Italic Leather Tote Review

Ariane Leather Carryall Tote

Here’s where I’m at with my current purse situation. I am due for a new investment bag, however, I save real splurges for bonus season. To that end, I was on the hunt for a simple quality tote that could get me through the next six months + and something that I’d still be thrilled to go back to in my wardrobe over time.

The formula of quality + simplicity is a tall order nowadays. I wanted minimal bells and whistles. I wanted SIZE. And, I wanted a unique enough shape that it didn’t have the standard east/west horizontal rectangle that, for my personal style, is a little staid. Thanks to the smart AI at instagram, the brilliant folks at Italic somehow knew I was looking for just this thing, and popped up in my feed.

The Ariane Leather Carryall tote arrived yesterday and in a word, I’m impressed. It is exactly the higher end quality construction they claim at an extremely reasonable $150. (One of their high points is noting that their pieces are actually constructed in the same factories as the likes of Celine and Prada.) A few of the basics:

The outer is 100% Nappa leather, the inside is 100% Microsuede. These fabrics feel beautiful and sturdy. Floppiness is one of my chief gripes with other totes - I like something standing up with structure that doesn’t look like a flimsy sac collapsing over the shape of all its insides. This does a fantastic job of standing up without any need for an insert, but doesn’t have any sort of plastic-y vibe that can appear too stiff and accordingly, cheap.
It is a super wide 22 inches. In honesty, completely expanded it overwhelms my petite frame. But it is made perfectly oversized and even more importantly to me, a slightly more unique shape, by cinching the inner clips together. It then morphs into the very slick, modern, hex-top shape that gives it a little polish.
The strap drop is a comfortable 10 inches—just long enough to hoist over your shoulder for subway travel, not so long that you can’t also carry it on your arm without it dragging. (Again, petite girl problems.)
It is absolutely logo-less. Brilliant. There’s not a strange colored stitch, not a silly stamp or embossing, not a single thing that cheapens the minimalist dream that is a beautiful, simple, black leather tote. I applaud the Italic design team for their restraint, and in doing so, they really acknowledge a shopping demographic that will be vocal brand ambassadors without being billboards.
I went with the black, which has a really thoughtful lighter grey interior, ensuring that your things standout and don’t get lost in the hole that can be our work purses.

In a world where I’m trying to focus on quality and things that look expensive without necessary having to be expensive, Italic is an extremely refreshing brand to come across. I can see myself loving and turning to this bag for years to come. No joke, the next morning I boxed up my horizontal Celine Cabas that has seen some better days and am sending it off to The RealReal to find a new home. Its more structured sister showed up dazzling with value for money and she’s coming to the office tomorrow.