Just received this last night, and am test-driving it this morning.
I ordered the cocoa brown color, and since I've only been carrying it for a couple hours I can only offer my "first impression" comments. They are as follows:
-The texture of the canvas and leather were not as I'd initially anticipated. The leather is very soft but not very supple (if that makes any sense), and shows marks/scratches easily. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - I do think the bag will improve with age and wear and tear - but it definitely doesn't have that clean, smooth quality as a good leather jacket or $300 bag might have.
-The texture of the canvas was also not as I'd expected. It, too, is very coarse, sturdy, and stiff. Not quite as thick as the Boat and Tote bags, but definitely not garment-soft, either. The dark brown color is nice, but nowhere near the cocoa color I'd expected - it's more of a very very dark tan, with distinctively lighter elements in the weave/texture. The zippers and their edging fabric is in the darker brown color that I'd expected, so I wonder if it's simply wide color variation among dyelots of the canvas. It has a very textured surface, which I hope will soften a bit with age. The edges of the strap are especially quite rough.
-It's hard to see on the product photos, but the bag's front clasp is actually the kind that slides in then clicks up (if you know what I mean). I suppose I'd expected more of a magnetic snap under the decorative (but functional, if you like making things more difficult for yourself) buckle, as is more common with bags of this style.
-Others had commented that the strap isn't long enough to wear cross-body. This wasn't the case for me, but I could see how it might be, for others. I am short - 5'2" - and petite, so I was able to comfortably wear the bag cross-body on the strap's longest setting. If you're taller or heavyset, though, you may find that it's easier to just wear the bag over your shoulder.
-This bag is full of all the subtle quality trademarks I've come to expect from LLBean products - sturdy zippers on the inner pockets, solid hardware on all fixtures, and an overall thickness and heft which I believe will bode well for the bag's longevity. There's absolutely nothing which gives me cause for concern about its long-term function (though I do believe it will break in substantially over time, and won't look "like new" for long, for the reasons outlined above re: leather and canvas)
-Its size is just a bit smaller than I'd anticipated and, honestly, hoped for. I found it rather cumbersome to carry my whole gamut of "stuff". Ideally, I'd like to be able to carry my: iPad, small knitting bag, DSLR camera, wallet, sunglasses case, reusable coffee mug, cell phone, iPod, reusable shopping bags, snacks, makeup + other random stuff. I can easily carry all but the iPad and knitting bag in this purse - my iPad and case will fit in if I struggle with it a bit (I have to take out the wallet + sunglasses case &c first, then put the iPad in, then cram everything else in around it); my knitting may fit if I take it out of its bag and don't carry any extra yarn. Clearly, this isn't ideal. I have other bags of similar dimensions which can carry all this and more, so I know that the problem is with the LLBean bag's configuration and layout, not its size.
-Access to the bag is a bit awkward (related to the "stuff carrying" issue above). I appreciate the security that zippers offer, but they make it universally difficult to access anything within. It's only with some real tugging and pulling that I'm able to open any zipper all the way, and I'm just lazy enough that I could foresee a time when I just throw everything into the main compartment and always leave it unzipped, because it's too difficult to easily access the smaller compartments. I feel that if the bag were more mindfully laid out, this may not have been an issue. For example, leaving the zipper off the bag's front pocket, putting a smaller and easier zipper in its inner pocket (where such durability really isn't needed), and restructuring the top zipper so it doesn't "curve" down the sides of the bag at all. This detail reduces the usable volume of the bag, since then it becomes very difficult to fill the bag to volume - such as the iPad difficulty noted above.
-I generally appreciate a bag with a top flap, for the added rain protection (I cycle to work, rain or shine :-)). However, the top flap on this bag seems...oddly proportioned. When clipped shut, the flap is too long, even on its lowest setting - the flap hangs to one side or the other, or gaps. For this reason, I've just been letting the flap hang open, loose over the front of the bag (rather than clipping it in). So then what's the point of even having the flap?
In summary, I haven't decided yet if I'll keep this bag. I'm "test driving" it today, and will decide by the end of the day if this really meets my needs or not. The LLBean name and quality mean a lot to me, but it won't make a difference if I never end up carrying this bag!
If you have a lot of bags in rotation or aren't very particular about functionality, then you'll probably enjoy this bag very much - it looks great (albeit different than pictured) and certainly works well enough for what it is. But if you're at all picky like me, or have rather specific needs/wants for an everyday bag, you may want to look elsewhere.
This bag is a little bigger than I would have liked but there's room for everything in it including paperwork, the newspaper & even lunch. I especially like the separate zip pockets & the keyring (an essential item so I don't lose my keys inside my pocketbook).
Well made. Like the zippered compartments. Metal closure and leather trim of good quality; secure stitching and nicely secured/stitched inside lining. Good quality and tightly woven canvas. Only negative I see - the shoulder strap is a little too wide. Have used for two weeks and it seems like it is going to be durable.
The Color was not what I was expecting. Looks beige online but when it arrived it looks like a light olive. Called customer service, who were great. they sent out another one but it is the same color. I don't mind the color so I kept it.
