Lo & Sons The Pearl in Saffiano Review

I recently bought the new version of the Lo & Sons Pearl in Saffiano Leather during Black Friday at a pretty steep discount - 30%! Rounding out to about $173 total for the crossbody. It's on sale now for the holidays at 25% off, or $10 more than what I got it for. I've had my eye on the full grain nappa leather version of this purse for a while, but could never pull the trigger on it. A crossbody bag for me is very well loved, and the leather seemed a little too soft for me to want to trek around with. That, and from the other blog reviews about that version, it seemed like any lumpy item would show through the bag.

When the Saffiano leather version came out, it seemed perfect, and I'm here to write today that it is!

The Pearl in all its glory

 The leather feels really good, and is advertised to be scratch and water resistant. One difference between this version and the prior version is that the logo is now imprinted into the leather, and not gold stamped on, which gives it a much more minimalistic and sleek look to it. The bag itself comes with two straps - a longer strap if you're wanting to use it as a crossbody bag, as well as a short strap that hooks itself onto one side if you want to use it as a clutch (or if the longer strap is too short for you!). I'm 5'2" and I only use the long strap on its own, adjusted so that it hangs right on the body.

The Pearl  is split into 3 different compartments - 2 zip ones that surround the middle, larger compartment that can be buttoned closed, which offers a bit of security! When I first looked at this, I thought that I'd be able to fit the length of a notebook in these zip compartments, or an iPad mini, but it's not the case. The two zip pockets can't accommodate the length of my work notebook. I also just tried to slip in an iPad mini with a case on it, and it just barely went in (took a little effort). On a completely different note though, I've also noticed that any lumpy items (cushion compact) don't show through the leather, which is a difference from the nappa leather version that Lo & Sons has. 

The middle compartment has two padded pockets as well, which can protect a cell phone. Personally, I never use it - I always keep my phone in my coat pocket. I just put it in here for demonstration ;) The middle compartment holds the most, and is where I keep my meeting/work notebook. There is also a key chain in the center compartment of this bag, and although it's a small detail, it matters. The keychain is actually long enough to reach my door without having to unhook my keys from! 

 Close up on the hardware

The Saffiano versions of The Pearl only come in gold hardware for now (which I prefer). It feels very premium and solid. There is a hook at each end of the bag, where the straps (lobster claw) will hook into. If you want to use the shorter strap, you just hook them to the same side of the bag. It's very versatile! 

Regarding the construction, it's very well made. The stitching is nice and even and secure. The inside is lined with their hummingbird logo in a smooth poly. It's a structured bag, and doesn't really flex like the nappa leather version seems to do. The crossbody strap is thin - I can definitely see this being uncomfortable if you really pack a ton into this bag. But if you're only carrying a few things, it's quite comfortable.

Here's a quick snapshot of what I usually carry around in it. I use it for days when I know I'm not carrying my work computer home, or on the weekends. One note is that I can fit my nice camera into the center compartment (Sony a5000) which, if you're familiar with the size of that model, is surprising! Overall, I'm really happy with the purchase, especially at the price I got it at. It's something that I've wanted to buy for a while (structured crossbody), and this fits the bill almost exactly.