Synthetic Handbag Elena Sky Blue

How you carry the Elena sky blue handbag

The two short handles sit close to the body of the bag, so it goes over the forearm as easily as in the hand. Clip on the detachable, fully adjustable shoulder strap and it drops to the hip instead, which is the version that survives a commute. A slider runs along the strap itself, so the length changes in a second. Other structured styles with front pockets sit in the same part of the shop.

The strap and its side D-rings

Lobster hooks at either end of the strap fasten onto D-rings mounted at the upper corners of the side panels. Unclipped, the bag reads as a small hand-carried holdall; clipped on, the weight hangs from those two corners rather than from the middle of the top.

Bronze-tone hardware against pale blue

Every metal part follows one finish. The buckles on the front pockets, the D-rings, the lobster hooks and the zip pull are finished in the same aged bronze tone, closer to old brass than to bright gold. Against a washed-out blue that leans grey in places, that warmth is what keeps the bag from looking flat.

A grained, slightly creased finish

The synthetic surface is not smooth. A fine grain runs across it, with a few soft creases on the front panel, so light settles on the material instead of bouncing off it.

Outside pockets and the top zip

The top closes along its full length with a zip. On the back, a horizontal zipped pocket sits under the handles and holds the travel pass or the phone you want to reach without stopping. A slip pocket sits on each side panel, and the two front pockets open under their buckled straps without disturbing anything else. Wider everyday bag shapes are grouped one level up.

Keeping a light synthetic bag clean

New denim and dark coats are the usual culprits for colour transfer onto a pale bag, and the base takes it before anything else. Most of that comes off with a soft cloth, barely damp, after which the bag should dry in open air rather than next to a radiator. Fastening the front straps back through their buckles, instead of leaving them loose, keeps the flaps sitting flat.