Mulberry Alexa Handbag Review & Mulberry Handbag sale details!
I have slowly been unpacking my collection of Mulberry handbags from storage so I want to share with you some of my faves and chat about why I love them! The Mulberry Alexa is one of the most recognisable British handbags and a true Mulberry icon. So much so it has been re-launched recently with a bang in a huge range of styles and colours.
HISTORY OF THE MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAG :
The Mulberry Alexa bag was named and created for Alexa Chung. Model, Fashion muse, TV personality and a street style icon. It was launched in 2010 and was THE *IT* bag for a good few years. It launched with a long waiting list and was seen on the arms of Alexa Chung (obvs), Olivia Palermo, Sarah Jessica Parker, Blake Lively and myself to name a few.
Mulberry wanted to create a bag that combined British heritage with Chung’s timeless cool-girl style. The result was the now-iconic Alexa bag: a slouchy satchel perfect for everyday use. The Alexa bag was discontinued in 2016 and then re-launched in 2021 , Mulberry’s 50th Anniversary year with lots of new colourways, sizes and materials.
MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAGS :
Currently they do x 3 sizes of the Mulberry Alexa handbag. I’ll give you all the details and sizes below. They do a few variants on the leather and material too, particularly on the seasonal limited edition bags this changes. For the most part they are now heavy grain bovine leather. This will become softer over time as it wears in, often making it more beautiful!
The style of the Mulberry Alexa handbag is a slouchy, effortlessly chic satchel. Key features of the design is a braided top handle, double strap closure and an adjustable leather strap to wear on the shoulder or across the body.
MULBERRY ALEXA SIZES:
Mini Alexa (from £995)
- Postman’s Lock closure
- Handcrafted braided top handle
- Adjustable leather shoulder strap for crossbody wear
- One main compartment
- Internal slip pocket
- Silver component finish
- Suede lining
- Height 17cm, Width 22cm, Depth 10cm, Shoulder Strap Length 104cm, Handle Drop 5cm
Alexa (from £1250)
- Postman’s Lock closure
- Handcrafted braided top handle
- Adjustable leather shoulder strap for crossbody wear
- One main compartment
- Internal slip pocket
- Soft gold component finish
- Unlined
- Height 23cm, Width 33cm, Depth 17cm, Shoulder Strap Length 97-113cm, Handle Drop 5cm
Oversized Alexa (from £1450)
- Postman’s Lock closure
- Handcrafted braided top handle
- Adjustable leather shoulder strap for crossbody wear
- One main compartment
- Internal slip pocket
- Brass component finish
- Unlined – Height 32cm, Width 37cm, Depth 17cm, Shoulder Strap Length 97-113cm, Handle Drop 5.5cm
MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAG REVIEW.
I have both the Mulberry Alexa and the Mulberry oversized Alexa and today I am chatting all about possibly my favourite size and style of Mulberry handbag EVER : The Mulberry Alexa.
You can read my review of the Mulberry Oversized Alexa RIGHT HERE.
This medium-sized casual bag, is a true Mulberry handbag ICON and honestly is probably one of the most recognisable handbags Mulberry have ever designed, I absolutely love it and for me it’s the perfect day-to-day handbag that is great for so many occasions! I get so much use out of it hence why I think it is such a good Mulberry handbag investment and I am already eyeing up one more for this year (I just can’t decide the colour, they do so many beautiful ones atm!).
I have the ‘Butter yellow’ shade in the Mulberry Alexa and honestly, it was a risky purchase at the time but I’m SO happy with it and it’s one that I rotate in and out of my wardrobe and here it is now…back out for Spring/Summer 2023! A lot of my other Mulberry handbags are more muted tones (oak brown, oxblood red and black) but this is one of the brightest and and most vibrant one I have and it brings my so much joy. They currently do 20-ish shades in the Mulberry Alexa, so don’t worry there really is a colour for everyone’s taste.
I find the Mulberry Alexa a better day-to-day size than my Oversized Alexa : you can fit everything you need in it without it being too large and cumbersome to carry around. It is a slouchy style bag and the leather is lovely and soft but it does keep that infamous Alexa shape and style really well over the years. My Mulberry Alexa is around 12 years old now and it has signs of wear and tear (which I love) but the leather lasts really well, and it still looks really great after all these years.
WHAT CAN YOU FIT IN A MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAG?
