Melody Fine Grain Leather Tote

This is an incredibly well made bag and it’s beautiful. I love a good tote and this one looks fantastic and gets lots of compliments. The caramel color is a perfect neutral for summer and goes with almost anything. The bar closure is what drew me to this bag, and but it can be a pain to deal with. It actually makes the bag secure enough that someone couldn’t get their hand in there easily. However, the drawback is that when I need to get something out I can’t get my hand in there easily. It’s a north south tote so unless it’s tall, what I’m teaching for is usually in the bottom and to really get down in there you have to flip the bar over at least one strap and open up the tote all the way. If I’m going to be in and out of it a lot I often just leave the bar hanging on the inside (a bummer because the bar makes the bag). There also are no internal pockets (other than the detachable pouch which I don’t really use). I solved that with a fabric purse insert (A**zon). Lastly the straps are really wide and can be a little cumbersome. It’s a really gorgeous bag and the quality of the leather is some of the best I’ve seen. It’s supple and does not show wear. In spite of my frustrations with the bag I have carried it more than any other this summer. For the price, it’s a great bag.