Stork Sak Mid-Size Tote Diaper Bag or OiOi Messenger in Black/Floral

[lazylazy]

Does anyone besides Angelina Jolie own this bag??? Im still looking for a "stylish" diaper bag and although this one is EXPENSIVE i might be willing to buy it as i think i can use it for a long time - even after we dont need a diaper bag. Any opinions. The other one im looking into is the Oioi Messenger in Black/Floral but I think the print is gonna get on my nerves after a while - Suggestions Please!!!!

[travel4]

Hey! I was thinking the same thing. I can't find anyone that actually has a Stork Sak.

I found a store that actually carries the Emily and the Gigi. I like the Gigi better but the Emily holds more. Decisions...decisions!!

Amy

[cmdnewton]

I actually have the Stork Sak and I NEVER use it. I keep thinking about selling it on EBay, but I don't want my mom to know since she gave it to me. I really liked the looks of it...I think that I have the Gigi. Anyway, the bag has two straps which makes it really uncomfortable. I walked down to Starbucks the first time with it and I found myself walking leaning to one side to compensate for the double straps. I have an old Kate Spade messenger bag that I prefer and use every day. I find the messenger style much more convenient and comfortable. My friend has the OiOi messenger and loves it. I did see the Kate Spade for $80 on their website recently...I think it was a sample, but still a good deal.

[travel4]

Sounds like you do have the Gigi. I'm glad you posted....it makes my decision much easier to get the Emily. The Emily is the shoulder bag. I think it's the one the original poster was referring to since it's the one Jolie was photogrpahed with. Thank you!

[lazylazy]

Jolie was photographed with Gigi and Emily both. Have you guys looked at the Slouch Bag Mia? Well i was so confused but I ordered a Gigi yesterday and I was thinking if i dont like it ill just return it and get the slouch. I was thinking maybe Gigi will hold more than the Mia though - any suggestions?

[lazylazy]

Let me know how you like your emily if you decide to get it. I will probably recieve my gigi tomorrow and will post a review then....im pretty sure i will return it and get the slouch mia or emily though!

[lazylazy]

I ordered it yesterday from tinytruffles.com and I got it today - that was quick! Anyway, it looks like an awesome bag BUT its BIG (which I knew it was!) I havent stuffed it yet as I plan to use it when my DD is born end of Aug. I also have a 2 year old DS so I think it will hold all our stuff pretty nicely - about the staps and the cofmort - will have to see that when we start using it. having said all that Im still contemplating changing this with a Mia Slouch....only if someone can cinvince me! Will ask DH tonite what he thinks about this? Maybe I can order the Mia too and then decide which one to keep - decisions!!!!
Oh yeah it would really help if someone has a Mia slouch and can post some pics? How does it look when wearing??? I have no clue how to compare the capacity of Gigi and Mia - need more Help!!!

[lazylazy]

I ordered it yesterday from tinytruffles.com and I got it today - that was quick! Anyway, it looks like an awesome bag BUT its BIG (which I knew it was!) I havent stuffed it yet as I plan to use it when my DD is born end of Aug. I also have a 2 year old DS so I think it will hold all our stuff pretty nicely - about the staps and the cofmort - will have to see that when we start using it. having said all that Im still contemplating changing this with a Mia Slouch....only if someone can cinvince me! Will ask DH tonite what he thinks about this? Maybe I can order the Mia too and then decide which one to keep - decisions!!!!
Oh yeah it would really help if someone has a Mia slouch and can post some pics? How does it look when wearing??? I have no clue how to compare the capacity of Gigi and Mia - need more Help!!!

[travel4]

Hello,

Wow that is another kind of quick. Did you pay for overnight shipping?

I saw all three bags. The only thing I didn't like about the Mia is that it has a small opening but a big bottom, so it might be kind of hard to get things in and out. That's why I was deciding between the Emily and the Gigi.

I'm stuck waiting a few weeks. I wanted my husband to see it, but they sold out. They ordered a few early this week, so hopefully it won't be long.

Keep me posted:) I personally love the look of the Gigi if it's comfortable. It's so stylish!!!
Amy

[suzhatch1]

I've owned all of the Storksaks that you mentioned.

