Today I’m sharing my Sézane basket bag review.
I purchased the Justine Basket Bag from Sézane about a month ago. I had been waiting all year for these to come back in stock and was SO excited when mine arrived in the mail.
I am the type of person to spend months waffling over a purchase–in this case, so much so that I ran out of time before they sold out last summer.
That’s why I love writing these overly thorough reviews. It’s my hope that I can provide as much detail as possible for those who are trying to decide if a purchase is worth it. It might not be the Lord’s work, exactly, but someone’s gotta do it.
**Sézane just launched their fall 2024 line, and I’m in love! My favorites so far? The cozy leopard print Oscar “coatigan,” the Emilie Cardigan in the new “Garnet color, and the plaid Johnson coat. All so dreamy! Love the bag lineup too.
Sézane Basket Bag Review
In this post, I’ll walk through some details about Sézane’s Justine basket bag and my honest thoughts on it. At the end of the post, I’ll share a few outfit examples although this is certainly the type of bag that styles itself!
(If you are on the hunt for a smaller, crossbody bag, I recommend Sézane’s Mini Milo bag. Check out my full review here!).
Sézane Justine Bag Review
I’ll start with a little background on my decision to purchase this bag: I purchased a circular straw basket bag from Target about 6 years ago and found myself reaching for it again and again over the summers. When that bag finally kicked the bucket last year, I knew I’d want to replace it with something of a similar summery style but higher quality.
I decided on raffia because it’s slightly more versatile, in my opinion, than a straw bag. You can carry this to the pool on vacation OR out to dinner, church, or even running errands.
I’ve been drooling over Sézane’s dreamy line of raffia basket bags for a few years and, after some back and forth on which exact style, I finally landed on the Justine basket bag. The Justine is the perfect “medium” size for what I was looking for (bigger than a crossbody, smaller than a tote).
I have been SO pleased with this bag. Even though there are a million basket bags out there, I find the Justine to be extremely unique. The beautiful boat shape and double strap situation (more on that in a minute) sets this bag apart from other basket bags you’ll find on the market.
Is Sézane good quality?
This bag is gorgeous. I audibly gasped when I took it out of the packaging. Much like everything I’ve purchased from Sézane at this point–the quality is exquisite. The details are jaw-dropping, and I can already tell I will carry this bag for many summers to come.
Most of Sézane’s raffia basket bags are made at their atelier in Madagascar. Raffia is, of course, by nature more delicate and not meant to be carried in the rain, but overall the material seems sturdy and very well-constructed. And all of the leather components of the bag are beautifully made too.
Material
Sézane’s Justine bag features an unlined raffia exterior body with leather straps and detailing. The separate inner lined pouch is made from a thick 100% cotton canvas material and has leather drawstrings.
Size
The bag measures 9.8 x 20.1 x 7.1 in and weighs just over a pound.
Straps
For me, perhaps one of the Justine bag’s biggest draws was its double strap situation. I LOVE that there are two carrying options. As a mom, this makes a world of difference. The bag has one pair of short handle carry straps that you can carry with your hand or looped over your forearm. The bag also has a set of long shoulder carry straps.
To make things even better, you can either have both straps out at all times or tuck one set in. You can see in the photos that when it’s over my forearm, the long straps simply hang. I love how this looks. HOWEVER, you can also adjust the straps and have either set tucked completely into the bag and hidden. This is very easy to do. So if you just want to use the shoulder straps, you could hide the shorter handles–or do the opposite. I love the options here.
Compartments
The Sézane Justine bag contains only one main compartment.
The bag does have a loose, separate liner with leather drawstrings that is attached along the bottom of the bag—a bag within the bag. At first, this threw me off a little bit, but as soon as I carried the bag out I could see this was essential. Due to the “boat” shape of the bag, the liner keeps all of my belongings safe and secure within the bag. That way, I don’t have to worry about anything falling out. You can leave the drawstrings as tight or as loose as desired.
