Bag : Transience Swing Bag (ON SALE NOW!!!) – gift from the designer to review
What’s inside…
Comme des Garcons wallet
Comme des Garcons pouch
Baby Baggu and regular baggu
Package to mail for slowre
Rollbahn notebook
Fisher space pen
Aesop hand sanitizer (ya, most expensive sanitizer ever, but 1,000% worth it)
Hurraw lip balms (my favorites)
Kari Gran lip whip (also a favorite)
Rosebud salve (not so much a favorite anymore, I just always have them around)
Weleda skin food for my hands
Mints
Air pods
Random other stuff – hard massage ball I always have with me when I travel, sunglasses, envelope for extra cards, wax and elastics for my metal mouth, toothpicks, more hand cream, receipts…
There’s a lot of stuff in my bag! Honestly, this is the first time I’ve really dumped it out since we got back from our road trip in early December. The day we got back I fractured my jaw, so I didn’t really pay much attention to cleaning out my bag or unpacking everything, so there were quite a few things leftover from traveling that I don’t usually carry around everyday.
This is a large bag, but I do love a large bag – I just can’t carry a small bag, I tried. I’ve carried this bag every day since I received it around Thanksgiving; I haven’t even thought about switching to a different bag (that is saying something!). I carried it on our road trip to Orlando and Atlanta, and flew with it as my second carry on. I’m really really pleased with it.
How I’ve carried it:
Ah….remember when I could smile?? (outfit details)
It’s really easy to wear on my shoulder, it never slips off. (outfit details)
Points of note:
- I love the wider shoulder strap and it never slips off my shoulder. It’s also padded, so comfortable to wear for long periods
- I prefer ONE shoulder strap to two straps on most bags lately. With two straps on a tote, often one will slip off and that drives me batty
- I am a sucker for mesh
- The leather trim on the sides and shoulder strap is nice I guess, but I could do without it, and if it didn’t have the leather at all, it would be a suitable bag for a vegan, a vegan who doesn’t carry or wear leather that is…
- I LOVE LOVE LOVE the large outside zipper pocket, it holds everything I need easy access to
- The inside zipper pocket isn’t so bad either 😉
- I appreciate the two water bottle pockets on the inside sides of the bag – I always have my s’well bottle with me – since they keep bottles from flopping around everywhere inside, but I wish they were a little deeper and kept them more contained. Oh, but I just thought of something – they might be a good place to put shoes! If you’re actually using it as a gym bag, that is.
- I never use the top drawstring closure for the bag, so I really have no opinion about it at all. Except, I did carry it on the plane for my trip from Orlando to Atlanta and cinched it closed, but sort of wished I’d been able to zip it, so it was more secure. But that’s why I always use my Lo & Son’s backpack for plane travel. For everyday, I do not like closures on my bag. I know…not very secure, but unzipping zippers is just too much work for me sometimes…
- It’s not heavy
- I don’t worry about it getting wet or being out in the rain with it
- Nothing falls out of it when I have to bend over (something that definitely happens with my Marsell bags)
- It has a hard bottom, so it retains its structure and doesn’t lose its shape
- I know it’s meant to be an “office to gym” bag, but 1. I’m not really sure what that means, and 2. if you have a casual lifestyle, it’s a perfect “everyday everywhere” bag also. It would also make a very nice “gym” bag to carry to work along with a separate purse if you needed to. Hmm, maybe that’s what they mean by office to gym? LOL
I love this bag and am so grateful to have received it to review for you. I’ve been really pleased with it this last month, and look forward to carrying it for years more. BONUS: it’s on sale now for $215, which is $50 off. And you get first dibs 🙂
Enjoy!!
Thanks for this review Grechen. Great bag — also noticed the army green version on the Transience site. It’s been awhile since I carried a large bag but I love how multi-functional this one is. It’s nice to be able to just toss anything into a large bag instead of trying to wedge things into a smaller satchel or crossbody. Also, it’s not so huge that you look overwhelmed by it. Fun to see all the stuff you’re carrying around.
