Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge animal lover. Even as a young girl, my dream was to have a farm or animal rescue. When I say farm, I don’t mean killing animals for food, I mean to have them as pets. I could never, ever kill an animal. I do eat meat, but barely. I mostly eat vegetables and carbs (pasta, potatoes…).
I try to only purchase products that are not tested on animals too. I always look for the place on a product that specifies that it’s not been tested on animals.
I know that leather is very fashionable. When I was in my mid-20’s, a friend of mine gifted me a black leather jacket. As much as I loved the jacket, I felt horrible every time I wore it because I know that innocent creatures had to die in order to make it.
One of my friends from back then (the same one who gave me the jacket) LOVED her bags. She would always match her bag to her outfit and shoes. It was crazy how she always had to match. She had so many bags that it was crazy. Not me. Back then I only had one. I didn’t care if it didn’t match what I wore.
Decades (sigh…) later, I still have a limited number of bags. I don’t use bags to match my outfit. I use them more so to suit my needs and/or the situation. For example, if I’m going out and about and I am going to bring my camera, I’ll bring along a large bag to hold my extra camera battery and lenses. If I’m going out to dinner with my husband or friends, I’ll take a smaller bag since all I’d really need is my cellphone and wallet.
When I go to work all I bring is my cellphone. My case has a place for my license and debit card.
Recently I was introduced to the brand Urban Originals. Urban Originals is passionate about both fashion and the environment. For that reason they have committed themselves to creating quality, vegan leather bags that are 100% cruelty free. Upon knowing that, I knew I’d love to check out one of their bags in person.
Urban Originals sent me three bags to review. WOW! Needless to say I was over joyed, as was my daughter who has been eyeing the bags ever since I received them. No way! She has her own bags.
I received the following bags.
East West bag by Urban Originals is made from super soft, slightly padded vegan leather. This versatile bag can be worn as crossbody as well as a shoulder bag and has the ultimate day-to-night look.
BUTTER! This bag is buttery soft! I am obsessed with just how soft this bag is. It looks like leather, but it’s not. Every time I see it, I can’t help but touch it. It’s soft and smooth and feels “worn in,” even though it looks brand new.
The East-West Terracotta bag features:
- Adjustable strap
- 1x zip pocket, 5x card slots
- 1x compartment
- Clasp closure
- W12″ x H8″ x D4″
- Cruelty Free // Low Chemical // Eco Conscious Fabrics
It’s hard to believe this is not made out of well worn leather.
I love the simple look of this bag. You can use it when running errands, going to work, or a night on the town. It has a look that works in any situation.
Even though this bag is not that large, it does have a lot of room inside. Inside you’ll find slots for your driver’s license and cards, as well as a zippered pocket. There is plenty of room in the main (center) compartment.
Even the inside of this bag is nice to the touch and so pretty.
The bag even has a key fob to keep your keys handy.
The strap for this bag is nice too. You can use it as a cross over, on your shoulder, or simply use it a clutch.
This is my new favorite bag. I’m obsessed with it.
This go-to tote by Urban Originals has a super practical size and its made with a waterproof canvas. Astro Tote has a zipper closure for its main compartment and a snap button for its frontal pocket. The roomy inside of this tote has plenty of pockets for all of your things. This tote features a double short handle and a detachable and adjustable webbing strap.
We all need tote bags from time to time. Working with kids, I’m always bringing in things like supplies, crafts and goodies. I don’t always need a large tote bag. Sometimes I just need something smaller.
When my family and I go places and I need to take along my camera lenses and extra battery (as I mentioned earlier in the post) I need a larger bag than I normally carry. This tote bag is PERFECT. It suits my needs and I know I am going to be putting this to great use.
First and foremost it’s made with WATERPROOF canvas. I have never had a waterproof bag before. I never gave it much thought until I learned that this bag was waterproof. Then I realized what a fabulous idea that is.
There is so much room in this tote, especially for a tote of it’s size.
The Astro Tote features:
- Adjustable and detachable strap
- Zipper closure
- 1 x zip pocket, 2 x slip pockets
- 5 x card slots
- Detachable keychain
- 1 x front pocket
- H14″ x W11″ x D6″
- Cruelty Free // Low Chemical // Eco Conscious Fabrics
The main compartment (middle) is very roomy.
I appreciate the inside pockets too. One large one has a closure, and slots on the outside for a driver’s license and credit cards. The other side has large pockets, which I love for my camera battery and extra lens. They fill fit perfectly in those pockets.
You can use this tote as a hand bag (where you carry it with your hands) or you can use the included decorative strap to wear it on your shoulder (or as a cross body).
I love that the removeable strap adds a pop of color and interest all while complimenting the tote bag.
This bag is very soft to the touch too. Just like the East-West Terracotta bag, this bag feels well love and used, but it’s not. It’s brand new. It just has that perfect used softness to it (hopefully that makes sense?).
Full of surprises, Avalon by Urban Originals is made for the woman who won’t settle for the ordinary.
If you are looking for a bag that has a unique and interesting look, check out the Avalon bag.
This bag has a unique shape to it. It’s shaped like a “U.”
The brand didn’t give this bag ordinary seams. Instead the seam area features a decorative rope-like look to it. Simple yet elegant. From one glance of the bag is looks simple, but when you look at it from a different angle, the decorative braid accent going around the seams catches your eye.
The strap for this bag features the same braided look.
I also like that this bag is two-toned, and that both colors are neutral so that they match with everything. The sides are tan color, and the sides are black. Even the strap is dual toned (tan and black). You can tell that a lot of attention was paid to the detail of this bag.
This bag features a zippered pocket both on the outside and inside. The main part of the bag is large to hold all of what you’d need for a day out or to work.
I’m on the fence with this bag. Sometimes I look at it and think it’s a classy bag you’d use for a night on the town. Other times I look at it and think it’s a great “every day” bag to take with you when you run errands, around town and to work. I guess I would say this is a great bag for every day use, no matter what you are doing or where you are going.
This bag has more of a leather feel to it. It’s not buttery soft like the East-West Terracotta bag.
These are just a few of the gorgeous bags available at Urban Originals. If you are interested in checking them out for yourself, visit UOBags.com.
What do you think about these bags? Which one(s) caught your eye?
Kimberly
*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
