Polene Numero Un Nano review

Outfit details: Black t-shirt by Arket; White pleated skirt by Reiss (similar option here); Black block heels by Nine West; Sunglasses by Tiffany & Co; Enamel cuff bracelet in white with rose gold hardware by Hermès; Numero Un Nano bag in taupe by Polene.

Today I wanted to share a review on the Polene Numero Un Nano bag which is the latest addition to my handbag collection. The Numero Un Nano has been on my wish-list for a couple of years so you can imagine my surprise when Polene reached out to kindly gift me a handbag of my choice, as a way of thanking me for sharing my larger size Numero Un bag in many videos over on my YouTube channel. Even though the Nano bag was gifted to me by Polene, I wasn’t required to write up this review. The facts is that I adore this bag and the brand so much, that I felt compelled to share my thoughts and experience with it. If you’re interested, you can see my utter happiness and delight with this bag in my unboxing video on YouTube, so I will link that at the end of this review just in case you’re interested in watching it!

But for now on the blog, I wanted to share some close-up photos, details of the bag, what fits inside and my experience with using it so far. I will also share some side by side photos of both my Numero Un and Numero Un Nano bags, so you can clearly see the difference between the two sizes. Hopefully this might help you if you’re curious about the Nano and possibly considering purchasing this bag.

The design

Polene’s Numero Un Nano is the smaller version of their signature handbag, the Numero Un. The style and dimensions of the Nano is simply on a smaller scale but is essentially the same as the larger size. The only difference between the two sizes is that the larger size has an extra gold foot on the bottom of the bag, compared to the four feet on the Nano version. I purchased my Numero Un in black in their Paris store in 2019 and ever since I’ve wanted to add the smaller Nano version to my collection. There’s two main reasons for this – firstly I adore the Numero Un design and secondly because I am quite petite. It’s only been over the last year or two that I’ve realized larger handbags tend to overpower my small frame so I’m shifting towards smaller sized bags, especially crossbody styles.

What really attracted me towards Polene’s Numero Un range of bags initially was their curvaceous design and obvious functionality. It has a curved front flap with a half moon shape closure and two inverted or pinched folds on the front. Featuring a top handle and removable shoulder strap (which is also adjustable) means the bag may be carried by the handle, worn over the shoulder or crossbody. It comes equipped with a small outer pocket on the back of the bag plus an internal card pocket and four gold-coloured feet on the bottom. There’s no flashiness here either as only a small Polene logo can be found underneath the half-moon closure on the front, on the handle strap bars and the bottom feet.

The sizing

If you’re after a small crossbody bag then this is where the Numero Un Nano really shines. I find the Numero Un in the larger size to be far too heavy and wide to work as a crossbody bag on me. The Nano on the other hand is incredibly light to carry in comparison and isn’t bulky in terms of size. It’s truly a small sized handbag which offers you enough room to carry your essentials. For this reason it works wonderfully as a day bag even if you need to keep the amount of items you carry edited down to a small amount.

In terms of measurements, the specs for the Nano are:

Length: 20.5cms

Height: 17cms

Width: 9cms

Top handle drop: 7cms

Shoulder strap: 120cms

The colour range and materials

I opted to select my Nano in the recently released taupe colourway as I tend to reach for neutral tones when it comes to bags. Another reason I adore Polene’s range of handbags is due to the extensive selection of colourways and materials they offer. There are currently 21 different colourways available in the Nano range, including:

• Black textured leather
• Terracotta smooth full-grain leather
• Camel smooth full-grain leather
• Tan textured leather
• Nude textured leather
• Chalk textured leather
• Black smooth full-grain leather
• Black Trio suede and textured leather
• Burgundy textured leather
• Cognac textured leather
• Blue textured leather
• Taupe textured leather
• Green textured leather
• Trio Camel textured leather
• Lilac textured leather
• Sand smooth full-grain leather
• Moka smooth full-grain leather
• Black lizard textured leather
• Camel lizard textured leather
• Terracotta lizard textured leather
• Green lizard textured leather

Materials are another component where Polene introduce variety and this is also apparent within the Numero Un Nano range. Polene’s handbags are designed in France and hand-crafted in Spain. There’s a choice of different textures including smooth full-grain calfskin leather, textured leather and a combination of leather and suede, which vary depending upon the colourway. My Nano is in the textured calf leather which has an almost “pebbly” type of effect and I believe this texture helps with masking any potential light scratches to the bag. The inner lining is made of 100% twilled cotton and comes in different colours, depending upon the colour of the leather you choose. For my Nano taupe version, the lining is a cream colour and feels quick thick and durable.

