I’m all for the classics; in fact, the majority of my wardrobe is built around those staple wardrobe pieces. And when it comes to bags, it doesn’t get any more classic than a leather tote bag. I also tend to be a creature of habit, and find myself reaching for the same key pieces over and over again. Like my favourite pair of black pumps, my Cuyana Classic Structured Leather Tote Bag has been a huge part of my daily uniform for the better part of the last 4-6 months, since adding it to my closet. And as far as new wardrobe additions go, this is about as beige as you can get. A simple streamlined tote bag in black leather, which on first (and even second, third and fourth) look doesn’t appear to be anything special, but it’s quickly become an indispensable part of my wardrobe lexicon, which is all down to that minimal and timeless design.
Wearing Apero Label tee, Yoli & Otis blazer (similar here), Everlane cheeky straight leg jeans, Sam Edelman loafers (also here), Sarah van Oosterom belt, Cuyana Classic Structured Leather Tote Bag, Linjer watch, Reliquia earrings, Mejuri necklace
Having previously owned the Classic Leather Tote, I knew that this time around, I was after something with a little bit more structure to it. While I loved the original iteration, it was just a little too relaxed I felt for the office. I wanted something which had a bit more integrity to the leather, and would be suitable for taking to and from the office, while transitioning well for the weekend too. And the structured design seemed to tick all those boxes. It was still relaxed without being overly slouchy, the contrast bonded lining was a nice pop of colour, and the interior lateral tie gave me the option to style the bag one of two different ways. While there are some pretty gorgeous colour combinations, I opted for the black leather, as previous experience taught me that the lighter colours were prone to colour transfer – a serious consideration if you like to wear darker-toned denim.
QUICK FACTS
Price: $195 USD
Available in six colours: black/blush, black/caramel, burgundy/blush, caramel/blush, navy/black and stone/blush
Made in: Designed in San Francisco and made in Turkey
Fabric: Italian premium pebbled leather and lining with contrast microsuede material on interior
Care: For light cleaning, wipe with damp cloth. For more serious cleaning, contact a leather cleaning professional
SIZE & QUALITY
SIZE: The dimensions of the Cuyana Classic Structured Leather Tote Bag measure 19.5 inches wide, with a height of 13.25 inches, a depth of 6 inches at the base, and a 8.875 inch handle drop. Height-wise, I’m 5’8” or approximately 172cm tall, and I feel like this bag is pretty well balanced against my frame; the slightly relaxed silhouette slouches in slightly so that the opening of the bag comfortably tucks under my underarm, and it’s an ideal size as a run-about everyday bag, particularly if you have a lot that you need to carry with you. It can fit my wallet, keys, cellphone, laptop, a DSLR camera (with a compact lens), a couple of notebooks, a book (I’m currently reading Altered Carbon for anyone wondering), a small pouch with some beauty essentials, a folded up calico tote bag, a blanket scarf (I like the Acne Studios Canada scarves, though I hear this is a great affordable alternative), while still having a little bit of extra wiggle room for some small bits and bobs.
FABRIC COMPOSITION: This is my second bag purchase from Cuyana, and given the quality workmanship of my previous tote, I had pretty high expectations the second time around. The exterior of the Cuyana Classic Structured Leather Tote Bag is an Italian pebbled leather, which feels very smooth to the touch, and is deceptively hard-wearing. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t tend to baby my bags too much – they’re designed to be loved and worn – and even after strenuous use, it’s yet to scratch or mark up. The interior is a contrasting blush microsuede material, which to the touch feels like a smooth leather with a bit of grain to it. Being such a light hue, it is prone to marking up if you aren’t careful, though this can be easily wiped down with a warm damp cloth, or a baby wipe. One thing I have noticed, is that the interior ‘lining’ has puckered slightly near the opening of the bag, but this is only visible if you’re physically bending the contours of the tote. Perhaps the only flaw on the interior (from my perspective), is that the interior zipper pocket and slit pocket aren’t lined, which exposes anything you pop in there to the treated raw leather. I’d be very wary of putting light-coloured leather items in there as you will experience some colour transfer.
DETAILS: For the most part, I tend to prefer understated bags – ones which have subtle branding. And the Cuyana Classic Structured Leather Tote Bag delivers. The only branding visible is a gold foiled logo stamp on the interior zip pocket, which has matching bright gold hardware. If you want something a little more special, you can get your initials or a couple of symbols monogrammed on the exterior. While the bag is significantly more structured than Cuyana’s original leather tote, the leather is quite relaxed, so it will flop down onto itself when empty. One of the neat features about the design is that it has a leather lateral tie; this gives the bag an entirely new shape, plus adds a bit of additional security as it restricts access for any sticky fingers when worn on your shoulder.
