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Cross body bags

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zoebartlett

zoebartlett

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 29, 2006
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I'm looking for a new bag and I wondered if anyone has any suggestions. I'd like something that is good for everyday use -- nothing too formal or too casual looking (although I am more of a casual dresser, if that makes a difference).

I don't like carrying a purse but I feel like I should have something to put my wallet and keys in rather than just shove them into my pockets. I'm thinking of cross-body bags. Not too big, not too small. Big enough to hold my wallet, keys, sunglasses, phone, a book, maybe a bottle of water -- pretty much the basics. I have a few purses that I rarely use and a few canvas/nylon bags, but I'm looking for something that I don't have to carry.

I have a Eula tote from Timbuk2 that I carry around once in a while but I'm not as crazy about it as I hoped I'd be. I do like the size though. It's a messenger style bag, which is the style that I always gravitate towards, but I'm looking for something different. This is a silly thing to be annoyed by, but the velcro that holds the flap closed is really LOUD when I open the bag. RIIIIIPPPPPPP! I think I'd like to try a zip-top bag instead.

I'm not sure what my budget is yet. Probably around $50 or under.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
 
I thought this thread was about body bags for Christians needed for the war in Iraq.
 
Coach puts out a lot of good things...but, I haven't looked at their stuff in nearly a year.

Another good one, that the ladies on another forum went crazy over--like 186 pages worth of crazy, was something by Fossil.
 
Thanks Italia! I'll check out Fossil's website. I'll take a look at Coach too, but I know it'll be way out of my league, financially speaking. I appreciate the suggestions!
 
(In an effort to be more of a poster and less of lurker...) I ordered a cross-body bag a couple of weeks ago and I'm in love with it: http://www.baghaus.com/product/Big-Buddha-Eva-2010-Bag

If you want something a bit more understated, I think some of the bags from the SAK are good and they fit the budget. Here's one that I've seen in person and I thought it was sturdy and attractive- it also comes in a few other colors: http://www.thesak.com/Pax_Leather_Mini_Crossbody/pd/cl/1323/np/206/p/1267.html

More ideas (not sure of zip-top on these, though)

http://www.zappos.com/etienne-aigner-audrey-crossbody-black

http://www.zappos.com/aldo-abaunza-black

http://www.zappos.com/nixon-cushing-vertical-bag-all-black

http://www.zappos.com/aldo-grapp-black-multi

http://www.zappos.com/etienne-aigner-cooper-crossbody-olive

These are pretty trendy so I bet you won't have too much trouble finding something you like (whether it's more casual like the Nixon or "dressy" like the Etienne Aigner). Hope that helps! :)
 
Italiahaircolor|1296342834|2836800 said:
Coach puts out a lot of good things...but, I haven't looked at their stuff in nearly a year.

Another good one, that the ladies on another forum went crazy over--like 186 pages worth of crazy, was something by Fossil.
Click to expand...

I ditto this! I switched to a cross-body bag from Coach about a year ago and it has seriously changed my life! I have a bad neck and the one shoulder huge bag was really aggravating it. I think I paid $198 or so for the "Poppy", but if you don't want to spend that I'm sure that there are many other brands that put out a good bag in this style. Coach does have outlets with ridiculously low prices on things, though, if you have one in your area.

Please let us know what you come up with! I thought about adding another one to the mix and your budget is pretty much what I could spend right now myself.
 
kenny|1296339489|2836734 said:
I thought this thread was about body bags for Christians needed for the war in Iraq.
Click to expand...

Something similar went through my head.
 
Roots has some great ones, I have the Venetian village bag and I love it. It hold a lot of stuff and looks great even a year later.
 
double post sorry
 
I would suggest Coach also. I got a poppy at the outlet and I really enjoyed it. I also had a hippie and LOVED it...I'm still considering getting another one. They also have their swingpacks which seem like a decent size; not too big - not too small. I haven't had one of those before though.
 
