form & function | Dagne Dover Landon Carryall review

It’s great when pretty things are also functional. I think function has a lot to do with beauty. When God creates, He gives things (including us) specific, unique purpose, and I think this intertwines with the concept of beauty. Form & function, hand-in-hand.

Ever since graduating from uni and starting work, I’ve been looking for a good work bag. My UO tote, while beautiful and rather aesthetically pleasing, was not really cutting it in terms of function because all of my things, both big and small, would get undeniably lost in the Mary-Poppins-bag-like void. I did a lot of fishing for things while carrying it. Half of my time was spent trying to locate my keys at the gate of my apartment complex while angry hordes of people (in my mind) lined up to wait behind me.

I had my eye on the Dagne Dover tote for this reason, but I never ended up buying it purely because it was a little bit too much price-wise before I started working. Recently, after another round of frustration with my UO tote, I took a look at the site and discovered the 365 collection: chic, monotone bags/pouches designed for daily use in a fuss-free neoprene. Without hesitation, I snapped up the medium Landon Carryall in Onyx (black) as well as the large Hunter toiletry pouch in Storm (navy).

This is probably one of the best purchases I’ve made to date. The Hunter pouch is amazing in its own right, but today, I’m sticking to the Landon. Let me explain, using the aforementioned form & function formula.

FORM

The medium Landon Carryall is about the size of a large satchel/duffel, and has a really cute duffel shape that can be unbuttoned for a more tote-like shape. The neoprene fabric and monochromatic details lend to a sporty, sleek look that makes even someone mildly awkward like me look really, really cool. The coolest way to carry this is using the two shorter handles, hooked over the forearm. The two shorter handles or the detachable cross-body strap can also be hooked over the shoulder for a hands-free, comfortable carry. The Landon (& the whole 365 collection) is also wonderfully non-gender specific, meaning that it looks spectacular on both men and women. For size-reference, I’m 5′ 3″ (pictures below)!

This bag goes with just about everything, including my summer uniform (button-up & jeans). This is a must for work bags because, in all honesty, I can’t be bothered trying to think about whether or not my outfit matches my bag every morning.

FUNCTION

Nothing gets lost in this bag. For starters, it has a roomy, slot-like pouch in the back that neatly accommodates my iPhone 6S Plus with room to spare. I also like to slip a lip balm in here for immediate access. The zipper opens easily to reveal a roomy interior (that can also be expanded via the unbuttoning feature!) containing a laptop compartment (up to 13″ in the medium size; my 2016 Macbook Pro 13″ fits snugly), two side compartments, and a front zipper pocket. To top all of this off, it also comes with a key-leash, a small mesh-zip bag for electronics and smaller articles, and even a zippered shoe bag.

I’ve easily fit all of my daily needs into it—laptop, light sweater, makeup bag, notebook, pen case, wallet, phone, keys, glasses, water bottle, extra pair of shoes for walking, lunch (yes, I pack). I’ve even been able to successfully pack it for overnight travel, as it has enough space to hold a change of clothes (although if you want to use it primarily as an overnight bag, I’d recommend the large size). And, of course, since everything has a designated pocket, nothing gets lost. The easy task that comes with owning this bag is remembering which pocket is for which object.

As if that’s not amazing enough, it’s also incredibly light. If you jam pack it with a lot of things, it will have decent heft, but the bag itself is super, super light. Did I mention that it’s neoprene? As in, hand-washable, water-repelling, super flexible? In fact, I just cut some corners and threw it in the wash an hour or so ago (sorry) because I spilled leftover pasta all over it (oops). It came out sparkling and good to go. The website recommends hand-washing though, so I can’t exactly say it’s okay to throw it in the wash like I did (again, sorry). I love that this bag is ready for action. I can toss it around, plop it down on the ground at restaurants or at the office, take it on outdoors-y excursions; it definitely is a 365-days-a-year sort of thing.

These pictures were shot on a whim while randomly wandering around Pasadena. I was kind of like, “Eh, why not?” and my Landon was like, “I’m ready whenever, and fabulous always.”

 

 

 

On: 

H&M shorts // Cotton On button up

Dagne Dover Medium Landon Carryall in Onyx

Steve Madden sandals

This review (rant?) is not endorsed by Dagne Dover in any way. I simply really, really love this bag! 

– HIKARI