Gathered Tote

Ok, so I researched my choices endlessly before settling on the Zella Gathered Tote because I commute to the city and need to carry *a lot* of stuff to get through the average day: laptop, lunch, workout clothes, toiletries, sometimes even a change of clothes for evening. I'd become tired of lugging multiple bags to cart all the stuff, so I set about finding The One True Bag. I'm happy to report, I found it. This bag not only carries all my stuff gracefully and stylishly, but comfortably on my shoulder thanks to the padded strap. The straps, by the way, are a seatbelt-like material, which provides a nice stylistic edge and contributes to the overall quality. The whole bag, in fact, feels incredibly well made and looks just fabulous (even better than images). It also has pockets-a-go-go, both inside and out. A lot of the larger shoulder bags I encountered in my research were either too utilitarian, looked too much like a diaper bag, or weighed a ton because they were made of leather. This gem, by contrast, is sophisticated, functional, and lighter-than-air despite its large size. it's a unicorn of a bag, I'm tellin' ya, and flawlessly designed for the on-the-go ladyperson. Zella, meet your newest brand hero! Footnote: I'm using the large-sized (14 x 11 x 5) Rick Steves Packing Cube in conjunction with this bag, which works great for my gym stuff, because it turns sneakers, socks, top, and yoga pants into one slim rectangle shape that slides into the Zella perfectly!