The Batignolles is the Louis Vuitton tote that most people have seen without knowing its name. It ran for only a handful of years in the 2000s, was discontinued while still popular, and now turns up regularly on the vintage market at prices well below newer monogram totes. The main question buyers ask us is simple: vertical or horizontal.
What the Batignolles is
Named after a neighbourhood in northern Paris, the Batignolles is a coated monogram canvas shoulder tote with natural vachetta handles, brass hardware and an open or lightly closed top depending on version. Louis Vuitton made it in three shapes: the standard Batignolles, the Batignolles Horizontal and the Batignolles Vertical. The two named variants are by far the most common secondhand.
It sits in the same functional category as the Neverfull but with a different silhouette, a more tailored look and, at the moment, a noticeably lower price.
Vertical vs Horizontal: sizes and dimensions
- Batignolles Vertical - roughly 28 cm wide and about 33 cm tall. Taller than it is wide, with a narrow footprint that stays close to the body.
- Batignolles Horizontal - roughly 38 cm wide and about 27 cm tall. Wider and shallower, with a longer opening across the top.
Both use flat vachetta handles designed to sit on the shoulder, and both taper slightly at the base, which is what gives the line its cleaner profile compared with a straight-sided tote.
Which shape suits you
The Vertical is the everyday option. It holds a wallet, phone, small pouch, an umbrella and a slim notebook without looking overfilled, and the narrow shape means it does not knock into people on a train. It is the better choice if you are shorter or want the bag to read as a handbag rather than a work bag.
The Horizontal is the practical one. A 13 inch laptop, A4 documents and a folder all fit flat, which the Vertical cannot manage. The trade-off is that it looks visibly like a work tote and can sag when carried half empty.
If you want one bag for commuting and the office, take the Horizontal. If you want one bag for everything else, take the Vertical.
What to check before buying vintage
Batignolles bags were used daily, and the wear pattern is consistent. Our team in Japan photographs each of these points before a bag is listed.
- Handle attachment. The vachetta handles are stitched to tabs at the top of the canvas. Check the stitching there first, because this is where a heavily loaded Horizontal fails.
- Handle colour and texture. Even honey patina is fine. Blackened, sticky or artificially darkened leather is not, and neither are handles that have been re-dyed.
- Base corners. The tapered base means the corners carry weight unevenly. Look for canvas rubbing at the four bottom points.
- Interior. Check the lining base for pen marks and cosmetic staining, and the interior pocket for tearing.
- Shape retention. A Horizontal that has collapsed permanently in the middle rarely recovers.
Vachetta is the deciding factor on price for both shapes. Our vachetta care and storage guide covers how to keep it from getting worse.
Price reality on the vintage market
The Batignolles is still one of the better value monogram totes available. Both shapes typically trade in the low to mid hundreds of US dollars, with clean examples and lighter vachetta at the upper end and well-worn bags with dark handles considerably below. The Horizontal sometimes carries a small premium simply because laptop buyers want it.
Because the line was discontinued rather than replaced, supply is finite and slowly tightening. We would not call it an investment piece, and we say why in our honest look at resale value, but it is a genuinely good buy at current prices.
Browse the current Louis Vuitton lineup or check new arrivals for what has just come in. For a direct comparison with the tote everyone knows, read our Neverfull guide.