Favorite HH tote for work???

eagletmom

eagletmom

Member
Jan 29, 2009
11
0
#1
Hello all, long time TPF lurker, looking for advice, some of may know me from the PR and babybags:biggrin:

I am totally in love with my HH bags but would like to find a suitable Tote style for work. It must have generous strap drop legnth of 9 inches or greater, any thoughts?

Many Thanks,
Eagletmom:smile:
 
#2
Hi Eagletmom, welcome!
I've got three bags for work (campus) now: Corcovado, Sonia, Trophy. Of the three, I'd say the Corcovado is your best bet if strap length is an issue. It's amazing.
 
#3
Welcome Eagletmom..I second Jenni on the Corcovado..as everyone here knows by now..total love affair with that amazing, magical bag...and ditto with the other two as well..although I bet some of the PM bags will have their fans for this...as well as those favoring the nylon travel totes and knapsacks..while as jenni aptly indicated.others favor the Sonia which is my second fave..some love the Trophy..


IMHO..it's all about fit..and handle drop..and size of opening..pockets..compartments..and what you want to schlepp.
 
#6
Bea and Trophy don't have a long enough strap drop. Don't have my Sonia here to check (she's up at the office). The Avion has a nice long shoulder strap, or the Pallenberg would work, too, but it's on the small side, right?
 
#7
My favorite work bags are the Jenn mentioned: Corcovado, Sonia and Trophy. But, I would also add the Beatrice.

The Beatrice and the Trophy bags have rolled straps. Of the two, the Trophy bag's strap drop is shorter than the Beatrice. I am 5'10" and a plus size and have to say that as much as I love the trophy bag (it is my favorite HH bag) it's straps are not an easy fit on the shoulder. The Beatrice fits more comfortably.

I would rank the bags in the following order:

1st Place: The Corcovado.

​
Flat straps with good strap drop. Versatility with its turnlock side-closures giving the user the option to tuck it in to a smaller size or expand for laptops and files.

2nd place: The Sonia.

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Flat straps with good drop length. Three compartments lets you keep files and laptops separate from bagged lunch, LOL. Rank this one lower than Corcovado because, in my opinion, it is a bit more traditional. Less spectacular. But, its traditional styling makes it great for the board room. And, if you're like me and don't like the usual, kick it up a notch and get it in Anthracite.

3rd place: The Beatrice.

​
Like the Corc, it has versatility in its buckled, gusseted sides. It is big and handles more stuff than either of the two above. Ranked 3rd because of the rolled handles. Nice thing about how it fits on the shoulder is that it is quite slender towards the top (the portion that fits under the arm) and doesn't widen until towards the bottom. Rides like the old carpet bags - and just as comfy to carry.

4th place: The Trophy.

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My favorite for looks, but the strap drop would be more comfortable as a shoulder drop if it was 1" longer. Not a problem with me because I wear my bags on the arm 90% of the time - but shoulder-bag lovers have said it can be tight when worn with a heavy winter coat. Again, on the plus side, it is a beautiful, stylish, rich-looking bag. It is the bag that all the Gucci, LV and Hermes girls in the office ooh and aah over. They appreciate its quality and style... just can't let themselves go and get a bag without a branded look that announces itself to their public. Their loss is my gain.
 
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#8
^^ Great layout of the totes, RMC! Although I'd disagree that the Bea holds more than the Corc--do you really think so?

I hope someone chimes in with a review of the Avion and the Pallenberg as work totes... If you're not carrying a ton, the Pallenberg seems like a nice medium E/W tote, and the Avion (even though it's marketed as a travel bag) looks like a huge N/S tote. The only problem I could see with the Avion would be simply how much of a statement the print makes as a day-to-day (whereas an all-leather bag or the leather/fabric combo of the Bea might be more versatile.) I also wonder how comfy the Avion's shoulder strap is when the bag's full?

Eagletmom, I've got side-by-side pics of some of the bags RMC has mentioned; I'll find them and post them here for you.
 
