This is the third shoulder bag I've purchased. I have one in Sand, one in Olive and now one in the Cocoa. I carry a lot of "stuff" and this bag has all the compartments I need to store my "stuff". Because of the compartments, I have no problem putting my hands on what I need. It is durable and very stylish and would highly recommend to one and all.
I've had two of these wonderful -- really! -- bags. The trouble is in the buckles. The shoulder-strap buckle slips its grommet -- once I almost lost the whole bag in the New York City subway tracks! -- and the second buckle, on the flap, simply falls off (again because it slips its grommet). The first time, Bean sent me a replacement buckle for the flap; the second time, I didn't bother to ask. On my second bag, the buckles on the shoulder strap and on the flap are held together with string and rubber bands.
But the bags are awfully pretty and carry lots of stuff; the flaw is in the design. You can't rely on what's essentially a belt buckle to keep a strap on.
When I pulled the bag out of the package, I was disappointed. It didn't look like the picture on the website. The color is slightly lighter than pictured, but the biggest turn-off was that the bag was pressed very flat because there was no stuffing in it to maintain its shape during shipping. In spite of my initial impression, I placed the items from my purse into the new bag and worked at popping the bag out into its full shape.
I found the strap to be just long enough to wear crossed over my body. The bag falls 14 inches below my shoulder when worn like this. When hanging the strap off of my shoulder the bag falls about 17 inches below my shoulder.
The leather trimmings look sturdy and are slightly distressed, giving a worn in look. I find it appealing. After wearing the bag out for a few Christmas shopping trips, I really like it. It is very roomy with two large pockets in addition to the main compartment of the bag.
Not a big fan of the square of velcro used to close the slim pocket on the back of the bag. A large snap or zipper would have looked nicer and would feel more secure; not a deal-breaker. The bag needs a lot more in it than I normally carry in my purse in order to fully expand it to the shape it has in the picture.
Overall, I'm happy with it and I think it will be a good bag for when I travel.
This is my second of these bags - the first I used every day for probably 8 years before it began to fray. I looked for something a little different, but I found nothing that had as many accessible compartments, was sized practically (do not like the oversized bags that hold all your things and your neighbors' too), and had a casual sporty styling-fitting my style. I am glad a purchased another one.
