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Cuyana
- After years of searching, I found the perfect crossbody bag. It's from a direct-to-consumer startup based in San Francisco called Cuyana.
- The $150 Mini Tassel Bag comes in four colors and is just the right size to hold my phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses, and the other odds and ends I carry with me for weekends and nights out. It always comes with me when I travel too.
- It's been my go-to crossbody bag for two years and has held up amazingly well.
- Cuyana also makes roomy work totes, overnight travel bags, convertible backpacks, and passport cases. The Insider Picks reporters and editors have yet to be disappointed by one of the company's designs.
I have to admit that I get a little annoyed when online reviews describe bags or shoes are "life-changing." Most of these items - probably about 95% - are not.
Take the Mini Tassel Bag from Cuyana, for example. It is not changing lives with its simple, rectangular silhouette, adjustable crossbody strap, and pebbled-leather construction. Nor is it with its easy-access exterior pocket for your phone. It's adding style, comfort, and convenience to my everyday life, sure, but I could very easily live without it.
It's just that I'd prefer not to.
And since it's reasonably priced at $150, I don't have to.
Cuyana
Read more: 50 unique gifts your mom actually wants to get for Mother's Day - for every budget
I got the Mini Tassel Bag two years ago. I was looking for a simple, well-made, and logo-free bag to replace a plain-black Michael Kors crossbody I'd had since college, and this one checked all the boxes.
Even after two years of consistent use, it's held up amazingly well and shows little signs of wear and tear to the naked eye. The pebbled-leather exterior has softened over time, but the bag has maintained its shape (for the record, I know I should, but I don't stuff my bags with tissue paper when I'm not using them). As for the interior, there's some glitter (don't ask) that I have not been able to fully eradicate from the lining of my bag, but it certainly lends it some character.
In the first image of the bag , you'll notice the interior also has a zippered compartment (the perfect size for storing a compact mirror and lipstick) and these convenient leather side panels on both ends. The panels make sure all of your stuff stays inside your bag even if you've fully unzipped it to locate your ChapStick. I love this feature since I never have to worry about opening my bag and accidentally spilling the contents of it onto a dirty subway train's floor.
The Mini Tassel Bag comes in black, blush, caramel, or red pebbled leather that's been carefully crafted in Turkey, and a large tassel is attached to the zipper for the perfect, elevated accent. You can even add a gold monogram for an extra $15.
Cuyana makes many other long-lasting essentials the women on the Insider Picks team love, like silk tops, leather work bags, and bodysuits. When shopping with the company, you're even be able to get rid of clothes you don't want (while supporting charity) through its Lean Closet program.
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