And whilst we’re mentioning durability, a notable bonus is the care and attention to detail which Polene take in relation to their packaging. The dust-bag is exceptionally high-quality when compared to other dustbags I’ve received from high-end luxury designer labels. Each handbag arrives carefully packaged inside Polene’s signature white box with tissue paper, with their logo in gold written on the box.

What fits inside?

As mentioned, this is the Nano sized version so if you’re used to carrying around a lot of things with you during the day, then this might not be the bag for you! Whilst I’ve had to edit the amount of items I carry when I want to use it, I haven’t found it too restrictive in terms of size. I can fit inside my Samsung S20 mobile, a lip-balm, lipstick, keys, hand sanitizer, a small compact mirror, my bank and other cards (these fit easily in the internal/external card pockets). There’s also room for both a pair of sunglasses and my vlogging camera (Sony G7X Mark II). And this is where those snap buttons which hold the “folds” or “pleats” in place at the front of the bag come in really handy. When you open the shape of the bag up this provides even more room in terms of what you can fit inside, additionally it makes searching for items in the handbag a lot easier. One discovery I made with the Nano is that you can leave these buttons undone and still close the bag without losing the structure of the bag’s overall look.

If you’re considering this bag but prefer more room than just for the bare essentials, then I’d encourage you to size up and purchase the Numero Un. That has plenty of room for more than the essentials – you would easily be able to fit a small tablet, notebook or Kindle in there with room left to spare. Honestly, I’ve never filled up my larger Numero Un and have mostly used this for the office. The downside to the larger size is the weight – I find the larger size to be heavy even when it’s empty so that’s just something to keep in mind.

Wear and tear

Both of my bags are in the textured calf-skin leather and I consciously decided upon this option as I felt these would be more durable compared to the smoother full-grain leather option. And to be honest, I feel this approach has been spot on because after 3 years of using my larger Numero Un in black, it’s still in great condition with no marks or damage to the leather, save for a couple of faint scratches due to opening and closing the bag. Whilst I’ve only had the Nano for just over a month, it still looks as new as when I unboxed it and I imagine it would fare just as well as the larger size in the same material.

Pricing

As with all Polene bags, I feel the pricing is quite reasonable considering the high attention to detail which is evident in terms of the design, quality of materials, functionality and aesthetic style which is offered. The Numero Un Nano is a luxurious bag which has all the hallmarks of a designer item without the ouch factor when it comes to price. I would even say that Polene could charge more for this bag and others in the range and be justified in asking for a higher price point! As at 30 October 2021, the Numero Un Nano bag currently retails for $430 AUD, $320 USD, 280€ Euros and £270 GBP.

Overall thoughts on the Nano bag

For me, the Nano is the perfect sized crossbody handbag which has enough room to fit what I need for a casual day out on the weekend. I can also envision using this bag when I’m on holidays as well, as I don’t like to carry too much around with me when exploring overseas. The quality of the bag is evident in the luxe design and leather; it’s not a bag I need to be too precious with and the adjustable shoulder strap means I can tailor the strap height to sit perfectly on my hip, making it easy to open and close quickly.

Another point I’d love to share is that I’m really happy I ended up choosing the taupe colourway. It’s a neutral which means it will pair back seamlessly with a variety of outfits, ensuring I can wear it all year round – with darker toned outfits during autumn and winter through to spring and summer when my wardrobe palette considerably lightens up.

I adore the Nano so much that I’m considering another colourway to add to my collection in the near future… the hardest part is deciding upon which colour as there’s so many to choose from! I’d also like to include a different style bag from the Polene range to my collection as well. Something I appreciate is that the Nano is not a flashy, logo bedazzled handbag. The design is sleek and sophisticated yet subtly understated. If you’re not into flashy logos and prefer a handbag which is undeniably feminine in terms of design whilst being practical, then the Numero Un Nano is a bag which I would instantly recommend for consideration.

I hope you’ve found this review of the Polene Numero Un Nano bag helpful, especially if you have been wondering whether to purchase it or not. If you have any questions then feel free to leave a message in the comments section below and I will do my best to help and reply. Below is a link to the unboxing video over on my YouTube channel as well, in case you’re interested in watching it.

Watch the unboxing video