I know this blog has quickly turned into a bit of a Mulberry love-fest but I do have other bags, honestly.
One of my favourite brands for laptop bags has to be Knomo and I think I must have at least 7 of their pieces: 3 laptop bags, 2 sleeves, 2 small suitcases. I love their well thought out detailing when it comes to keeping your laptop safe, yet keeping the bags lightweight and nice looking.
I had been using one of them as my daily work bag when one day, on a business trip to London, I got caught in the tube-doors (I know...) and the already fragile strap broke. Needless to say I was not only pained, having to carry the bag with one handle all day, but also gutted to having broken my most used bag. I ended up shoving the bag into a corner of my wardrobe and forgetting about it until recently when I had a big tidy. I contacted Knomo but unfortunately got no reply to my request whether this could be fixed. And then I remembered somebody mention www.lincsrepair.co.uk, a guy who fixed all kinds of handbags and leather goods. So I popped him an email with the same pictures I had sent to Knomo:
Alan got back to me within a few hours with a quote and the suggestion to replace both straps to ensure both straps look the same. I sent the bag off and he then kept me up to date with what he was doing...
...and then a few days after that... tadaaaa...
So I can only recommend Alan at Lincs Repair. Have a look at his website for some case studies on what he can do, or rather what he has done to some LVs, Givenchy and Gucci bags.
In my quest for an easy to wear, not too heavy, accessible and nice cross-body bag I recently came across a preloved Mulberry Sofia Messenger. It might just tick all the above stated boxes, so here is a little play with it...
This is another Mulberry Hobo, though I'd dare say a bit more... delicate than the Daria. The Effie Hobo feels lighter than its sister and I like, how it is more of a bucket shape, i.e. it has "floor" to it. Let's load it up! :)
The Mulberry Daria Hobo is one of those real "chuck it all in" bags. A big bag (hence her not fitting on my mantlepiece) - big enough for every day but how does she fare on a flight where I want to take my laptop?
Wanting to buy practical bags, which are ultimately worth their money because I can use them lots, is what I usually strive for. Bags that are beautiful or cute but tiny tend to not come on my radar.
This little Mulberry Alexa in Cabbage Green was a complete spur of the moment purchase on eBay. I just fell in love with the colour and as I love the Alexa style, I threw caution to the wind.
Sorry, couldn't resist the "small and far away" pic but wanted to include one that shows the difference in size.
What else could I possibly talk about regarding the Alexa..? I know: the outside! Somebody asked me to do a quick how-to on Alexa-strap-conversion. So, here it is...
Thinking about whether you could get away with acquiring a new (or pre-loved) Mulberry and passing it off using it as a baby bag? Well, I've put my work horse, a black Soft Buffalo Regular Alexa, to the test. See how I got on!
The Mulberry Alexa is notoriously slouchy - in fact, that's why so many people like it. It gives it this real boho/rock chick/ask if I care feel and means it's a bag that takes you from work to play effortlessly. However, it also means that if it's not very full, it's rather like a fabric bag and your items tumble all over each other.
This is were the lovely people from SAMORGA come in. Their bag inserts do not only provide different pockets for all your bits and bobs but the fairly rigid felt they are made from, give your bag structure and rigidity. So, with much further ado, here a video on receiving my SAMORGA insert for my Mulberry Alexa and having a first play.
The Mulberry Alexa is my daily go-to bag. Its long strap means I can wear it cross-body, run for the train or after my 2-year-old and get to whatever I'm carrying really quickly. I own one in black (that's the one that gets lugged around almost every day), in oak (that on has been asleep tucked away and for a while) and have recently acquired a mini-sized one in cabbage green. I have yet to test-drive that one properly.
Anyway, without much further ado, a quite hasty (and coughy) review. Let me know what you think!
I've been chopping and changing my handbag collection (the fact that I call it a collection doesn't help) and I have found some video reviews online - but thought, there's always room for more. ;)
So with very few (written!) words, here is my first one focusing on that little Mulberry vintage gem, the Blenheim - also known as Baby Roxanne.
