Pink/Red Hobo Bag by jean*et, $198
Jeanette Zimmer, the owner and designer behind jean*et handbags, comes from a graphic design background and began making bags in her home studio. Her designs are influenced by her love of vintage and modern, and reflects a balance between fun and sophistication. Her handbag collection focuses on the use of vintage upholstery fabrics and leather, and retails between $165 and $198.
The item we received is a pink/red hobo bag made out of a combination of retro wool upholstery fabric and leather. It retails for $198.
As in the photo, the bag is striking in person. The colors are bold, and vibrant, and the fabric heavy duty. At 12" x 15", the bag is roomy but not oversized. The top is open with a single button magnetic closure, so everything in the bag is easy to reach. How many times have we all missed a call while searching for the phone, only to find it after it stops ringing?
The bottom of the bag is natural colored leather. It appears pink in the photo but not in person. The natural color is such a beautiful contrast to the bold pink and red of the vintage fabric. A design element the photo fails to show is the tooled leather handle. It's the same material as the bottom of the bag but in addition, the entire handle has an intricate design that looks like it was embossed onto the leather - it's absolutely gorgeous. I could not wait to wear it.
Well, I didn't have to wait long since Los Angeles was in the 80's over the weekend. The warm and toasty weather was the perfect time to tote this bag around.
Now whenever I wear a fabric tote bag, I always have a problem with the handle pulling on the fabric and stretching out, with the weight of my wallet, blackberry, keys, and all the other junk we all carry around. Not so with this bag. I was amazed at how well it carries weight. The fabric didn't stretch at all, as if everything stuffed inside it was lightweight, which by the way, is close to how it felt carrying the bag around. I think it's because the handle is so much thicker and wider (1.5 inches) than most purses I've seen. It makes the bag feel less heavy and after walking around for hours, I noticed I didn't even switch it from one shoulder to ther other. I'm also happy to report that the handle didn't leave an imprint on my shoulders - wow!
One thing I do wish it has, is an interior zip compartment. It has split pockets inside but my gloss keeps falling out of it. Oh well, I just took it out of the pocket and let it mingle along with the other junk inside - problem solved. Everything else about the bag is well thought out, well designed, well made (in the USA by the way). Wear it with a casual tank like this one by Hard Tail and a pair of linen shorts like this one from Max Studio, and you'll be ready to spring forward 3 weeks early!
So if you're looking to brighten up your spring wardrobe or if you're looking for a vacation/weekend bag to take to your cruise or the tropics, think no more and look no further. After wearing it all weekend, I liked it so much, I didn't change over to my normal work bag this morning. I think I just found my spring bag.
Reviewer: Brown Eyes
