Christian Dior Saddle Bag Reference Guide: History, Prices, Leathers

Every luxury brand has several staple handbags. For Louis Vuitton it's Speedy and Neverfull, for Fendi it's Peekaboo, and for Christian Dior it's a Saddle bag. Let's take a look at this iconic handbag and cover its history, pricing, leathers dimensions, and comparison with other handbags.

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Dior Saddle History: When Was Dior Saddle Bag Released?

Dior Saddle purse was designed by John Galliano in 1999.

John Galliano became the first British designer to head a French fashion house when he was appointed the head designer at Givenchy. In October 1996 he moved to Dior. Galliano won major professional awards, such as International Designer of the year by CFDA, British designer of the year. He currently oversees Maison Margiela brand.

Now on to the saddle, the iconic purse was brought to light of the day during Spring/Summer 2000 collection. Every major 2000s starlet was spotted carrying a Dior Saddle purse, such as Paris Hilton, Beyoncé – you name it. Then, the equestrian accessory was featured in Sex and the City as Carrie Bradshaw’s favorite accessory.

Browse Dior Saddle bags on Fashionphile

The purse received mixed reviews. While some were referring to it as downright 'ugly' and 'weird', in general it was clear that this fancy accessory was not broadly adopted.

While Galliano was sure that the saddle bag would become a classic and pushed it to the podium in 2006, unexpectedly, the popularity of the funky-shape purse began to fade. Eventually, it was discontinued in 2006. In 2010 Galliano and Dior parted their ways.

The saddle bag's story was expected to end here.

On a whim, in 2014 the press captured Beyoncé proudly wearing the Saddle bag, and finally the public remembered that it was a great accessory.

After that, the purse started to pop up here and there on gala events. While a fashion house was monitoring which part of the street styles to align with their collections, they noticed an ever-growing vintage trend and particular interest towards the iconic saddle silhouette.

In 2018, as soon as vintage was all the rage, the purse was brought back by Dior’s new creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri.

 “The Saddle bag is one of those emblematic pieces that always manages to remain contemporary. It's also one of the codes that symbolizes Dior's recent history.” Chiuri told Vogue.

Dior Saddle bag

From the very release of the handbag, it was meant to be carried short-strapped and tight against the armpit. It featured a flat leather handle with chunky polished CD logo hardware on both sides, one rear flap pocket, one internal zipped pocket, and a flap top with leather magnetic strip closure with an oversized dangling ‘D’ charm.

What Fits in Christian Dior Saddle Bag

A standard-sized Dior Saddle will fit all your essentials such as cosmetics, documents and even a full-sized wallet, however, be aware that it’s not much. Based on the inside space it’s mostly like a clutch.

As a person who has a Dior Saddle purse, I have to tell you it’s not the most comfortable handbag simply because one part is deeper than the other and if you have small accessories scattered across your purse, you’ll have trouble finding them in the Saddle.

Christian Dior Saddle Bag Pricing

Take a look at the price comparison table below to learn how much are Dior Saddle bags in US, Europe, UK and Australia. Pictures below are courtesy of Dior.

For an updated price list, please refer to the Dior US Price & Reference Guide.

Dior Saddle Micro Bag International Price Guide

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Dimensions: 14 x 11 x 4.5 cm / 5.5 x 4.5 x 2 inches

Prices: US $2,550; Europe €2,100; UK £1,900; Australia $3,800

Dior Saddle Mini Bag International Price Guide

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Dimensions: 21 x 18 x 5 cm / 8.5 x 7 x 2 inches

Prices: US $3,250; Europe €2,500; UK £2,400; Australia $4,700

Dior Saddle Oblique Canvas International Price Guide

Dimensions: 25.5 x 20 x 6.5 cm / 10 x 8 x 3 inches

Prices: US $3,800; Europe €2,900; UK £2,700; Australia $5,500

Dior Saddle Black Ultramatte Calfskin International Price Guide

Browse Dior Saddle bags on Fashionphile

Dimensions: 25.5 x 20 x 6.5 cm / 10 x 8 x 3 inches

Prices: US $3,950, Europe €3,100; UK £2,950; Australia $5,800

Dior Saddle Black Embroidery International Price Guide

Dimensions: 25.5 x 20 x 6.5 cm / 10 x 8 x 3 inches

Prices: $4,250; Europe €3,300; UK £3,000; Australia $5,900

Dior Saddle Wallet International Price Guide

Dimensions: 19 x 11 x 3 cm / 7.5 x 4.5 x 1 inches

Prices: US $1,400; Europe €1,100; UK £990; Australia $2,000

Dior Saddle Pouch International Price Guide

Dimensions: 22 x 14.5 x 4.5 cm / 8.5 x 5.5 x 2 inches

Prices: US $2,150; Europe €1,600; UK £1,500; Australia $3,050

Christian Dior Saddle pouch with belt - International Price Guide

Dimensions: 17 x 10.5 x 3.5 cm / 6.5 x 4 x 1 inches

Prices: US $1,300; Europe €950; UK £910, Australia $1,800 

Christian Dior Saddle bag's price comparison table (US, EU, UK, Australia)

The price of the Dior Saddle bag depends on its size. Please find the pricing of Dior Saddle handbags after the 2022 Dior price increase below.

