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.

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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:

  1. It’s durable.
  2. It’s lightweight.
  3. It has zipper.
  4. It should have a long strap, aside from the short handle.
  5. It’s spacious.
  6. It has several compartments.

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. We want our things to be secured all the time so I prefer a zip opening than just snaps.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

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strap with cow leather trimmings

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adjustable and removable shoulder strap

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snap to hold the two pockets outside

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zip pocket inside

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Dress: Eazy Fashion (Instagram: @EazyFashionPH)
Sandals: Strive
Tote: Hedgren
Necklace: Tiffany & Co.

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