Help me choose a Brahmin bag for work

My poor canvas/faux leather tote is beginning to wear out. I bought a Brahmin wallet on NAS and was really impressed, so I've been looking at Brahmin for replacement totes.

I would use this bag to carry:
My rather large water bottle (kleen Kanteen)
My 1st gen iPad
Heels, on some days

I prefer the divided pocket that my current tote has, and I absolutely need something with structure. I can't get things in and out of a slouchy bag easily (although I love slouchy handbags...but this one needs to be a bit more practical...)

This first one is a satchel. It has a detachable crossbody strap and a divided pocket, but it's not huge (reviewers assure me my ipad will fit). I love the white, but black might be more (boring and) practical...
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/br.....el/3143953

The second one is a tote. This one is roomier but comes only in bright orange...which, oddly, would probably go with most of my stuff (I have a high tolerance for color mixing. I have a red coat and dark burgundy/oxblood handbag) and would transition to fall reasonably well, since orange matches the fall foliage! The down side is that it's one giant pocket.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/br.....te/3153034

12 years ago

Veteran

Both are very nice. I'm drawn to the orange one, but if having that divided pocket is more important to you, then choose the first bag.

Deborah

Hi Jenava, both are stunning bags but, and I can't believe I'm saying this ( I wear so much black!) but the black looks so boring compared to the orange. I think I have a reasonable feel for your style from your recent posts and I would say the orange would be fab for you.

DressLover

I LOVE color. So much so that I sometimes forget I need neutrals. So as much as I dig the orange, I vote black. If this were a rotational handbag, it would be orange, hands down. But since this is an every day work tote, I think it has to be black.

You will likely get tired of the orange every day and there will be days where it won't quite match your outfit, mood, weather, etc. so you won't carry it and will switch out to another bag. That would defeat the purpose of having an every day work bag.

Aida

I really love the first bag in white! The orange is also great but practically if the one-pocket won't be optimal I don't think you should settle for it.

Jenava

(website)

Aida, I love the white too! But for an everyday bag I'm not sure it would stay pretty...
I wish I could see these in person. I have been looking at all the bags online and still coming back to the first one due to the divided pocket. It seems like it's so hard to find a big bag with structure and more than one pocket!

biscuitsmom

They are both lovely, and I can assure you they hold up incredibly well- my 2 get very heavy use and after almost 3 yrs still look like new! Be sure and check out the entire line here before you make your decision...http://www.brahmin.com/ My personal preference between the 2 is the orange, but check out the gorgeous other shades....I have one in the toasted almond and the other is a deeper, rich brown

Jonesy

Hmmm, very tricky! If you are absolutely firm about the double pocket, can you wait a bit to see if more colors come in in that particular style? Does that ever happen?

bella

I love #2!

Jonesy, I'm not sure that they'll get more colors. I think not, as the last season (which the orange one is part of ) did not so now there are fewer colors available.

BM, I got the Brahim wallet on NAS and am really digging the VALUE. It's so well made but it was one of the cheapest wallets on NAS, and so beautiful. One of my co-workers has a flap wallet and it has aged beautifully.

I'm nervous about #2 being large enough. Well, I'm off to shop in person and see if I can find something I love. If not, I may give one of these a try by mail...

I hear giving white bags a quick wipe down each night when you retire them for the evening will keep things pretty. I have been too lazy to do this with mine and the bottom is certainly not "pretty" but I'm also pretty rough on my bags 0:) Hopefully you can find something great shopping in person!

EDIT: I should say I've been using my white bag nearly every day since the first day of spring, so certainly an every day bag for me.

April

Hee hee -- Jenava, I carry a massive Klean Kanteen to work as well.

And my daily work tote is a lime-green leather affair from BR, which probably works for me *because* I'm so completely Team Neutrals: it tends not to clash with anything I'd be likely to wear.

So my vote is for color.

rae

I will read the other replies later, as I don't want to be influenced, but I think the orange would be beyond fabulous with your wardrobe! And the color looks almost cognac on my screen, so I don't think it's even too far out of a color... still very classic looking if you want or need to style it that way.

annagybe

I like the black one. I love the glossy moc croc.

nancylee

I vote for the orange one. The color is bright but not crazy bright....really nice and different. And I even like the simplicity of its shape better than the first one.

MNsara

I am an old Brahmin fan (in more than one way) and if I'd ever carry a white/light bag - it would be theirs or a Kate Spade patent.

It's just too frustrating to have a delicate light-coloured bag that requires extra maintenance or doesn't clean up well. Brahmin bags usually have a glossy finish that alows them to clean up nicely. The varigation in the croc pattern and shading also helps hide a lot of use and some grub. They *are* very soundly constructed and really have gone the distance for me (as long as I keep the caps on my Sharpees!)

If you know you're hard on bags, I think you'll be happier in the long run with the Cantaloupe or black. If you know you're naturally quite careful, then go for the white.

I hope you got to see them in person and feel comfortable with a decision.

CocoLion

I like the black croc one (the first one).

I purchased a Brahmin bag in the early 90s, a saddle bag. I still have it. The strap needs repairing, but the body of the bag is still beautiful! It is a shoulder bag, and I'm thinking of having a new cross-body length strap put on it.

Laura

Another Brahmin owner here - I have a dark brown tote from probably 15 years ago that looks no different than the day I bought it (and looks no different from the totes Brahmin makes today).

Given your three choices, I would go classic on this one, with the black. Not sure what your climate is, but the white looks awfully summery to me - if it were cream instead of white, I might feel like it was a year-round bag. If you want orange, you might wait for fall colors to come out. This is coming from a northerner, so again, if you live in Florida, disregard all my comments

Angie

Fashion Stylist

Hands down #2.

geetha

Active Member

nice bags. nothing brahmin about them, not sure why they are described that way.

Brahmin is the brand name of the bags.

Lisa

I like #1 in black. It's classic and least likely to clash with an outfit. It has the two pocket design you desire. And I like that there are two different straps to switch out if needed. The orange is fun right now, but may be high maintenance (like a white bag) with dirt showing up more often.

Well, it appears the cantalope is now sold out, so i guess I paused and missed my opportunity there!

I'm worreid the first one won't be big enough. I think I'm just going to wait and see what else comes up...

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