I just bought a new one - spent $100 on it which is crazy expensive here in China, but I had several qualities I really needed and it fit the bill. I wanted it to look more like a purse than a computer case, but I wanted it to be as small as possible and still fit my wallet and my ipad. I wanted it to have a flap AND a zipper under it (lots of pickpockets here in China). And it had to be across the body. And black. I have a brown one I bought in Italy that fits my ipad OR my wallet lol I wanted it to be leather.

I cannot STAND having a purse on my shoulder and how I have to shift my whole body to keep it on. I like backpacks okay but they're harder to access and more difficult to monitor around the pickpockets lol Love the cross body bags... figure out what you want to carry and make sure it fits your sunglasses lol
 
Thanks so much for the suggestions, everyone!

I recently went to a party with coworkers, and one of them had a bag from a catalog called Thirty-One. Apparently, Thirty-One is one of those companies similar to Party-Lite, Mary Kay, etc. -- someone hosts a party and a sales person shows off their stuff and then asks others to host another party. Anyway, my coworker had ones of these bags and I loved it. Looking at the catalog, I really liked the brown and black ones, and the black one with the white pattern. I'm not sure that I could use them all year though. Could I? This is also their fall line, so I'm not sure what they'll have in the spring. Has anyone purchased one of these?

http://catalog.thirtyonegifts.com/WebProject.asp?BookCode=nyt10flx&from=2# (Organizing shoulder bags)
 
Stringtheorygirl -- I really like the first bag you linked: http://www.zappos.com/etienne-aigner-audrey-crossbody-black.. I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

SiameseKitty -- I'll post an update here once I do get a bag. I looked on Coach's website and while I like some of their bags, they were a bit too "purseish" and pricey for me.

Aggal -- Thank you! I love the Beverly bag and the color choices! That's very much my style. It could go with everything, right ? Does it make you nervous that there's no zipper on the top to make it close all the way? That would be my only concern. I know it has the smaller zippered compartment underneath the flap though. I wonder if I could ask the seller to add a zipper or snap on the top. I've never bought anything from Etsy. I didn't see a review section for this seller. I really, really like this bag. I'm not sure if it's a bit big for me (I'm a shortie :bigsmile: ). What's your opinion, now that you have one?
 
Thanks Scorpioanne -- I do love Roots bags but they're a bit pricey for what I'm looking for right now. I'll keep them in mind for the future though. I appreciate the suggestion.

Monnie -- I really, really like the Vivian bag from High Sierra. I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

Cehra -- I'm glad you like your new bag. What did you get?
 
Oops, I thought the link I gave above (Thirty-One) would lead you to the correct pages of the catalog. The organizing shoulder bag is shown on pages 18 and 39.
 
It's not a brand you'd find in the states - I am not much of a brand name person, I actually prefer things to look generic if possible. I do love it though - it's probably a man's style bag but I don't care! It fit all of my criteria :)

I hope you find a bag you love!
 
I really like the bag and not having a zipper on top doesn't really bother me. The top flips over on it but there have been a few times where i've gone to grab it and stuff spilled out because I wasn't paying attention and it was turned the wrong way.

The seller seemed really nice, I'd try asking if she would add a zipper on it if that's what you want. I know quite a few Etsy sellers will make custom items for you if you just ask. It took me about a week an a half to get the bag from her and I think she is based out of Malaysia so that's why it takes a bit longer to receive the product. I've had it since September and it still looks the same as it did when I got it so nothing has broken on it. So far it seems like a good quality product and it works for me.

Before this one I had a Fossil crossover bag and it lasted me a couple of years before it started getting holes on the bottom corners. I finally decided to retired it and this was the only bag I saw that was kind of like it but also cheaper. I think I paid $60 for the Fossil bag. That one did have zippers on the top and outside pockets but it wasn't as wide as the Etsy bag.

Edited: I also wanted to let you know that none of the outside or inside pockets on the bag are zippered.
 
