My love for bags is undeniable. Small or big; canvas, nylon or leather; casual or formal – as long as I’m toting a lovely bag, I’m a happy lady. So just imagine how my eyes twinkled when I received this very chic Hedgren Casual Tote. In fact, this came just in time since I was really looking for a casual lightweight bag.
This is actually my very first Hedgren bag, but I’ve heard a lot of great things about the brand. One characteristic that stands out when you ask Hedgren bag owners is its durability. So to try it out, I used it as my travel tote in Hong Kong. I didn’t bring any other handbag as I was pretty confident that I wouldn’t need one. And it did live up to my expectations!
Just so you know, my travel handbag should always have these characteristics:
- It’s durable.
- It’s lightweight.
- It has zipper.
- It should have a long strap, aside from the short handle.
- It’s spacious.
- It has several compartments.
Now, let me tell you why I’m very specific. Whenever I travel, I walk almost the entire day. I really try to make the most out of my vacation. The least I want to happen is to worry about the bag I’m carrying.
- First, of course, I need it to be durable. Who wants a broken strap while walking around? I don’t want to waste my time shopping for a handbag just because the one I’m using gave up on me.
- As said earlier, I walk most of the time so it’s just logical to tote a really lightweight bag. This Hedgren tote is made of 100% nylon, which is very light.
- We want our things to be secured all the time so I prefer a zip opening than just snaps.
- I love using crossbody bags, especially during travel. I want my hands to be free so I can hold my map – and my shopping bags. Haha! This Hedgren tote bag has removable shoulder strap, which makes it perfect. I also like using short handles whenever my shoulders get too tired. I need variations to carry my bag to make sure my hands, arms, or shoulders won’t sore.
- I need a spacious bag because I’m quite paranoid when I travel. I need to carry everything with me – maps, water, medicines, wallet, passport, etc. When I first saw this Hedgren tote in person, I thought it was a bit too big. But when I used it, surprisingly, the size is just right. The good thing about this bag is despite being spacious, it’s not bulky at all.
- And since I carry a lot of things, I want my bag to have several compartments for easy access. You can see from the photos below that this tote has several pockets inside and outside.
strap with cow leather trimmings
adjustable and removable shoulder strap
snap to hold the two pockets outside
zip pocket inside
Tip: When traveling, secure your passport in your bag’s inner zip pocket to make sure it won’t fall off your bag.
2 more open pockets inside
Tip: Use these small pockets for important things, like phone, keys, and lipstick (yes, that’s important!) so you won’t have to dig inside the bag every time you need them.
After my Hong Kong trip, I found myself using it here in the metro for casual days. In fact, even my mom borrows it from time to time! It’s a tote for all ages. Plus, the color gives life to an outfit. It can carry everything I need. It can even fit a laptop without looking bulky. Whenever I decide to work in a coffee shop, I just slip my laptop inside. And what I like most about this bag, it’s low maintenance. I don’t have to worry when it starts to rain. I can easily dry it with a clean paper towel or cloth. Cleaning isn’t so hard too if ever it gets dirty. Since it’s nylon, I can rub a damp cloth on it.
As for my #OOTD here, it was an easy breezy casual day so I wore a jersey tube dress. More details of the entire look below.
Dress: Eazy Fashion (Instagram: @EazyFashionPH)
Sandals: Strive
Tote: Hedgren
Necklace: Tiffany & Co.
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