Very nice! Love the sporty hobo look and also that ES sweater. Office to gym bag means you can use it for both so you are not lugging around a work purse and a separate gym bag – looks nice for work but doesn’t look out of place with athletic clothes either. I noticed quite a few direct to customer startups popping up on FB ads lately for that. I definitely think that is a result of the athleisure trend as well as the popularity of classpass/core power/studio workouts. Although with pain issues I’ve realized multiple bags carried is better for balancing weight stress on shoulders/back/neck vs everything resting on one shoulder. I’ve kind of reverted back to what I used to do in the early 90s for work days , multiple bags including a mini break bag whereas I did the one huge heavy bag for awhile. But I digress…
Oooh, I’ve looked at the rest of their bags and now I’m so tempted. Some have a definite origami Miyake vibe going on.
Shoot Grechen, I’m trying not to buy any more bags! I have too many and too many newer ones.
yes! their bags are so cool…and very miyake 🙂
i’m jealous of your bao bao by the way…i’ve wanted a tote FOREVER, but just can’t manage to allocate funds specifically to that, you know? and i’m also paralyzed by the color…black? or white? lol
i love the army green one, and they have a pink velvet version too!! pretty, but i would tire of it LOL
i have tried so many times to switch to a smaller bag, to streamline what i carry with me, but it never works. not even for a second! i have just realized that i NEED a bag i can throw everything into.
I’ve been sort of drooling over this bag since you posted pictures. It looks functional, and I’m a sucker for nylon/mesh/neoprene. Bummer it’s out of my budget right now. Speaking of neoprene, have you seen Dagne Dover bags?
I love seeing what is in people’s bags (I also love cleaning out my own bag – weird, I know)! I’m having serious shoulder slipping right now due to winter coat wearing necessities. I try so hard to be a one-bag woman but sometimes my lunch just won’t fit. And if I decide to bring my breakfast and lunch… sigh.
Love this bag. I have been looking for an olive tote, but never saw THE ONE. I clicked on your link and when I saw the green color, ordered right away!! Perfect work tote and I will use it for years.
For years I have carried a Tumi Luggage Voyaguer Vienna Triple Compartment Wristlet as my wallet (still looks new). My big iPhone fits nicely in one of the compartments. I usually leave my tote in the car, and just carry the wristlet when grocery shopping etc. This wristlet is no longer available on their website…shoot…should have bought a backup as it’s PERFECT for me.
oh! so glad you got one, please let me know how you like it when you get it 🙂
Will do for sure.
Me too! I’ve lurked on the bao bao for years but couldn’t bring myself to pay the price on a tote but I finally took a plunge during all the holiday season sales. Hemmed and hawed on keeping or returning for awhile as it kind of looked just like a flat tote (especially for the price) but I finally used it and no regrets. It takes on its own shape when you set it down. I had my wallet/keys/makeup in a pouch and put that on the bottom of the bag with a scarf on top and when I set it down in my office it became this cool geometric yet organic wabi sabi sculpture. You can also fold it in half and carry it like a clutch. It won’t be my most used bag but it definitely makes me smile. I hardly see anyone with it too (even though I live in a place that has a significant Japanese population and is inspired by Japanese culture).
I know this is an older post, but are you still loving and using this bag regularly? I don’t like leather bags, so the mesh is intriguing. I use a Lululemon festival bag as my everyday bag now because it’s light and somehow like a tardis, but I love a big bag, and especially one that doesn’t fall off my shoulder every 2 seconds which drives me mad. I’d love to know how you’re feeling about this one now that you’ve had it for a good while.
yes! i love this bag 🙂
it’s a bit big feeling sometimes, but i really enjoy big bags…
i know what you mean about a bag falling off your shoulders. i hate that. this one does not do it as often as some for me. of course, sometimes that depends on how broad your shoulders are, etc., but i find that a wider strap that is not slippery works better than others.
Thank you! They have an excellent sale on this at the moment so it’s looking like one worth trying.