#9
Beatrice and Corcovado comparison:
DSCN2138.jpg

DSCN2137.jpg


Fully-stuffed Corcovado:
DSCN2139.jpg


Same stuff in Beatrice (won't close completely--more of a tapered shape):
DSCN2141.jpg


Trophy and Corcovado side-by-side:
trophy16.jpg
 
#10
jennirane said:
^^ Great layout of the totes, RMC! Although I'd disagree that the Bea holds more than the Corc--do you really think so? QUOTE]

Yes, I do think so. I think a big part of it is that heavy canvas siding. The bottom expands out better than the Corc, and if you want even more "bottom" to your bag, then you let out the gussets. Also the canvas sides have more give when bulging out under a load. And, the most important part of any load - how easy it is to get to it. Your photos show that. The Bea has a big mouth. It opens wide to get to your stash. And, if what you carry is still too big, the fact that the bag unzips and opens almos half its length, lets you use the bag as a sling by just wrapping the sides around the item. I have found this while carrying blueprints and renderings. They are longer than either of the bags, but I can carry them crosswise in the Bea by leaving the zipper open and balancing the rolled drawings on each end of the open zipper and pull the sides up around them.

Your photos show book loads and the Corc may be better for loads that are just books, as it is thicker at the top. But if a person carries chunky things - boxes, bowls, shoes, cameras, tripods, blueprints, bottles, flowerpots, small rubbermaid footstools, etc., then the Beatrice is the winner hands down.

BTW, beautiful photography obviously runs in the family. I enjoy those photos each time I see them. Good work.
Click to expand...
 
#11
That makes sense. I was thinking square things... the Corc is basically square. But the Bea has flexibility.

It's sad seeing my Bea again in the pics, and I see that she's up on eBay again. I wish the Hottie who bought her had fallen in love... she needs a good home with someone who will use her more often than I did :smile: WHY am I so picky about color??? A tad more orange, less pink. That's all I wanted.

There wasn't a Bea in the Bouton D'Or, was there? That's when they went to the travel pieces? Or a Graphic Plaid. Figures. My two other fave PM prints.
 
#12
jennirane said:
That makes sense. I was thinking square things... the Corc is basically square. But the Bea has flexibility.

It's sad seeing my Bea again in the pics, and I see that she's up on eBay again. I wish the Hottie who bought her had fallen in love... she needs a good home with someone who will use her more often than I did :smile: WHY am I so picky about color??? A tad more orange, less pink. That's all I wanted.

There wasn't a Bea in the Bouton D'Or, was there? That's when they went to the travel pieces? Or a Graphic Plaid. Figures. My two other fave PM prints.
Click to expand...

I love the graphic plaid print. That would have been an awesome Beatrice. I think they should have done the Bea in that instead of that fall leaves one. That is one print I have no desire to add to my Beatrice collection. Now, graphic plaid... that I would be all over! Oh, with the saddle or yam leather... yummy!
 
#13
Wow!!! I am drooling over your PIC's Jenni. I had a Corcovado in Cordovan, but let it go for a very sweet Tharpe. I will have to track another one down, but they are so hard to come by. The Beatrice is a gorgeous bag too. Thanks for all the suggestions , now I am off to the hunt:graucho:
 
#14
Good luck Eagletmom!! I think the perfect work bag is a worthy hunt... just think about what you normally put in it, what you want in the way of style, what you need in terms of weather protection (the patents on the Corc are indestructible). Which Tharpe do you have?? (It's a GREAT bag.)

And RMC, you could work us up a Graphic Plaid Bea w/ Yam trim if you're bored :graucho:
 
#15
I just received my blueberry Trophy bag and it has replaced the Corc as my favourite bag. :yahoo: The blueberry leather is so smooshy gooshy good! I think that's why I love it so. I don't know how the other leathers fare on the Trophy. My corcs are emerald goat and patents, so they are not as puddly. The Trophy is more dressy; the Corcovado is more casual. Both are fab. My only issue with the Corc is that when the turnlocks are engaged, the narrower mouth makes it cumbersome to take things in and out. I love to take it to Costco however and cram it full with my purchases. Go green! :biggrin:
 
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