Color
I purchased this bag in the Natural Raffia color. The raffia itself is very light, and the leather straps are a rich, deep brown.
The Justine bag comes in a few other beautiful colors too. The Deep Natural Raffia features a slightly darker raffia body and black leather detailing–this was a very close runner up for me!
Sézane has also come out with a Khaki Raffia, a beautiful olive raffia with brown leather details, and an Embroidered Flowers version which is just simply too cute to handle.
Price
The Sézane Justine basket bag retails for $285.
How much can the Sézane Justine basket bag hold?
This is the question I obsessively Google whenever I am making a big purchase: WHAT CAN I FIT IN IT?
The Justine bag can easily hold 1-2 books/notebooks, my phone, cardholder, sunglasses, a key, as many lip products as the day calls for. All of this fits easily within the drawstring liner, and you can see in the pictures what it looks like both open and pulled closed.
Sézane Justine basket bag size options
I purchased the original mid sized version of this bag, but there are two other size options as well. Sézane carries a “Maxi” version of the bag which is a nice big tote (LOVE the navy stripes) as well as an adorable mini crossbody.
Sézane Justine vs. Paloma
The other main contender I considered buying was Sézane’s Paloma basket bag. This is SUCH a pretty tote, and I do love that it has side pockets. I just didn’t need a bag quite this big, as I already have a nice big mom tote that I love. The Paloma would be a great option if you needed it to carry more items or wanted to use it as a beach bag.
How to style the Sézane Justine basket bag
As you can see below, the Justine bag IS the fit, lol. This bag is so beautiful that it just completes every outfit. I have worn this with dresses, pants, and even with a swimsuit and jean shorts. It is, in my opinion, the perfect spring and summer accessory.
Summer basket bag options
I did a little perusing and thought I’d compare a few other brands who have summery bags out right now. Here are my faves and their respective price points:
Loewe Straw tote ($750) — I saw a blogger I love post recently that she has been so disappointed in her Loewe straw bag purchase. Last month, she tried Sézane’s Justine Bag and says it is even better than the Loewe version. I was secretly very pleased to read this, lol!
Anine Bing’s Palermo tote ($450)
Demellier’s Santorini tote ($355)
Jenni Kayne’s Woven raffia tote ($175)
Madewell’s Leather trim straw tote ($128)
J Crew’s Large Packable tote ($168)
J Crew’s Como straw tote ($98) *on sale!
Mango Carrycot bag ($69)
I hope this Sézane basket bag review was helpful!! Please let me know if you end up purchasing the Sézane Justine basket bag and how you like it!
More Sézane favorites:
I think I’d wrap this post about with a quick roundup of the Sézane staples that I reach for weekly!
Sézane Capucine Cardigan: This sweater is my go-to second layer for spring and summer, whether we are at home or traveling. It is so useful and breathable and looks good with everything. It is also randomly back in stock this week, so don’t sleep on this one!
Sézane Max Shirt: I have this button down in two different colors (casual white and light denim), and these are easily my most worn items in my closet-year round! The Max shirt is unbelievably well-made and so easy to style. Check out my full review here.
Sézane Léontine Jumper: I love this pullover sweater so much becasue it’s soft but not clingy. It’s made with 100% organic cotton and is the perfect extra layer for summer or an easy base layer under coats and jackets during the winter. The stripes and henley detail make this so chic. Full review here.
Sézane Gaspard Cardigan: This is a new purchase of mine that I cannot wait to wear this fall. This cardigan is versatile, elegant, and elevated. I love the mother-of-pearl buttons. I got it in a gorgeous bright green, but all of the colors are to die for. Check out my review here.
Sézane Loulou Trousers: These pants are so flattering. I love the wide leg and high waisted cut. I have them in black and wore them constantly last fall and winter. They look so good with sweaters, t-shirts, booties, and sneakers.
Other Sézane bags I love
On that note…
My spring and summer packing list
Sézane Max shirt review + 5 ways to style it
Sézane Gaspard Cardigan review + outfit ideas
7 ways to style wide leg denim
