Donna Alessia Multi-Pocket Casual Handbag Blue Denim

The measurements come first: 32 x 23 x 12 cm

Thirty-two centimetres across is roughly the width of a small laptop, and the 32 x 23 x 12 cm footprint is what keeps this bag in day-bag territory rather than weekend luggage. The twelve centimetres of depth do more work than the number suggests: they are what let the bag hold its shape on a table instead of folding in on itself. Pack a pouch, a water bottle and a notebook and there is still room to close the zip comfortably.

One pocket zips, the other snaps shut

The front of the bag does the real work. On the left, a gusseted pocket opens on a zip with a soft cord pull, easy to find without looking down. On the right, a flap pocket snaps shut on a metal clip. Having two front pockets that open differently is oddly useful in practice: your hand learns which is which, and the main compartment stays shut while you deal with a card or a phone. Both stand slightly proud of the front panel even when the bag is empty, and the flap on the right folds over far enough to cover its opening completely.

Sides that break up the block of colour

Where most bags of this shape run on one flat material, this one is interrupted by mesh panels down both sides, in navy. They are the reason the silhouette reads as sporty rather than formal, and their open weave catches the light differently from the faux leather next to it. The hardware follows suit: rivets, rings and clips all in a cool silver tone that suits the blue. The same idea, storage you can see rather than storage you have to hunt for, turns up across the other handbags with pockets on show in this section.

Is a blue denim multi-pocket handbag easy to carry?

Yes, mostly because you get two answers rather than one. The flat handles are narrow enough to grip without digging in, and they are anchored on short tabs, each one folded over the top edge and held down by a pair of silver rivets you can see from the front. Then there is a removable webbing strap on lobster clips that hooks onto the side rings and comes off again in a second. Because it detaches properly, you can put other straps that clip onto these same rings in its place whenever the mood changes.

Six lines that sum the bag up

Clothes it slips in beside

Washed denim blue behaves the way your favourite jeans do: it takes off-white, camel, khaki and black without a fight. On a day of short journeys the strap goes across the body and your hands stay free; in an office or a café you unclip it and the bag reads tidier held by the handles. It is a straightforward pick with tailored trousers, and it holds its own with a loose dress and white trainers.