to shop / {purse diaries} apc half moon bag review

 Stockists last updated on July 7, 2017

Part I: A.P.C. Half Moon (Demi Lune) Bag Review
Part II: A.P.C. Greenwich Bag Review and Comparison with Half Moon

The half moon is A.P.C.’s signature style and returns every season in different colors and leathers. Both of mine are in embossed/textured saffiano leather — I like longevity. The caramel brown one was from late 2014 and the bordeaux wine red one was from early 2016. In 2020, I picked up two grained styles but have yet to use them.

What I love

• Crossbody. I can wear it crossbody, comfortably. The strap is about a 20″ drop and adjustable.
• Capacity. It can fit a ton! It looks compact (9 ½”W x 7″H x 3 ¼”D) but it’s quite roomy and more than enough for my typical needs. The front and back of the bag both have ‘give’. There is an interior pocket that runs the length of the bag.
• Lightweight. Leather exterior and fabric lining. I’m sure the smooth leather style is even lighter than saffiano.
• Packability. I like to travel with it because it fits everything I need and is also easy to pack (I can fit other things in it if I leave it in the suitcase) or stay with me while I’m in my seat on the plane (getting stuff from the overhead is a hassle).
• Safety option. It has a dual zipper pulls which is more useful than a single zipper. Having a zipper means you can zip it up when you feel unsafe. I normally don’t zip it and sometimes if I’m carrying more stuff, I don’t mind setting something towards the top that sticks up. It won’t fall out due to how it sits against my body.
• Scratch-free and Maintenance. I use a diaper wipe to wipe it clean periodically. Even if it has some dirt, it’s not noticeable. You know I am a fan of saffiano/durable leather. I saw a few in smooth Italian leather and they had scratches. (This was before I was acquainted with Chamberlain’s leather milk. See my Mansur Gavriel brandy vegetable tanned mini lady bag review for more on Chamberlain’s.)
• Lack of branding. Similar to my MG bags, it barely has any branding on it. (And you can see that the branding on my newer bag is a teensy bit smaller than the older bag.)

What I don’t love

• Zipper teeth. At least with the saffiano leather, when it was new, the bag was pretty stiff and tight. Sliding your hand through the zippered mouth of the bag sometimes hurt.

• Leather. I took this from an angle that illustrates my point. You can’t tell unless you scrutinize, but there are some weird spots/bubbles on the front of my red bag. Not sure what it is but I’m not that concerned.

Inside the Bag

I’ve been carrying the red purse to work last week since I carried it most of vacation. I dumped everything out for this photo – no planning went into this. Since the purse isn’t too tall, it’s easy to find whatever it is I’m looking for. I have been carrying a bit more beauty items than normal since it was really dry on the plane and during vacation. And I only had a contact lens case with solution because I lost a contact in my eye the other morning. (Don’t worry, it revealed itself 12 hours later.)

SPF is a necessity (Biore UV Perfect Face Milk and Mizon Ultra Sun Jelly for body); Comme des Garcons luxury side-zip wallet and Delfonics card case; Aquaphor lip balm with SPF, Cerave healing ointment, La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5, L’Occitane shea butter hand cream, Uka nail oil (rollerball!), and Asian White Flower Oil in special Little Twin Stars rollerball.

In fact, there is plenty of room after I put everything back inside. I could’ve easily have fit a compact umbrella or a small water bottle in this space.

Where to Buy

The two I have are no longer available. In general, I find the half moon bags very hard to find for less than full price in neutral colors, but it’s not impossible. The non-half moon styles can be harder to find but tend to stick around a bit longer at end of season sales. It’s easiest to get on discount when Shopbop or another site has a site-wide discount. If you fancy a seasonal leather or color, you can’t afford to be too picky.

For a comprehensive list of APC handbag stockists, refer to my shopping directory post.

This is a list of where you can find the bags as of late 2016. Some are seasonal colors:

• Black Smooth Leather: Nordstrom, Ssense, Net-a-Porter US, Need Supply, Steven Alan, APC, Shopbop, Azalea, Forward, Bergdorf Goodman
• Dark Navy Smooth Leather: La Garconne, Shopbop, Need Supply, Azalea
• Noisette Brown Smooth Leather: Ssense, Bergdorf Goodman
• Beige Smooth Leather: APC, Bergdorf Goodman
• Vieux Rose Faded Pink Vegetable Smooth Leather: Steven Alan, APC
• Hazelnut Nut Brown Vegetable Tanned Smooth Leather: Need Supply, Mytheresa, APC
• Dark Brown Patent Leather: Ssense, APC
• Whiskey Brown Saffiano Leather: La Garconne
• Caramel Snake Embossed Leather: Nordstrom , Need Supply

And of course there is also eBay and TheRealReal.