When it comes to bags and shoes I normally default to safe designs and colors. My two work bags are black and brown and while I’ve been using my whiskey-colored See by Chloe satchel on some work days, a lighter colored bag is high on my list of things to get.
In comes the J. Crew Tillary Tote, a bag that bears strong resemblance to fashion darling Celine Luggage Tote (now $2400? or something crazy like that) at a much more attractive price point. The all-leather version in camel is the one I had my eyes on but when the canvas versions went down in price all my previous planning immediately fell by the wayside.
(both bags shown here were ordered at first-cut at $159.99; I returned both and reordered the striped version when it was further discounted to $99.99.)
Read more reviews of the Tillary Tote by two of my favorite bloggers: Gigi and Vicky.
The bag is well made and fairly priced ($328 for leather and $228 for canvas with leather trim). The size makes it rather useful for people who like to lug around everything but their kitchen sink. I am able to fit my enormous 15 in work laptop, a feat that neither of my normal bags can handle, along with binders, 40 pens, and my miscellaneous knickknacks in this bag. The sturdy top zipper keeps everything nicely sealed and secure inside the bag.
The bag, at least the canvas ones, is a bit saggy and can’t stand on its own very well when empty. This flaw doesn’t concern me because I rarely travel light.
There are two pouches and one zippered pocket in the bag. I think if the bag has more compartmentalization it would be close to perfect. As it stands now, if you are disorganized like I am, things will probably get lost in the shuffle on a regular basis.
And a quick video that I promised a few friends over email. I am visibly nervous because I am not very good at talking in front of a rolling camera. A special thanks to J for not laughing when I filmed this. I have newfound respect for youtube gurus, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to not succumb to the urge of running off into the sunset.
I’ve been trying hard to avoid buying duplicates but if I come across the leather Tillary tote in the near future, I will probably bring it home, against my better judgment.
Are you a fan of the J. Crew Tillary Tote?
