As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of Clutch Bags! The black suede lingerie bag is my trusted sidekick for escapades both basic and bombastic. After posting about my experiences with the black suede satchel, Laura suggested I write reviews about some of the other bags in the collection. Since I’m the happy owner of only one Clutch bag, Laura was nice enough to give me a bag to test out for one to two weeks. So for the past two weeks I’ve been that lucky girl strutting her stuff around New York City with the mail bag on her shoulder. And it’s been great!

My first adventure with the mail bag started on an afternoon after work. I was making my way from
Battery Park City to the East Village to meet up with a friend for lunch.

Usually I dread having to get on the subway with a bag packed with a laptop, a notebook, an umbrella–and the other usual suspects found in a woman’s handbag–but in my swift movements to slide passed or squeeze between people, the mail bag followed effortlessly. I didn’t have to give the bag an extra tug or push to find comfort, it was always where it was supposed to be. I was also impressed with the bag’s versatility. In being able to crossover my body, it took some weight off my shoulders. Something I hadn’t been too used to when my go-to-work-bag was my backpack.

After eating a delicious Beef Maki Rice Ball from Kyo Ya, I rummaged through my bag to retrieve my wallet to pay the bill. As I palmed a bunch of objects that weren’t my wallet–a Chapstick, my iPod, a pen–I grew frantic as I realized how vast the mail bag was. Eventually, my fingers rubbed against the bag’s inner zip pocket and I remembered exactly where I had put my wallet. That simple little pocket is really quite a godsend and great design on Laura’s part. Being able to separate the smaller objects, like a wallet or a cell phone, from the bigger objects, like a laptop or an umbrella, really cuts your bag-rummaging time in half!

Another adventure that I embarked on with the mail bag started on a Friday afternoon. At the last minute, one of my friends invited me to spend the weekend with her in the Hamptons at her family’s home. I decided that this spontaneous weekend away would be another great tester for the mail bag.

I stuffed the leather bag with my weekend wardrobe: a pair of jeans, two shirts, one sweater, undergarments, and my toiletries bag–and there was still room to spare! I slung it over my shoulder and I was off and running to the jitney!

Needless to say, leaving my house in the morning or afternoon with a bag filled with my day’s essentials is now a different experience with the mail bag over my shoulder. I always find myself impressed with the bag’s flexibility! I leave home with a cross-body bag and return home with a bag tipping off my shoulder, often  filled with new additions like snacks or magazines. If you’re a busy woman who finds herself constantly traveling uptown, downtown, east, and west, I would recommend you give the mail bag a try! It’s large, flat, and resourceful!