I am on a very specific hunt for a new black leather day bag. Nothing on the high street is up to scratch. I've seen loads of leather bags I love but none in black - I guess it's just not the season to buy black, but hello, everyone needs a black bag and if you need one in summer, you need one in summer!
My plan is to hold off on this very important purchase until I find one that is just right. A black leather day bag isn't as easy to find as one might think - there are a lot of factors to consider. For me, my a day bag needs to be large enough to fit the following all at once: work documents, a cardigan, a small umbrella, a make-up case, pens, hair ties, a comb, a small pad, my sturdy Mulberry purse, my sunglasses, iPhone, hand cream, lip balm, mints, USB sticks, receipts and train tickets from weeks ago, and quite often either my lunch or my shoes.
That said, my bag has to have style; good quality is a must and it should be built to last - stitching and closures must be robust and solid. To cart all that stuff around with me, I need carrying options to avoid bad posture - I like to carry my day bag in my hand, over my shoulder or in the crook of my elbow - so the handles have to be a very specific size (or there should be a short handle and optional strap). Then there is the issue of going from the office to a bar - as much as it has a job to do, my bag has to look good with a Cosmopolitan should the occasion present itself on a Friday afternoon.
So far, the Radley Grosvenor is the closest I have come to finding the perfect black day bag. This will probably be the one I go for, but as this is an investment purchase, I'm holding out a little bit longer to see if anything else is up to the job. It might sound like my black day bag has a tough time living with me, but it will be loved, cared for and cherished for years, until it finally retires to handbag heaven, knowing that it has served its purpose above and beyond what is expected of a handbag. This can only be a good thing - surely we all strive to work hard and be the best that we can be?
The Radley Grosvenor.