*I've had 2 Gigi bags: brown & pink.
*I've had a Melanie bag: same style as the Donna/Emily except in the pink/tan color
*and I've had a Mia slouch bag: in Red/Rose.

The Gigi held the most. It is larger & more roomy on the inside than you'd expect. It is kinda boxy & expands a lot. It really suprised me at how much it held, it easily held several cloth dipes & my large size Patemm pad w/room to spare. However my dilema with it was there are no exterior pockets & there is no true bottle/sippy cup pocket (unless you use that snap-in divider organizer, which I didn't really care for). Plus the only option is to carry it tote/shoulder style, which is fine for some, but at the time I had my Gigi bags, I really wanted something I could wear messenger/cross-body style too, so I could be hands free w/my baby.

The Donna/Emily/Melanie bag is more of a shoulder/purse style. Because of it's hobo-ish shape, it isn't as roomy in the interior as the Gigi, so it holds a little less. I could not get my large Patemm pad inside this bag. The 2 zippered pockets on the outside were okay for small things, like a cell phone, but the openings were kinda small. This bag also has the neat hidden zippered bottle pockets which were really neat. I always got a lot of compliments on this bag, no one thought it was a diaper bag at all. The Melanie print is a canvas material. The Donna is a thicker, nice-quality microfiber. Both the Melanie & the Donna are pretty structured & they are slightly stuffable, but not super flexible & super-duper stuffable, kwim? The newer Emily is a lighter weight microfiber and does have more stuffability. You could really cram a bit more into the Emily than the Donna because the material is lighter & more flexible. I ended up parting w/mine because it didn't quite hold enough for me & also I wanted to change up my diaper bag stash, too.

The Mia Slouch bag was quite deceiving to me when I received it. For one, it's not "slouchy" at all. From the description, I was envisioning a soft-structured bag (like those Amy Butler slouch bags or the hobo gypsy-style fabric bags they used to have at Old Navy). But no, the Mia is still very stiff & structured, it has a flat base & stands on it's own. It's actually quite a large bag & is very tall. However it is fairly slim in profile, and combined w/the structured feeling of the material, it's not super stuffable. Honestly, it fits about the same as the Melanie/Donna, however it is taller, so I was able to just barely squeeze my large Patemm pad inside the Mia, however by adding the large Patemm the little button closure didn't really hold shut very well. However the size of the Mia is considerable bigger that it seems it should be able to fit more, but it didn't. The interior pockets on the Melanie & the Mia were identical, and the Mia had the 2 hidden side zip bottle pockets, however the Mia didn't have the small exterior pockets for small items. The Red/Rose version that I had was made w/a non-adj length strap, which was kinda a PITA. It fit great worn messenger style, but the strap was too long on me to wear on my shoulder. :(

Let's see, I think I have a bunch of pics of the various bags. For reference, I'm about 5'6 & sz 10/12 (however in the Gigi pic w/the pink bag, it was post-preggo so I was heavier, LOL!)


1) Pink Storksak Gigi

*Showing you can fit File Folders in the middle section:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/PinkGigi_WorkFiles.jpg

*Packed up w/cloth dipes & baby stuff:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/PinkGigi_Packed.jpg

*Front pocket (showing cell phone):
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/PinkGigi_FrontPocket.jpg

*Horrible action shot (lol!):
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/PinkGigi_ActionPhoto1.jpg

2) Storksak Melanie
I don't have any action pics of this one, but I do have some comparison pics next to other bags for size reference:

* Next to a Loom Bandicoot (Front):
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/SSMelanievsBandicoot_Front.jpg

* Next to a Loom Bandicoot (Side profile, note: the Emily version will be more stuffable & therefore have a wider profile than the Melanie I had in this pic which looks pretty slim):
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/SSMelanievsBandicoot_Side.jpg

* Next to several Oi Oi Hobo bags:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/OiOiComparisonvsStorkSak-1.jpg

3) Storksak Mia:
*Packed interior, showing 1 side wall of pockets:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/SS%20Red%20Rose%20Mia/RedRoseMia_Interior3.jpg

