The Most Versatile Summer Bag + How To Style It

Happy #FASHIONWEDNESDAY, fam!! I have been spent the entire last weekend + week with one of my very best friends – Amanda from Blissful Gal! Isn’t it amazing when online bffs become IRL bffs? Amanda basically slid into my DMs December of 2016 and we haven’t stopped talking since that day – so I’d definitely say it’s fate. But there will be more on THAT friendship this Friday when our vlog and weekend recap go live. STAY TUNED! Today, we are going to be talking about my currently favorite handbag company, which style I’m obsessing over and how you can style it with any outfit. Let’s dive into this.

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The Most Versatile Summer Bag + How To Style It

This bag is care of Ampersand As Apostrophe. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

The Brand.

Ok, so this brand wasn’t one that I was super familiar with before earlier this year. I picked up their hot pink half tote while I was in Greenwich, CT in March and haven’t put it down since. Honestly – it’s been one of my MOST USED bags AND it was included in my monthly obsessions post so you know I’ve been seriously getting some good use out of it. 

This brand is definitely upscale – it isn’t a target impulse buy, that’s for sure. Their first bags were conceptually designed from 100-year-old mailbags – a style that was functional, but not necessarily beautiful. Jessica Park (founder + designer) says her bags have “the look of something conventional dying to be transformed in a truly unconventional way”. They are simple, beautiful, and above all – functional. 

The Bag Style.

I have two bags from this brand: the half tote and the sideways tote. I LOVE the size of the half tote for everyday use, and love the size of the sideways tote for longer days (when I need to store a little bit more in my bag). The bag featured in this post is the Sideways Tote in Eventide Buffalo – a beautiful periwinkle blue with pebbled leather. My pink half tote is soft, stiff leather for reference. The bag is spacious and both bags have the raw leather interior that I love so much.

Sideways Tote in Eventide Buffalo | Half Tote in Bright Rose

How To Wear It.

There are a few ways to wear this beautiful bag. The intended wear for the sideways tote is over the shoulder, while the half tote in meant to be carried in hand or in the crook of your arm. I found that I carry my sideways tote just find over my elbow if it isn’t too heavy and it was fine in hand as well. As soon as I put a lot of stuff inside, however, it was definitely more comfortable on my shoulder. 

I matched the sideways tote’s unique blue color with some other shades of blue and blush to really bring out those cool tones. I love this floral top because it tied in several shades of blue so that the bag wasn’t clashing with my light wash jeans. My rose half tote pretty much matches with everything pink + neutral, so I never have a problem pairing it with an outfit for that pop of bright color. The sideways tote is a little bit more subdued, so it’s perfect for brightly colored outfits that already have their pops of color. 

Now for my FAVORITE feature: the snap-out clutch. It’s primary function is to act as a little catch-all for smaller object you don’t want getting lost in the bottom of your tote. I store things like lip gloss, my phone, keys, etc. in the pocket so they are easily accessible. BUT THE MOST FUN PART ABOUT THIS LITTLE POCKET is the fact that each of the clutches snap out so you can choose to either keep them snapped into the purse OR take only the clutch with you when running out the door. This is honestly a godsend and you basically have two bags in one. I am a BIG BIG fan of just grabbing my clutch and leaving the house. The clutches are the same size I believe – and they fit a lip gloss, my mini card holder, phone, keys and a pack of gum. That’s pretty much all I need when I’m running errands or going out to dinner so I find it is the PERFECT size to carry with me on the go. I think this feature is totally brilliant and I wish ALL my purses had it.

PIN THIS FOR LATER:

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I know these bags are a little bit of an investment – but honestly, you can just TELL the quality by touching and feeling these bags. These will be bags that I use for years and years to come and I have no doubt they will withstand the time beautifully. They would make fabulous Christmas/birthday/anniversary presents, as well, if you need a reason to splurge that much on a purse.

Have you heard of this brand before? What is your take on the totes featured? Let me know in the comments below!