My Saturday Morning Papillon Disaster
Okay guys, real talk. I dug my vintage Vuitton Papillon outta the closet this morning, looked at it sitting on my bed, and went, “Uh… how do I even wear you now?” Felt like looking at an old friend I kinda forgot how to hang out with. Had zero plan, just pure panic.
First step? Throw it on with what I was wearing: sweatpants and this faded Nirvana tee I stole from my brother like, forever ago. Spoiler: looked ridiculous. Like pairing fancy champagne with leftover pizza. Not the vibe.
Thought I was being smart grabbing my go-to jeans and white tank top. Classic, right? Slung the Papillon crossbody. Instant regret. That thick handle thing? Stuck out like a weird stiff arm. Plus, the bag itself is so round and cute, but against super casual stuff? Just looked… frumpy? Heavy? Yeah, felt like a total bottleneck moment. Almost tossed it back in the closet and cried into my coffee. True story.
Started frantically digging through my wardrobe instead. Pulled out a bunch of fails:
- A super flowy, long floral maxi dress. Papillon sat on my hip like a weird shiny turtle shell. Too much pattern clash.
- All-black skinny jeans and a blazer. Papillon felt like a cartoon character crashing a serious business meeting.
- Super short denim shorts and a cropped top. Papillon suddenly looked grandma-chic next to the skin. Awkward!
Finally had my lightbulb moment after stalking like 100 outfit pics online (don’t judge). Needed structure BUT with some softness. Grabbed my midi denim skirt – not too long, not too short. Then a super simple, fitted black ribbed knit top. Minimalist jewelry – tiny gold hoops, one thin chain.
Here’s where the magic happened with the bag:
- Changed the strap: Dumped the stiff original handle. Swapped in a thin, adjustable black leather crossbody strap I got off my Speedy years ago. Instant upgrade! Hung just right.
- Size matters: Mine’s the smaller vintage size? Perfect scale with the skirt. Didn’t overwhelm me.
- Less is more: Kept the outfit colors simple – denim blue, black, gold touches. Let the bag’s mono Vuitton print be the star. Didn’t need loud earrings or scarves fighting it.
Popped it on crossbody, slung a little behind my hip. Took a selfie and went “…Okay YES.” Walked out the door feeling way less crazy. Grabbed coffee, hit the market – bag stayed put, didn’t feel stiff, looked actually intentional.
Why am I sharing this mess? Because styling stuff ain’t always instant. Sometimes it takes throwing on everything you own and wanting to scream. The Papillon is kinda weirdly proportioned, that handle thing is archaic… but with a simple strap swap and keeping the outfit lean? Bam. Cute, comfy, feels modern enough for my lazy Saturday. Didn’t overthink it after that initial struggle. Just kept it stupid simple.