*Packed interior, showing opposite side:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/SS%20Red%20Rose%20Mia/RedRoseMia_Patemm.jpg

* Action shot worn messenger style:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/SS%20Red%20Rose%20Mia/RedRoseMia_MessengerStyle.jpg

* Action shot worn on the shoulder:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a302/suzhatch1/Diaper%20Bags/SS%20Red%20Rose%20Mia/RedRoseMia_ShoulderStyle.jpg

HTH,
Suz :)

[lazylazy]

Thank Suz sooooo much for your post! I guess according to your descriptions, my best bet would be to keep my Gigi since I would be packing for 2 kiddos most of the time.
Mia looks pretty different in your pics than on the website and yeah it doesnt look slouchy at all - I showed my Gigi to DS last nite and he thought it looks good too but he said you could never tell its so expensive :( Oh well....after all angie carries it!

And NO Amy i didnt pay for overnite shipping, it was free shipping and the website has a 10% discount too till July 15th too and they always have a 10% discount for new customers - (just incase you wanna save a few bucks!)

[suzhatch1]

You're welcome :)

If you are packing for 2, I'd stay w/the Gigi you bought. Or go with the Emily (the more stuffable version of the Donna/Melanie).

I'm a med/heavy packer & the original Donna/Melanie & the Mia styles both held just enough for my 1 DD & honestly, I would have liked a little more wiggle room. The Gigi gave me enough room to pack for DD + some wiggle room, so you should be okay packing for 2, unless you are a real heavy packer.

[lazylazy]

Yeah I think im gonna stick with the Gigi :) Thanks again for all the help!

[travel4]

I was checking out the website and noticed they have a new bag called the Amelia. It's a little more expensive but it looks like the straps are thicker. I'm either going to get that or the Gigi. They are basically the same.
Thanks for both your help!
Amy

[suzhatch1]

Amy - I'll chime in here again, because I've owned the Amelia too. (Yes, I've owned a LOT of bags, LOL!)

I didn't see the Amelia listed on the Storksak website (I just checked), however it was available early last year on the UK site only. It was a limited edition, upgraded version of the Gigi. It did have thicker straps & they were SUPER comfy...way more so than the regular Gigi. There was also a short leather flap that covered the front pocket & the interior of the front pocket was a beautiful magenta satin. The rest of the layout was virtually the same as the Gigi, however IMO the Amelia was nicer & I really, really, really liked it. It was a big price difference (can't remember how much but I think about $150 or so more than the Gigi at the time).

Anyway, if it is making a comeback to the Storksak site & is available in the U.S., let me know.....that is one bag that I sold that I sometimes regret.

Suz :)

[lazylazy]

I found Amelia on www.blissliving.com. But they only have it in black - (Id rather have a brown) They are pre ordering and it will come in end Aug or early sept. Its for $225 where as the gigi is for $198. So not too big a difference....

[suzhatch1]

>I found Amelia on www.blissliving.com. But they only have it
>in black - (Id rather have a brown) They are pre ordering and
>it will come in end Aug or early sept. Its for $225 where as
>the gigi is for $198. So not too big a difference....

Wow! That's awesome, I'm glad they are bringing the Amelia back & also bringing it to the U.S. I agree, I prefer brown over black. And considering they've dropped the price difference, I'd choose the Amelia over the Gigi myself. I preferred the straps on the Amelia a lot more.

Plus, did you see the new Pewter Emily on that website? Gorgeous! And the new Julia & Elizabeth styles, yeah!! Storksak is getting some new stuff out. Wonderful!

Suz :)

[lazylazy]

I LOVE the Julie.....Gorgeoussssssssssss!!!!!!!

[travel4]

Hello!

Now I have to thave the Amelia:) It is on the Stork Sak website. I called the distributor, and they do have it in stock. I'm going to go ahead and order it.
thanks ladies!!!
Amy

http://www.storksak.net/product.php?shopprodid=142

[travel4]

Hello ladies! Just a quick update. I got my Amelia bag....and it's beautiful!!! It even comes with an extra long strap so my hubby doesn't have to carry it like a tote. Thanks to both of you:)
Amy

[lazylazy]

Great :) Enjoy it!!