Ok well I am a user busy mum-on-the-run. So I’m mostly carrying EVERYTHING in this bag daily and it comes all over with me : nursery runs, supermarket dashes, coffee dates, farmshop visits, woodland walks, fancy lunches and dinners : EVERYWHERE! I carry my iPhone (the big one), a small cosmetics bag, a hand cream, 2 sets of keys, earphones, a Filofax, a few pens, sometimes my camera and and sometimes even my iPad : it all fits in the Mulberry Alexa no problem!
I have popped in a lip balm in the below picture so you can gauge the size of the Mulberry Alexa handbag and what you may be able to fit within.
MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAG SALE.
Yes that’s right! Mulberry Alexa handbags go into sale on occasion you just have to keep your eyes peeled and keep checking in on the Mulberry bag sales on their website which happen seasonally. They had a really gorgeous gold Alexa handbag in the Boxing Day sales a few months ago – you’ll see the seasonal and limited edition colours go into the sale but rarely the mainline / classic shades.
My top tips for snagging a Mulberry Alexa bag in the sale :
– Check the Mulberry handbag sales on their website (sign up to their newsletters to be the first to know!)
– Check the Mulberry outlets in the UK.
– Go into department stores when they go into sales.
BUYING A MULBERRY ALEXA SECOND-HAND.
I have a few posts (READ HERE!) on ways to snag a good deal on a second-hand Mulberry handbag. In short, I think the best places would be Vestiaire Collective and of course Mulberry Preloved, which is Mulberry’s very own system of buying and selling your bags on their website. You can click below to shop these and have a look at Mulberry Preloved! They have some absolute corkers on there and some really unique and sort-after older style Mulberry handbags.If you are going to buy from second-hand market places such as E-bay, De-pop etc this can be a little riskier : you may want to read my post about How to Spot a Real VS Fake Mulberry handbag which will give you some great tips on authenticating a Mulberry handbag. You don’t want to be caught out on this!
WHEN WAS THE MULBERRY ALEXA DISCONTINUED AND WHY?!
It was launched in 2010 and discontinued in 2016. It came back in 2021. I think there were a few reasons it went (and came back !) but it could be due to the lift in prices that Mulberry sprang on customers, the drop in sales of the Alexa and various other reasons.
Emma Hill was the designer behind the iconic mulberry Alexa bag. She left soon after it was discontinued. This was also around the same time as Mulberry handbags sky-rocketed up by around 30-40% – seemingly overnight! I remember it well because I have purchased Mulberry handbags for so many years as they were such incredible quality but not tooooo eye-waveringly expensive. All of a sudden they were. This was also around the time I think Mulberry had a pretty big slump….I think the profits slumped and they lost a lot of avid buyers and fans, including myself.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAGS?
The new collection of Mulberry Alexa bags stays true to much of its original design. The relaxed satchel silhouette we know and love remains the same and is available in three sizes (mini, regular, and oversized), all featuring signature details like the postman’s lock fastening and braided top handle. They’re available in classic black, chalk, and chestnut, as well as vibrant hues such as neon pink and yellow. A standout change comes in the form of more considered, sustainable design and Mulberry’s commitment to ‘responsible innovation.’ The the entire range is made with leather from gold-standard, environmentally accredited tanneries, and crafted at Mulberry’s carbon-neutral UK factories.
MULBERRY OVERSIZED ALEXA REVIEW.
This is just a very quick overview, if you want my full review of the Mulberry Oversized handbag then CLICK HERE as this is my in-depth review.
I chose the oxblood shade as most of my other mulberry handbags are either oak brown or black and I wanted to go for something a little different for my Mulberry Oversized Alexa. The Mulberry oxblood shade is still very wearable and I really love this colour as it’s different to any other handbag I own and it works with my clothing colour palette. It’s leaning towards a more autumn-winter bag for me. They currently don’t do this shade in the Alexa bags I have seen but it is quite a common colour across Mulberry handbags in general.
My Mulberry Alexa oversized handbag is made from buffalo leather, something that they have changed in the re-launch of the Alexa bags, I think the leather is slightly hardier on the newer Alexa bags. The buffalo leather is REALLY soft, so it makes for a very slouchy bag. Combined with this and the size of the bag, I’ve found it’s not great for overloading it with heavy items – a laptop, notepad etc is great, but if you wanted books etc and hardier things within they don’t feel very protected because of how soft the leather it. I hope that makes sense?!It’s been worn very well worn over the years and as with all Mulberry handbags, it is incredible quality so has lasted well and retained it’s shape well.
