Review + Giveaway: Francesco Biasia Brooke Tote

WEARING
James Perse long sleeve tee
James Perse ruched pencil skirt
Spanx tights
Rag & Bone Harrow boots (so amazing!! glad I could finally wear them. Sized up one full size)
Veda leather jacket (old)
Francesco Biasia black metallic leather brooke tote (courtesy of Forzieri)

More views of the bag:

As I count down the days until the big four-oh I thought it would be fun to bring you guys in on the celebration too! And if you know me at all, you know that besides being James Perse’s biggest fan, I’m also a bag FIEND; I love to touch them, shop for them, buy them, carry them, dream about them…and even give them away 🙂 So I’m thrilled that my partners at Forzieri were generous enough to offer up a Francesco Biasia bag for me to review, AND to giveaway. Happy birthday to me!! (and to one lucky reader…)

First though, let me review Biasia’s new Brooke tote (which I’m also giving away). Do you remember Francesco Biasia? I had a bag by the designer many years ago – I think I purchased it at Nordstrom – and I remember loving it. It was an interesting bag, reasonably priced, and very well made; exactly what I expected when I received this new Francesco Biasia bag. I must admit, the Brooke tote is larger than I thought it would be, and the straps threw me off a bit at first (more on that in a second), but after carrying it for three days, I can say that I’ve gotten used to the straps, and the size of the bag. AND, I love it.

Please click through to Forzieri to see what I mean more closely about the straps, but basically each strap is a different size – one woven strap that allows you to carry it by hand and one longer, adjustable strap that you use to carry it by shoulder. It’s very easy to get used to either one, you just pull one strap through the other one so it kind of “closes” the bag. The bucket style makes it hang really nicely, and while it does make it a bit deeper, it wasn’t hard to get into at all. The bag has lots of inside pockets, but I preferred to keep everything in the two zippered pockets outside for slightly easier access. And my phone kept falling out of the phone pouch in the side of the bag…

The hardware is minimal, but impactful, and I love the tassel (detachable if you’re not a fan). The metallic leather is also really cool – something edgy and very different from anything I have now, and adds a lot of character to the bag. I see this as a great work bag, and I am so excited I’ll get to use it as my carry on on my upcoming trip to AMSTERDAM (!!) with my husband in December. It will definitely hold everything I’ll need for the plane – and it has a top zipper, which I appreciate for flights and traveling in general.

Now, for the chance to win your own! Forzieri is giving away a black Francesco Biasia Brooke tote (just like mine) to one lucky reader. The contest is open to readers in all countries and will end next Monday, November 5th. I will choose a winner via random.org and notify the winner via email. The only thing that is required to win is that you leave your name/email address in the form below. If you want a bonus entry, please visit the Francesco Biasia section at Forzieri and then leave a comment telling us what your favorite new Biasia bag is! Good luck!!