Taking My Mini Pochette to The Ritz London
I recently went for afternoon tea at The Ritz in London, and I decided to bring my Louis Vuitton Mini Pochette Accessoires as a handbag.
The Ritz is known for having a rather strict dress code. Men are required to wear a jacket and tie, and jeans and sportswear aren’t allowed. It’s definitely somewhere you need to think about what to wear beforehand!
To be honest, I was a little nervous about going. I don’t visit fancy hotels or go for afternoon tea at places like The Ritz very often, so I spent quite a bit of time deciding what to wear and which bag to bring.
It was November in London, so I had to think about the cold weather too. I wore a silky dress with a cashmere cardigan, a cashmere shawl and a trench coat. I also wore a necklace and a pair of flat ballet shoes.
And then there was the question of which bag to bring.
I’m normally someone who likes bigger bags. I love my Longchamp Le Pliage, and I also have a handmade woven leather bag that I use a lot. But for this occasion, I thought I’d bring something a little smaller and dressier.
After all, I was going to The Ritz for an evening afternoon tea, so I wanted to make a bit of an effort!
That’s when I decided to use my Mini Pochette Accessoires.
Why I Chose the Mini Pochette Accessoires
The Mini Pochette is obviously very small, but I think it’s still a reasonably practical size.
It’s not like some of those tiny designer bags, such as Chanel’s mini vanity bags, where I sometimes wonder whether you can even fit a lipstick inside!
I wanted to bring a small bag that would work for the occasion, but I also needed to carry my essentials. I didn’t want something so tiny that it was practically just an accessory.
Another reason I chose the Mini Pochette was simply that I wanted to carry something I really liked.
Of course, I could have brought a little satin bag instead. And I’m sure nobody at The Ritz would care whether your bag was expensive or not!
But since I was already a little nervous about going somewhere so fancy, I wanted to carry something that made me feel more confident.
I love Louis Vuitton, and I thought this was a good opportunity to use one of my favourite small pieces.
What Fits Inside the Mini Pochette?
Now, this is probably the most important question.
I’m definitely a big-bag girl, and unfortunately, I have quite a lot of things I like to carry with me.
So I was a little worried about whether everything would fit inside the Mini Pochette.
Here’s what I managed to bring:
- A handkerchief
- An inhaler (I have asthma!)
- A lipstick
- A silk hair scrunchie
- My keys
- A Bluetooth earphones case
I did have to take my keys out of the Louis Vuitton key case I normally use, as that would have taken up too much space.
The bag was pretty much full, but I was actually quite impressed by how much it held. My inhaler, in particular, isn’t that small!
I think you could probably fit some medication inside as well.
There was one thing I couldn’t fit inside, though: my phone.
I have a Google Pixel 9 with a plastic case, and unfortunately, it doesn’t fit in the Mini Pochette. So I had to carry it separately.
But honestly, I didn’t find this particularly inconvenient.
First of all, there are so many things to take pictures of at The Ritz. I was using my phone quite a lot anyway.
Also, afternoon tea isn’t exactly an occasion where you’re walking around all day. Most of the time, you’re just sitting at the table, so you can simply leave your phone there.
If you really don’t want to carry your phone in your hand, you could always get one of those phone straps that you wear around your neck or across your body.
Was It Comfortable to Carry?
Yes, very.
One thing I really like about the Mini Pochette is that the chain is actually quite long compared with the size of the bag.
I could comfortably carry it in the crook of my arm, even though I was wearing a cardigan and a trench coat.
And because the bag itself is so small, it was very easy to deal with once I sat down.
I could just tuck it beside me on the chair, and it didn’t get in the way at all.
I think that’s actually one of the advantages of bringing a small bag to somewhere like The Ritz. You don’t really want a big handbag taking up space when you’re sitting at a table having afternoon tea.
Would I Use It as an Evening Bag Again?
Definitely.
I really enjoyed using my Mini Pochette as a handbag, and I think it worked very well for afternoon tea at The Ritz.
It’s small and doesn’t draw too much attention, but it still holds a surprising amount of stuff. I mean, it managed to fit my inhaler, which isn’t exactly tiny.
Obviously, the biggest downside is that my phone doesn’t fit. If you want to keep everything inside your bag, this probably isn’t the best option.
But for an occasion where you’re mostly sitting down, I honestly didn’t mind carrying my phone separately.
I think it’s nice to carry something you love, especially when you’re going somewhere a little fancy and feeling slightly nervous about it.
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