Everlane Soft Day Tote Review

Hand on my heart, if I had to recommend just one bag to have in your wardrobe, my answer will always be a classic tote. They’re practical, chic, and go with absolutely everything. Plus, depending on your outfit you can dress them up or down. After getting an overwhelming response on my Instagram, as promised I wanted to share an Everlane Soft Day Tote review with you. Particularly now that I’ve had a chance to road test the bag for a couple of weeks.

Wearing Boden camel sweater, J.Crew denim skirt, Everlane soft day tote, Sarah van Oosterom belt, FRANKiE4 boots, Country Road socks, Mejuri necklace & bracelet

I’ve done a battle of the (work) tote bags on my YT channel in the past, and by far my totes still to this day seem to be the fashion item I get asked the most about. And I can completely understand why. For a start, there are so many options, so narrowing down best value for the money and the bag that’ll be most suited to your personal lifestyle and situation can be a hard task. They’re also often more of an investment. Something we’ll be spending several hundred dollars on, as opposed to under $50 for a basic tee, so you want to be sure it’s going to be an item that you can wear and cherish for years.

So how does the Everlane Soft Day Tote stack up? Well… lets find out!

QUICK FACTS

Price: $175 USD or $266 AUD
Available in two colours: black and cognac
Made in: Prato, Italy
Fabric: 100% Italian leather

SIZE

Size-wise, the Everlane Soft Day Tote has the exact same dimensions as the Day Market Tote (which I’ve also written a review on here). It’s 19 inches wide at the top, 16.5 inches wide at the bottom, and has a 9.5 inch handle drop. My biggest complaint about the Day Market Tote was that the size felt large. I mean, it is, and that was only exacerbated by the structured nature of the leather. Despite being the same size, this feels slightly more compact. I put this down to the fact the shape flops down on itself when it’s not very full.

QUALITY

The reason that I was truly curious about this bag, was not because it was a classic style – we all know by now I’ve got more totes than I need. It was because unlike the original totes from Everlane, this one came in a beautiful pebbled leather, most notable for being much more hardwearing or practical than smooth leathers. And I really love the texture. The body of the bag is quite a soft, floppy leather, so it folds in on itself (more on that soon), and the interior is treated raw leather. It’s smooth and soft, though I can imagine over time that this will “rub”, causing the interior to show signs of wear. The base of the bag took me by surprise; it’s a solid, stiff piece of leather, and the straps are also a slightly thicker leather too.

From using it daily since it arrived, I’ve concluded that it’s pretty careful. The leather is soft so small scratches may leave marks, however the texture will help hide a multitude of sins. The stitches are straight and clean, and the bag is well constructed; on par with other leather goods I have from the brand. And for what it’s worth, s far, it’s shown not a single sign of wear.

DESIGN

Design-wise, there’s not a lot to talk about. The Everlane Soft Day Tote is your classic, typical tote bag. It’s a large, open compartment, with a smaller pocket on one side. Open is the key word here; there’s no zip closure, so if you’re wary of potential pickpockets, then this may not be the bag for you. The base of the bag is a solid, thick piece of leather, which gives it structure. It also acts as a base for organising your belongings. I think if you were so inclined, you could easily pop a bag organiser in there too. I like the fact that the straps are slightly thicker – designed I suppose to withstand the weight of your belongings – but they don’t feel stiff on your shoulder. The branding is almost barely there; hot stamped near the opening of the bag in between the straps.

Being a soft leather, the rest of the bag doesn’t have much structure, which you’ll note from the pictures. When sat on a flat surface, the sides will fold onto themselves. If the bag is relatively empty, the sides will pinch in on their own, creating a trapezoidal shape.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THE EVERLANE SOFT DAY TOTE?

I tend to look at classic wardrobe purchases situationally. Will this work for my lifestyle? Does it reflect my personal style? Does it project the image I want? If those three points are satisfied, along with being good quality, functional and the right price, then I’ll usually add it to cart; after making through a cooling off period of sorts, of course.

Pebbled leather is a material I tend to associate with slightly more casual bags. Styles that work for less formal situations. That combined with the relaxed nature of the silhouette, makes me naturally associate this as being more of a weekend-friendly or casual office tote option. Were I still working in corporate, I’d opt for a style that had a bit more structure to it, probably in a smooth leather.

The quality of the Everlane Soft Day Tote is divine. Buttery soft, smooth leather. Everything I’ve come to expect from the brand. It’s a classic silhouette you really can’t go wrong with, either. While I prefer a smooth interior, the raw leather doesn’t bother me, and I haven’t noticed any colour transfer from the bag onto my clothes or vice versa, which is a big win. Right now, it’s only available in two colour options; classic black, or the rich brown cognac I selected.

I’ve long held firm that the original day market tote is a little large if you’re on the petite side, but I think you could easily get away with the soft day tote option. The floppy nature of the bag has less ‘presence’, so it feels smaller despite having the same dimensions.

The closest alternative would be the classic tote from Cuyana, which has that same pebbled leather exterior, and raw leather interior. Unlike Cuyana’s structured leather tote (which I love and have used consistently for two years), I wouldn’t recommend Cuyana’s basic tote style for a few reasons. The stitching on mine came loose after a year of wear, I got colour transfer both on the bag, and on my clothes, plus the raw interior is not colour fast so it’ll also dye any clothing items like knitwear than you pop inside. Trust me when I say I learnt the hard way.

Overall, it’s a gorgeous, classic tote bag, and if it’s in line with your personal style, it’d be a fantastic addition to your wardrobe. I hope that this post gave you a bit of insight and clarity on this style. If there are any questions not answered above, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Please note that while this bag was gifted to me as part of a monthly collaboration with Everlane, this post is not sponsored. All thoughts are my own.