Thanks again, Aggal! One of the pics shows something sticking out of the smaller pocket, and I on first glance I thought it was the end of a zipper. I guess it's not a huge deal, but I might ask the seller anyway. Oh, two more things, if you don't mind:

1) Does the size seem a bit big for what I've mentioned I'm looking for? I'm wondering if it's too much for what I'd ultimately need. I wonder if I'd still feel like I'm carrying something because of the bag's bulk, if that makes sense. I ask this because I was thinking of something much smaller, sort of like this one, originally:
http://www.zappos.com/product/7711179/color/183092
http://www.etsy.com/listing/60431554/minus-hipster-plus-in-black
or even this small: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62599763/sling-bag-shoulder-purse-handbag-small (although this really would hold just the bare minimum)

2) Is the strap comfy?

Obviously the answers to those questions are a bit subjective. It's hard to buy a bag online without having the option to try it first.

Thanks so much!
 
I have another cross body purse that is small... about 8x10 or something - and not that thick. I can't fit my regular wallet in there but it's super handy and I can put my travel wallet, my camera, my sunglasses and a few other things.
 
I love fossil items, especially their wallets - as they seemed to be practical in the compartments. In previous years I have also had a couple of their bags and quality for the price is awesome imo.

Another brand I used to wear because I loved crochet bag was "The Saks" really cute stuff, reasonable prices too. I remember spending a lot more a decade ago, so the prices are much more reasonable now then in previous years i think. I still have the bag, although now I 've given them to my DD, they wash up well, and the knitting held in tact nothing loose at all. If you get the crochet straps, its very comfy.
http://www.thesak.com/pl/c/266.html
 
I think the Beverly bag is a little bit bigger than the others that you linked. I remember thinking that it was going to be bigger when I ordered it but it was actually about the same size as my fossil bag, but a little longer.

photo_16.jpg

I looked in my closet and *gasp* I still have my tattered Fossil bag so now I have a horrible iphone comparison picture for you! My camera battery died and I need to recharge it. Sorry!

The shoulder strap is comfy and the bag, at least to me, is lightweight. I guess it depends on what you want to haul around in it.
 
Okay, so I went shopping today and while I didn't buy anything, I did learn a lot. First, I learned that the D&B pouchette is TINY. I saw the dimensions online but I needed to see it in person. Right away, I crossed that one off my list.

I also crossed off everything else I saw at Macy's. As pretty as the bags were, they were all too purse-ish for me. I think I've decided that I really don't want anything leather.

I went to Marshall's and didn't find a single thing there I remotely liked. It wasn't until I asked the woman in front of me at Target where she got her bag and she said "Vera Bradley!" that I saw something I liked a lot. :bigsmile: Most of VB's bags are too floral for me, but this one wasn't. I'll have to go online and visit a few stores that carry VB bags soon.

This thread is very me-centric and I know that. Thanks for indulging me! :bigsmile:
 
Aggal -- you rock! Thank you so much for taking time to snap a pic of the two bags. I think that I'm going to go ahead and order the Beverly bag in red just because I love it and I know I can find a use for it, BUT I'm still going to look around for something else too.

D&T -- thanks for the link to The Sack! I'll have to check but I think my mom might have the Classic Crossbody in black. I like it. I also like the shape of the Loretto bag in silver metallic.

Decisions, decisions. This is why I rarely go shopping. It takes me forever to decide and it's hard to narrow things down. I still can't decide what style I want. Slim sling style bag like what's on Janine King's Etsy shop or something that can hold more stuff...
 
This idea might be too casual, but Urban Oxide (owned by Hobo) makes a line called "bubble" bags. They are actually rubber (I think made from recycled tires, but don't quote me on that) and absolutely indestructable! I had a bag from them that lasted well over 10 years, and looked exactly the same the day I finally retired it as it did the day I bought it (except for the large chunk of it that my beloved furry son Oscar decided to injest... hence the retirement... ).

Here's just one option. They also do a lot of other versions in different sizes, shapes, with more pockets, etc. (Hmmm... the more I look at this, the more I'm tempted to get one, even though I already have the backpack I bought to replace the one Oskie ate for lunch!)

UOolive.jpg
 
Thanks so much Dee Jay! Those are pretty cool. I'd like to see if I can find them locally and check them out.
 
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