You might have seen a Christian Dior Saddle Bag with a strap wondering is the strap is included with a saddle handbag.

Here's our insight: none of Dior saddle bags come with strap. You can always order one separately, it’s $1,200, which makes it a $5,000 for a purse and a strap in the US.

Since the purse was brought back in style and to retail in 2018, original Saddle bags from 2000s have skyrocketed in value on secondhand marketplaces. A vintage Dior Saddle in good condition would cost around $2,000. If you’re lucky, you can find even a better deal but it’ll largely depend on condition.

Why is Christian Dior Saddle Bag So Expensive?

Only a few it-handbags account for the most Dior sales. 

Christian Dior couture house has only a few it-bags, recognized worldwide, that account for most Dior sales. Christian Dior Saddle Bag and Lady Dior bags definitely belong to this category as staple items for modern fashionistas.

Saddle is unique, recognizable and has a story behind it. In a sense, it's a story that makes it stand out from the rest of silhouettes and designs. This story will keep on getting stronger.

However, if you want to save big on the Dior Saddle bag, you might want to browse the guaranteed authentic Saddle bags on Fashionphile.

Dior Saddle Bag Vintage Old vs New: What's the Difference?

If you're wondering whether there's any difference between the vintage version of the Christian Dior Saddle bag and the reinvented newer version, there are actually a few differences that deserve to be mentioned.

First, the recognizable Dior oblique pattern (which is this grey fabric with DIOR letters covering it) has changed since the release of the vintage Dior Saddle. If you look closely at the two pictures, you'll notice that the canvas font obviously morphed towards the font Dior has been using for decades on a leather item's heat stamp.

Though the original shape remained unchanged, the purse's new rendition was slightly enlarged so that it could fit modern smartphones. The newer variations include countless colors and materials, and also tend to be busier and ornate.

Unlike a touch and close fastener on the original version, the reissued Saddle fastens with a magnetic snap closure.

Christian Dior Saddle bag vs Lady Dior

If you're town between two of the fashion house's classics, we don't judge you. It's extremely hard to choose between them and the more factors you consider, the harder it becomes.

• Both Lady Dior and Saddle bag are timeless staples and Dior has been releasing these handbags for years.

• Both handbags are excellent investments in the long run, especially when purchased in vintage stores. If you purchase a new handbag and you also want it to be a good investment, opt for Saddle over Lady Dior as the latter tends to lose about 50% of its retail price.

• Both handbags are in a similar price range. Saddle will cost you around $3,800, while a Lady Dior is $5,500. However if saddle is purchased with a strap, it becomes $5,000, almost the price of the Lady Dior.

Eventually, our advice would be to choose whatever fits your lifestyle if any. Bear in mind that Christian Dior Saddle Bag won't hold much and in terms of how comfortable they are they could be competing for the most discomfortable handbags ever. It's truly impossible to see what's inside, moreover, both only have one large compartment, which calls for an organizer.

Is Christian Dior Saddle Bag Worth It?

We have covered the history of the Dior Saddle handbag, its variation and prices, as well as how to pick between a Lady Dior or a Saddle handbag. Hopefully, this covered the full range of questions regarding the Christian Dior Saddle handbag and now it's up to you to decide whether it's worth it.

How to Authenticate a Dior handbag?

If you are buying a pre-loved Dior purse, be sure to always order professional Dior authentication, especially if you are buying from a private seller. 

We can help with authentication a Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Dior item. Please order one of the three types of authentication:

Verbal Authentication $10

• good when you need to know whether the bag is real or fake for yourself (e.g. when you are buying an item)

Certificate of Authenticity $25

• good when you need a certificate for any reason, either to sell the bag with the peace of mind or to return a fake bag to the seller if you purchased a fake
• includes a permanent QR-code-protected certificate on lvbagaholic.com

Certificate of Authenticity with a thorough explanation $50

• good when you need a certificate and you need to know why the bag is authentic/not authentic for any reason, either to sell the bag with the peace of mind or return a fake bag to the seller if you purchased a fake.
• includes a permanent certificate on lvbagaholic.com
• includes an explanation of why the item is fake (detailed pictures and comparisons with an authentic bag, more than 10 pics included)

PLEASE CHOOSE ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW