Happy Fri-yay!! So I wanted to talk about this vegan leather tote I picked up a few weeks ago which has seriously turned into the perfect travel tote and a great everyday tote. About a month ago I realized I was going to be traveling a lot during the month of August. I thought about it and decided I wanted to get a nice cognac travel tote that I could carry tons of stuff in. I’ve had my eyes on the Madewell Transport Tote for a while. It’s such a classic style that I know I can wear for years. At a pricey $170, I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to drop that kind of dough on a daily driver tote. Even though I have grown accustomed to nice leather bags, I really wanted to find a cheaper alternative.
Then I stumbled upon this Street Level Reversible Vegan Leather Tote at Nordies for less than $50! It’s a great size, the material doesn’t look cheap even though it’s not real leather, and it’s extremely durable. (Just this week, it survived some heavy downpour in Chicago!) The bag is reversible but I like the bag best when it’s on the cognac color since I prefer this shape. If you click on the link, you can see the shape of it when it’s black. It’s okay, but I’m not a huge fan. The bag comes in tons of colors – I think the burgundy would be so great for Fall!
The bag comes with this little wristlet – it comes in handy for holding keys and the lipstick I’m wearing for the day! Since the bag has no structural pockets along the wall, I really appreciated that they included this. Something I didn’t photograph but also wanted to point out is that the bag comes with a sturdy bag shaper at the bottom of the tote. This helps distribute the weight of all the items in your tote and prevents any droopiness from happening.
The bag has a magnetic closure in the middle, which keeps the tote from being wide open when you’re traveling.
I also thought I would show you what I bring in my tote when I travel. 🙂 For some weird reason, I always like seeing what people carry with them too!
Makeup Bag: Victoria’s Secret (old) | Ipad | Wallet: Kate Spade – they don’t have my color “Surprise Coral” anymore but they have tons of other cute colors right now | Sunnies: Tory Burch | Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Double Dare | MAC Lipliner in Whirl | Chloe Perfume Spray – My everyday scent is Chanel Chance eau Tendre but my sister bought me this a few months ago and it’s so easy to travel with! | Travel Size Hand Lotion | Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets
I’ll be honest with you, I don’t travel light.. I really wish I could be a minimalist but I just hate the feeling of not having options. I’ve been known to pack a bag just for my shoes… yes I’m cray cray haha. Some quick notes about what I carry in my bag – I always bring the essentials like my phone, my wallet, and a pair of sunglasses. For longer flights, I try to bring my makeup bag too so that I can touch up after I get off the plane. There’s something about airplane air that makes my skin feel so dehydrated and icky afterwards. I’ve also been carrying my camera in this bag! I’m surprised at how much it can hold while still feeling comfortable to wear. After a good month with this tote, I totally recommend it to anyone looking for a travel tote or even a daily driver tote!
I’m headed to Denver today for Pure Barre training (more on that later 😉 ) and I’m so excited. It’s gonna be a fun weekend of lifting, toning, and burning! Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. I’ll see you all back here on Monday XO ♥