Strathberry Midi Tote Honest Review

• 

Another ig-famous brand (but made especially popular due to having been seen on Meghan Markle and a lot of influencers), Strathberry is one of those bags that I was very eager to get my hands on to inspect.

• 

Their signature feature is this mini barbell-ish bar which, depending on the user, can either be convenient or impractical.

• 

Strathberry is not super expensive. I think the pricing is somewhat similar to another internet-famous bag brand, Polène (which I’m iffy about, but more on that in my dedicated Polène posts haha)

• 

Because it’s not very expensive, I do make certain allowances that not everything will be perfect or on the same level as the more luxe category of bags as Hermès, Delvaux, etc. But right off the bat, I do spot some details that are somewhat messily done, particularly with regard to the edge finishing. As you can see in the zoomed in photo above, the edge finishing is somewhat messy (going beyond the lines, as it were), and a bunch of fuzz and dust are stuck onto it

• 

You can also see some more examples of the messy lines here

• 

Also, and this is something I bring up quite often–it’s the fatal flaw stitch. Basically, when you have a strap or strap attachment (the piece of leather holding the D-ring or O-ring or whatever that’s sewn onto the bag body), where the force will be pulled vertically (i.e. gravity haha), you should not have a horizontal line of small stitches, because over time, this will essentially act as a perforation line where the leather is likely to tear.

• 

Inside the bag, the lining seems to be microfiber. I used to think linings like these were suede or pigskin (maialino, which is what I use) but after seeing the label on the LV tote, I was distressed to find out it’s microfiber haha. I think you see more variations in the color when it comes to suede & pigskin? And they’re meatier, thicker. I’m still learning, but that’s based on what I’ve observed so far. Microfiber is more synthetic-feeling

• 

• 

Another colorway:

• 

• 

More recent visits to this same department store, more colorways:

• 

• 

Personally not a fan of the 1-handle, 1-bar setup. Honestly there are times when you need both handles, or for both sides to be carried at an even drop. The bar is lower, in this case.

• 

In this photo below, the lining being microfiber is more evident, I think. It really looks like fabric or towel with finer fuzz.

• 

• 

The edge finish on the sides are better than the ones done on the small details

• 

The leathers I’ve seen and felt so far haven’t necessarily felt particularly luxe, but are on par with similarly-priced brands like Kate Spade, Polène, etc. (Kate Spade cracks over time though, so I don’t know if that’s any indication of how this will fare in the long run)

• 

• 

• 

This version features a leather-covered seam instead of edge-painted. But the fatal flaw stitch still exists haha

• 

• 

Stitches, construction, etc. are pretty standard. Not great, but not bad.

• 

Le fatal stitch (below)

• 

See how the handles are uneven? I don’t find it particularly practical, but for some people it may work.

• 

I would like to highlight though, that at this price point, you can already find great artisan-made options. The only thing you are not getting is literally the “branding” that is puffed up by hype.

The midi tote is a little under 45,000php or almost 600gbp. That’s already close to the top end of what we charge for our bigger or more complicated bags hahaha just saying.