FREQUENTLY ASKED MULBERRY HANDBAG QUESTIONS!
IS MULBERRY A GOOD BRAND?
Personally, I think so yes! I have owned many handbags and accessories over the years and I have honestly never been disappointed with a purchase. It’s seen a come-back in the last 5-7 years I think with incredible designs coming through, re-launches and a bit of a re-vamp. Mulberry handbags ARE really good and it’s absolutely a reputable luxury handbag and accessory brand.
IS MULBERRY A LUXURY BRAND?
Absolutely yes. The quality of the handbags is incredible – even more so than some even more expensive designer handbags I have (*cough* Dior) and they feel so very luxurious, they come beautifully wrapped and presented when you purchase a Mulberry handbag, with a beautiful dustbin, authenticity card and all the things you would expect from investing in a designer handbag. Mulberry handbags feel and look incredible luxurious in my experience.
ARE MULBERRY BAGS WORTH IT?
I’ve never purchased a Mulberry brand I regretted ! Some I have purchased full price and some in the Mulberry hand bag sale and I’ve always felt they are worth their buck, they are great quality and they last so many years. Some Mulberry handbags I have are over 35 years old and still going strong.
ARE MULBERRY BAGS GOOD QUALITY?
I think Mulberry handbags are some of the best quality designer handbags in terms of the quality of the leather, the hard-wearing hardware, the lining, the zips….everything. They last an absolute age and can be passed from generation to generation. Mulberry handbags are fantastic quality.
ARE MULBERRY BAGS A GOOD INVESTMENT?
Yes and I think they always will be. Mulberry handbags are timeless and never seem to go out of fashion. An investment into a Mulberry handbag is a good and safe one! The re-sale value on them is really good and if you look after them well, you will get around 60-70% of purchase price when you re-sell a Mulberry handbag.
ARE MULBERRY HANDBAGS MADE IN ENGLAND?
Not all! Much to contrary belief. The original factory is still in Somerset and producing bags – but they also are made in other parts of the world such as Turkey. Check my post HERE all about spotting a REAL vs FAKE Mulberry handbag if this is a concern for you.
IS MULBERRY LEATHER GOOD?
Yes, and it’s some of the best of any designer handbags that I’ve owned. There are different types of leather across different designs and handbags, some are harder-wearing than others. For example, the Alexa is a softer buffalo leather to give a slouchy look and feel, and the classic Mulberry Bayswater is a soft grain leather which is thicker, keeps it’s shape when you place it down and is tougher!
HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUR MULBERRY HANDBAG?
Like any designer handbag, you should use it and love it and expect wear and tear and get ‘worn’ over the years : it makes me slightly sad when people are afraid to use designer handbags and shoes in case they get scuffed or worn…get the enjoyment from these beautiful items! However, aside from loving the bag, of course, try to be careful with it when you are out and about – putting it on floors etc, but also remember (if you can!) to store it in it’s dustbag and in a position where it won’t get squished, especially if you are storing it away for a while. You can also treat the leather with Mulberry Leather Wax which you can purchase for £13 AND get bags restored and fixed if a mis-hap does happen. I’ve had 2 Mulberry handbags repaired over the years and it’s very easy and not too expensive.
CAN YOU BUY MULBERRY HANDBAGS ON SALE?
YES! I have written a few posts about this so do check my other Mulberry posts and links at the bottom of this post but yes you can most definitely buy a Mulberry handbag in the sales. They have them on the Mulberry website seasonally (up to 40% off!) and you can also buy Mulberry handbags on sale in the Mulberry outlets of which there are 5 in the UK.
So I hope you found my post on the Mulberry Alexa handbag helpful , particularly if you are looking to buy one either new or second-hand and you are wanting the finer details and nitty-gritty. I would definitely recommend investing in a Mulberry Alexa, it’s one of my favourite handbags EVER!
As always please pop any questions below if I haven’t covered anything.
Read my other Mulberry handbag posts:
Mulberry Outlets in the UK : all the info!
Mulberry handbag sales : the best places to look and get a Mulberry discount.
The best places to shop for second-hand, vintage and rare Mulberry handbags.
Real VS Fake Mulberry handbags : How to Authenticate!
The Mulberry Oversized Alexa Review.
The Mulberry Antony Bag Review.
Mulberry Bag Sale : How and Where to buy a Mulberry bag for a discount!
*This post contains affiliate links.
SHOP MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAGS!
