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Last summer, I fell in love with the tan Loewe Square Raffia Tote* (also available in white*). Much more slimmer and structured than it’s regular raffia counterparts, I felt the square raffia tote would look so lovely on my shorter frame. But, as these things often go, I just couldn’t justify the $790 price tag for a straw bag (even if it was constructed well). I left it on my fantasy wishlist, in case I were to win the lottery one day.
Then, a few months later, I stumbled upon the tan Strathberry basket tote* and thought - this is exactly the vibe I’ve been looking for. I purchased the tan version directly from the Strathberry website last July for about $355. I forget if I had a discount code or if the price was a little lower last summer, but it’s currently priced at $395. The tan version is currently out of stock on the Strathberry website, but they do have the white version in stock and a new larger size in tan.
Since purchasing, I’ve only worn this handbag four times, but I think this was mostly due to the fact that I purchased it at the end of the summer season - I’m still obsessed with it and I can’t wait to get a lot more wear out of it this spring/summer! After having owned it a few months, I think it’s actually a little better than the Loewe version (in my opinion) for the following reasons:
The Strathberry bag has a zipper on the inner leather lining - this is perfect for storing my card holder which has my license and credit card. I always feel weird about open access bags and I’m terrified that smaller items will fall out - love that this zipper keeps some valuables safe from the occasional topple.
The longer strap drop on the Strathberry (10.75 inches vs 8.3 inches) makes it just a bit easier to pop over my shoulder, no matter what I’m wearing.
I love the gold bar detailing on the front of the Strathberry - I mostly wear gold jewelry so this is perfect for me, but I recognize this may not be the best fit for others.
The Strathberry bag is a little less flashy and I like that - I feel like the giant Loewe logo is really recognizable. Since this is more of a daytime bag, I feel more comfortable wearing the Strathberry since I know it’ll attract less attention as I wear it around town.
Obviously, the price - even though $355 (now $395) is still a more than I’d want to spend on a straw bag, the leather elements and detailing make this price point more justifiable. There is no way I could justify the $790 at my current budget.
I’ll be sure to share my cost per fit on this bag at the end of the spring/summer season. Do any of you have the Loewe bag on your wishlist? If so, would you consider this Strathberry one?
See you next Sunday,
Cost per Fit
The bag is eligible for the shop bop promo “style” and comes down to $335 with the code!