumulated a few lipstick stains (taking the full blame here!). But I barely notice so it hasn’t bothered me. It’s also the type of bag that I think looks cooler if it’s worn in, so I’m not afraid about using it as much as I do. Also! I’m sure if the paint on the monogram were to ever fade, they would retouch it for me, no problem (their in-store customer service was amazing!).

How does it compare to the Louis Vuitton Neverfull?

It’s very similar in shape and size, though the Goyard is a tad bigger and is a little bit less structured. Both my mom and sister have the LV Neverfull GM bags, but I kind of wanted something different and honestly only know a handful of people with the Goyard tote! As for the quality, I have seen both my mom’s and sister’s wear a bit, but I cannot speak to the Goyard’s long-lasting wear quite yet because I’ve had it for six months. But so far it’s been PERFECT, despite constant use.

• Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM Size: Shoulder Strap Drop: 9″ // Height: 12″ // Width: 21″ // Depth: 7.5″
• Goyard St. Louis GM Size: Shoulder Strap Drop: 7.75″ // Height: 12.25″ // Width:  22″ // Depth:  7.25″

Would you recommend it?

Absolutely, yes. If you’re looking for a designer bag under $2k that can withstand the test of time (both in terms of quality and style), this bag can do that! It’s a gorgeous and recognizable pattern that’s difficult to dupe, so the real thing is worth it, especially considering the cost per wear that you’d get out of it if you use it as your everyday bag.