FINAL VERDICT
If you watched my tote bag comparison video, then you’ll know that this bag came out on top, and it’s not hard to see why. I love the classic design of the Cuyana Classic Structured Leather Tote Bag, the subtle texture of the pebbled leather, the blush pink interior, and minimal branding. Granted I’m still yet to have the bag for 12 months, but I have to say, it’s held up impeccably well so far. The glazing on the straps is all intact, a stitch is yet to come loose, and aside from some light creasing to the leather (which is to be expected with wear), it looks like new. The fact that I opted for the classic black option probably helps too – the colour hides a multitude of sins, and having previously purchased a bag in the caramel brown, I can attest to the fact that the darker leather has been the better choice (as a quick reference, I did get colour transfer on my caramel tote from wearing dark jeans).
Of course the downside to a large tote like this is that it can become a bit of a bottomless pit, and I’ve definitely lost my keys a couple of times to the melting pot of belongings it comes when I haphazardly organise it or stuff it with a few too many miscellaneous objects. I do think if you want a bit of additional structure, it’s worth investing in the matching Tote Organisation Insert (something that I’ve currently got on my wishlist), which will help to add a little bit of rigidity to the base, while making it easy to locate all your belongings.
I will say that I don’t love the lateral tie, which ironically was one of the things that drew me to the unstructured iteration of the bag in the first place. While yes, it does give you the option to give the bag a different silhouette, it just doesn’t work for me. And despite the soft malleable leather, I think you would get some creasing if you wore it that way consistently, which could affect how it looked when wearing it “open”. The one thing that the tie does afford you though, is a little more security. It’s an open top bag without any other fastenings, which really is just an invitation for pickpockets – though thankfully this isn’t something that I’ve encountered living in Sydney. The interior pocket does have a zip closure which is roomy enough to fit keys, a wallet (I’m using this one from Charlotte Olympia) and an iPhone 8 Plus, so at the bare minimum, your essentials will be safe.
TL;DR: While it might seem like a bit of an investment as far as classic totes go, in my experience it’s been well worth the purchase. The leather is high quality and doesn’t scratch or mark up easily, and the softness of the leather makes it easy to tuck the bag under your arm, regardless of how full it is. The only things worth noting is that the interior zip up pocket is unlined so you may experience colour transfer on light leather goods, and the bag is an open design, so you’ll need to hug it close to your body if you are headed to areas where pickpockets are known to frequent. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with this classic design.
Do you wish it had feet at the bottom? How do the corners look?
Author
I’ve never really felt it needed feet at the bottom – they haven’t worn in the slightest despite me popping it down on the ground however over time they definitely will lose some of their colour (something which can be rectified with a leather balm). I think if it had feet that would change the overall structure and look (as it’s a slightly slouchier style despite the name), and perhaps make it heavier to carry. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the post! Was wondering if you tried out Cuyana’s zippered totes before and if you’d recommend them or not? https://www.cuyana.com/classic-leather-zipper-tote.html#burgundy
Author
Hi Mel, I haven’t tried out the zippered totes so can’t speak to those, however they’re a good alternative to the open top style if you prefer something with a bit more security. That particular leather is a bit more floppy so I’d suggest getting a organiser to go inside if you wanted it to have more structure xx
I’ve been toting (haha) this to work and have sadly decided to sell both my black and stone totes. The only pro it had for me was that they were beautiful bags, but the cons of 1. no security, 2. heavy when filled, 3. bottomless pit unless you invest in the insert, which makes it even heavier, and 4. it was just too big for my frame. I’m 5’4 and on the skinny side. 🙁
Author
Hi Bex, thank you so much for sharing your experience. Funnily, I had thought this would be a better size for petite frames compared to say, the Everlane ones, because of the slightly malleable nature of the bag. I’ve been thinking of getting the organiser, as sometimes it does feel a bit like a bottomless pit, though that’s always been the nature of open totes like this to me so I think I’ve just become used to it. Did you buy the insert by any chance? Would love to know how heavy it is if you did xx
Yes I did! And while it did give the bag a little more structure and helped hide any poking from objects inside the bag, it really didn’t help in terms of organization that much since I tend to organize my belongings in small pouches anyways for ease of transfer (I rotate my bags a lot) 😛 That said, if you don’t do small pouches then I think the insert is worth it!
As for the petite size, I’m really loving my Everlane Day Square Tote! I just wish it came in pebbled leather version so it’s more scratch proof. Or if Cuyana can come up with a medium sized structured tote that would be awesome. I ordered the small one that recently came out and it didn’t really work out since that was too small (I’m picky LOL).
The insert itself wasn’t that heavy per say… but I found with any insert, with any bag, is that it will consolidate all your belongings into single mass and actually makes it more uncomfortable on my shoulder than if my items were to spread out. Something to do with weight distribution I guess?