I've had a lot of women ask me about the perfect work bag. "How big should it be? What kind of material?" But really, what they're asking is "What will my boss/interviewer think about me when I walk in?" When you walk in with a Brenda Macleod, they will find you classy, sophisticated, smart and well put together. Which is exactly the right foot to put forward.
First, let's talk material. You want a great texture, something elegant. But you don't want showy. Brenda Macleod's bags are the perfect kind of leather - a gorgeous, buttery but also sturdy Italian leather. It's Tuscan leather actually, handmade via a vegetable tanning process so there's none of those nasty chemicals that come with mass produced bags. Here's an up close look at the texture - I just love the natural lines, this bag is going to get more gorgeous with wear!
If you're like me, your work bag needs to hold everything plus the kitchen sink. Pictured below, I'm carrying my overflowing Kate Spade wallet, iPad in a puffy Herschel sleeve, makeup bag, and a day planner. The Fiona also fits my 13" Macbook air.
But we don't really just take our work bags to work, do we? They end up at taco stands for lunch, happy hour after work, and at the inevitable grocery store run. Here in LA we've banned plastic bags and I almost always carry a Baggu (in elephant print) except for the one day I actually needed it! Isn't that always the case? But my Fiona was up to the task! She handled my grocery run like a pro.
Lets talk about the interior. I love the soft, almost pebbled material on the inside of the bag. One of my favorite details about the Fiona is this handy key ring, below. It's attached to one of the slip pockets on the wall of the bag, which makes it easy to locate. I found myself putting keys, hand sanitizer, anything with a loop here for easy access.
The Fiona also has awesome pockets. There are four slip pockets, two on each side of the bag, and one large zip pocket. I appreciate this - so often zip pockets are only large enough for the unmentionables, but there are plenty of other things I want to store in there! I love that Brenda Macleod made this adjustment, you can tell a woman is at the wheel designing these bags.
You can tell I'm a bit obsessed (1000 pictures later!) But you know when I really knew this was the perfect work bag? When someone at work stopped me to comment on it, and to ask where it came from so she could order one. That was the moment. When someone notices, you've done your job right.
Brenda Macleod just launched this month in Scotland, and I'm thrilled to be one of the first in the US to carry one. If you're looking for a bag that no one else is carrying, something that will turn heads, Brenda Macleod is for you. I have the Fiona Top Handle in tan, and I couldn't love it more. If you've fallen in love too, you can pick yours up at BrendaMacleod.com. The Fiona is £280 (about $465), and use code "LaunchOffer" at checkout for 10% off.
Disclosure: Brenda Macleod provided this item free for review. By which I mean that I chatted with Brenda personally, she let me pick the right bag for me, and all opinions and experiences are 100% mine. I wouldn't share a product with you if I didn't love it.
