Strathberry Mosaic in Oat ($605)
There was a lot of trial and error to find a travel purse that checked all my boxes. I did not want a bag that was clearly only meant for travel and could not easily transition to my everyday life. While design is important, function always wins out in the end.
My checklist was ample storage that is easily accessible, removable crossbody strap and top handle that can comfortable fit over the crook of my elbow, durable leather, and is as lightweight as possible when fully packed.
The Polene Numero Un Nano did not meet these needs and neither did the Senreve Mini Alluna (review to come). I had seen this Strathberry Mosaic bag on my Instagram a lot and it looked like it would meet all my needs. Spoiler: it did…with two caveats.
The bag was a soft supple leather unlike the hard and stiff leather of the other two bags, which made it more comfortable overall to wear. The magnetic flap closure made it extremely easy to access all the items I needed but still felt secure while on the street or on the tube.
My two caveats are this particular Oat shade allowed for crazy transfer (pictured) from my black jacket and jeans. Thankfully it wiped off easily with warm water on a washcloth, but it was quite annoying having to clean the bag lately. I’m not sure if the other darker colors would have this problem. The last caveat was it did feel heavy when packed, but that moreso came down to my huge portable battery pack, so I’m not sure it’s a real con for the bag as a whole.
Overall, I’m really happy with the bag and would recommend it for travel if you’re looking for a mid-luxury price range. You can totally buy a much cheaper bag and I know how ridiculous this purchase probably seems lol, but thankfully I do see value with the bag outside of travel and that’s how I’ll justify this beautiful bag.
Original Review: July 10, 2023