It’s a beautiful color (dusty rose - my picture doesn’t do it justice) and the leather is very soft. The handles are the perfect size for me (5’2”). I don’t use it as a backpack or a crossbody. It’s heavier than I expected, but not so heavy that I would return it or that it hurts my shoulder or back. It’s also smaller than I expected. I’ll definitely get the Gemini next (I think the Aquila may be too big). If you want to know the details of their bags to compare them, go to their Instagram account and look at the pinned reel (at the top of their account) called “meet our bags”.
I don’t use a laptop for work so I use the laptop sleeve for storing the cosmetic bag I bought from White Elm.
I highly recommend this company. The bag was packaged really well in a big box that included a dust bag. I was very impressed by the care that went into the packaging to keep its shape and protected during transport.
My only reason for a 4-star rating rather than a 5-star is that it was smaller than I expected. I think the Gemini would have been a better size for my needs (I carry a lot of stuff).
I chose White Elm because it’s suited for my needs, the color options are very pretty, and I wanted vegan leather. It has quite a number of interior and exterior pockets. It has a trolley pass through that can be zipped up and used as a pocket (it also has a magnetic closure - nice added detail). The tassels are pretty. There are 2 tassels, one of which can be removed and used as either a decorative piece on the bag - I use it on one of the metal rings that would normally be used for the included/optional crossbody strap. Plus, it can hold my Simple Modern 24oz bottle.
Totes from Coach, Michael Kors, etc just don’t have enough pockets. And can’t hold my water bottle. I was a backpack purse girl for years, but I wanted to switch back to a tote. This bag (and the Gemini) gives me 3 carrying options: tote, crossbody, or backpack. That was also what drew me to purchase from White Elm. I will absolutely purchase from them again.