The Ultimate Chanel Gabrielle Bag Guide & Review: Everything You Need to Know in 2023 – Luxe Front

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Explore the ultimate underrated handbag: The Chanel Gabrielle. Learn about sizes, prices, and materials, and whether it’s discontinued or not, with our complete guide and review.

Bearing the name of Chanel’s founder, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, the Gabrielle bag is a Karl Lagerfeld creation that blends a stable base and a lightweight body. 

If you’re curious to learn more about sizes, prices, and whether or not the Gabrielle is discontinued, then make sure to keep reading. 

About the Chanel Gabrielle Bag

Karl Lagerfeld created the Gabrielle bag to honor the spirit of the House’s founder. More specifically, he created a bag with a rigid base and a supple body, lending it stability and functionality. 

It was first introduced for the 2017 Spring-Summer Ready-to-Wear collection amid a massive marketing campaign featuring Kristen Stewart, Caroline de Maigret, Pharrell Williams, and Cara Delevingne as spokespeople. 

As the choice of spokespeople suggests, Gabrielle was designed with Chanel’s younger customers in mind. Unfortunately, the bag wasn’t an instant hit. However, it picked up steam after celebrities like Katie Holmes, Nicki Minaj, and Meghan Markle were spotted with it. 

The Gabrielle hobo is the primary silhouette but the line also includes a shopping tote, a backpack, and a drawstring bag. 

Notable features include a trapezoid shape, a double metal chain featuring Chanel hardware in gold, silver, and ruthenium tones, and signature diamond-patterned stitching. 

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Chanel Gabrielle Sizes 

The Gabrielle hobo bag comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large. These dimensions and the dimensions of the Gabrielle backpack are listed below. 

Model Dimensions inches(L x H x W)Dimensions centimeters(L x H x W)Handle Drop inchesHandle Drop centimetersSmall Gabrielle Hobo5.9in x 7.8in x 3.1in21.6cm x 17.1cm x 7.6cm16in to 27.5in40.6cm to 69.9cmMedium Gabrielle Hobo7.8in x 10.5in x 3.1in27.3cm x 21.6cm x 9.5cm16in to 27.5in40.6cm to 69.9cmLarge Gabrielle Hobo8.2in x 10.9in x 3.9in30.7cm x 25.4cm x 10.2cm17in to 28in43.2cm to 71.1cm Gabrielle Backpack9in x 8.8in x 4.1in22.9cm x 20.3cm x10.4cm19.5in24.1cm Chanel Gabrielle Dimensions

Chanel Gabrielle Pricing 

Chanel no longer features Gabrielle on its website, so the latest prices we could find are from January 2021. It’s almost certain prices have gone up since then, so use these prices as an estimate only. 

Prices listed below are for the most classic style of the Gabrielle, a black, aged calfskin model. 

StylePrice USDChanel Small Gabrielle Hobo$4,400Chanel Medium Gabrielle Hobo $4,600Chanel Large Gabrielle Hobo $4,700

It’s getting harder and harder to find new Chanel Gabrielle bags, something that might lead you to the secondhand market. Here are some of the current prices we saw on Fashionphile. 

Prices are for quilted, aged calfskin Gabrielle bags in black and in excellent condition. 

StylePriceSmall Gabrielle Hobo$4,495Medium Gabrielle Hobo$4,195Large Gabrielle Hobo$3,250Small Gabrielle Backpack$5,895

Why was the Chanel Gabrielle Discontinued?

There was not an official reason given by Chanel, but we can safely assume that the Gabrielle was simply not as popular anymore. Additionally, the style of the bag, which is slightly edgier and maybe geared more towards a younger audience now feels dated. Maybe Chanel also feels like its other bags, like the Chanel 19 feels the “void” of an edgy, cool bag – thus discontinuing the Gabrielle.

When Was Gabrielle Bag Discontinued? 

Chanel discontinued the Gabrielle bag somewhere between April and June 2022. Some boutiques may still have Gabrielles in stock but most are no longer receiving any new Gabrielle bags.  

Chanel Gabrielle Materials

The Gabrielle features a soft body and a structured base. In most cases, the body is made of aged calfskin and the base is made of smooth calfskin. 

That said, some special edition bags featured materials like suede, wool, tweed, and rattan. Others were embellished with sequins or a layer of clear PVC. 

Black is the most popular color with black/white and black/beige combinations filling out the selection of neutrals. 

Seasonal colors included red, pink, blue, and metallic. 

There are three main hardware options offered on the Gabrielle: 

• Gold-Tone and Silver-Tone Metal
• Gold-Tone, Silver-Tone, and Ruthenium-Finish Metal
• Black Metal

You might also enjoy reading:

All about the Chanel Reissue Bag

Chanel GST & PST – Discontinued Totes

A Chanel Classic: Diana Bag Guide

What Fits Inside the Chanel Gabrielle Bag?

The small Gabrielle can fit daily essentials like a phone, lipstick, a small wallet, and a bottle of hand sanitizer or lotion. 

All of these items, plus a small water bottle or umbrella can fit into the medium size. 

The large Gabrielle can hold all of your smaller essentials, plus a paperback book or a regular-sized water bottle. 

Pros and Cons of the Chanel Gabrielle Bag

As one of the brand’s lesser-known styles, you may have a lot of questions when it comes to the high and low points of the Gabrielle. Check out our list of pros and cons to help you out. 

Pros:

• Attractive prices on the resale market 

• Leather and glazing hold up well to wear and tear 
• Gender-neutral style 
• Versatile and easy to style 
• Fits a lot of things while staying small 
• Inner pockets make organizing easy
• Flexible opening and smooth zipper make it easy to reach in and out 
• Solid base means it stands up on its own 
• Multiple straps mean it can be carried in several ways (over the shoulder, across the body, or in a triangle) 

Cons:

• Expensive following recent price increases 
• Resale value varies a lot and isn’t as high as more classic styles 
• A trendy style that’s no longer in demand 
• Leather base marks easily 
• Large sizes are prone to creasing and sagging 
• Heavy bag for its size (small weighs 1.5 lbs/705g)

Is the Chanel Gabrielle Bag Worth Buying? 

Chanel fans are divided when it comes to the Gabrielle bag. Some say it was trendy when it was first introduced and that it’s no longer stylish. 

They go on to note that the Gabrielle doesn’t hold its value as well as Classic Flaps, Boy Bags, or 2.55 Reissues. 

On the other side of the debate are those that say Gabrielle is worth buying on the secondhand market. Since the bag is not greatly sought after, you can really score a deal on the pre-loved sites.

When buying a Gabrielle, keep in mind that black is the most sought-after color and that small sizes and backpacks hold their value better. Special-edition embellished straps can also increase the resale value. 

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