Nothing beats a good crossbody bag when you’re on the road. Smaller than the typical purse that I carry day-to-day, a solid crossbody has been a staple addition to my packing list for nearly every trip I’ve been on in the last 10 years.
My go-to bag has been a delightful little Marc Jacobs red leather sling. It’s bright, coordinates with most the clothes I travel with, and packs flat in my suitcase or travel tote. But as my phones (work and personal) have grown ever larger, the space for other essentials has shrunk to nearly impossible dimensions.
It was on a recent work trip to Las Vegas that the issue finally came to a head. No longer could I squeeze my two phones, sunglasses, regular glasses, hand sanitizer, nose spray, lipstick, credit cards and business cards all in this bag. Put simply, it overflowed with no hope of zipping—a big no-no in Las Vegas.
With a quick break between day and evening work responsibilities, I booked it to the shops that line the corridors between the Venetian and Palazzo, a fortuitous location for such a need to occur. I grabbed a directory and mapped out my sprint for a better bag. Michael Kors, then Coach, Kate Spade, and Tory Burch.
Armed with a mental checklist of requirements and my overflowing red purse, I made the rounds. My hope was for a spacious crossbody bag that was both cute and functional. I wanted it to be in a color to add some flair to my typically monotone work outfits (hello, black everything!), but the next biggest thing I needed (other than more room) was a bag that would pack flat, as most of the time when I travel, I end up just packing the purse in my suitcase for the flights and keeping essentials handy in my travel tote.
While I found SO many cute and colorful bags, they were all far too structured for me to ever hope to squish them in my already overpacked suitcase. It was on the last stop that I finally found it: the Tory Burch Tilda Cross Body. In my mind, I hadn’t set out for a nylon bag, but the second I saw this beauty, it made perfect sense. Nylon is lightweight and cleans easily.
This amazing little bag checked almost every requirement on my list. It was SUPER spacious, would pack flat, had a nice long strap and was certainly cute while a little refined. The only drawback was that it was only available in navy or black. Having already been to the other stores, though, I knew I’d have to compromise on that point.
The Tory Burch Tilda Cross Body features an outer zip pouch on the front that can fit BOTH my iPhone XS Max and iPhone 7+, as well as a slip pocket with magnetic closure on the back. The interior is SUPER spacious and has a zip pocket on the back wall, with a slip pocket on the inside front. How this little workhorse packs so many features into a compact space is beyond me. A flap with a magnetic closure conceals all your contents. And while it is designed to be a cross body, it also has a shorter strap so you can carry it by hand.
I immediately transferred my items into it and had so much room to spare. I walked out with it slung across my body (after I paid, of course), with my trusty little Marc Jacobs resting in the shopping bag.
I first purchased the Tilda Cross Body in navy but after just 12 hours with it in tow, I knew I had to go back for the black one. My dad always told me that if you find something you love (shoes, bags, etc.), buy two. I needed no convincing on the validity of that statement in this situation.
This little purse was just too good, and I knew that I’d use it, not just for travel, but likely for everyday as well.
I scored the navy one on SUPER sale, at around 50% off. The black one wasn’t on sale. It was pricey, but totally worth it.
Act quickly if you’re on the hunt for the perfect travel crossbody bag. These little beauties were recently out of stock on the website, but it looks like they’re back online (whew!). You can search the style number (51332) on the website to find buy online or find one near you.
Happy shopping, and happy travels!
jz
Suitcase Confidential 