Recently I changed into using a clutch style handbag. Wouldn’t you know it… days later I accidentally left it on a NYC hotel shuttle! Praise the Lord, I got my purse back, but this incident got me pretty rattled. I realized I needed to go back to my standard, tried and true system of only using a small crossbody purse when traveling. I am sure you can imagine the benefit of having a purse strapped to your body, when in addition to the purse, you are responsible for several other luggage pieces. But not only are crossbody purses great for traveling, they are an excellent choice for daily wear.
I will share with you three purses, from largest to smallest, I have tried and loved.
My personal criteria for what I look for in a daily purse:
- The purse has an elegant, ladylike style
- The purse can be carried hands-free as a crossbody
- The purse is made of leather
- The purse has an outside cell phone pocket
- The purse is small ( I like it small enough that I can put it in my flight attendant tote)
- The purse has the option of coming in black (this is for meeting uniform requirements)
1.) Rebecca Minkoff Gabby Small Satchel Bag
The largest bag on my list of small crossbody bags is the Gabby Small Satchel by Rebecca Minkoff. What attracted me to this bag is the elegant vintage-like, feminine shape. As a top handled satchel, it can convert to a handbag by removing the crossbody strap. However, it is small enough that wearing it as a crossbody is not an overwhelming look, nor is it heavy. The front zipper pocket was pretty shallow, but I found it great for Listerine strips. The interior has a zippered pocket and a roomy storage interior. The outside pocket provided the perfect spot for easy access to a cell phone. This is about the largest I like to go on a purse. It has been manufactured in quite a few colors. While I do not see it currently listed on the Rebecca Minkoff website, it is still out there to be found if you look for it (for example on the realreal I saw one, as well as poshmark).
Details : 6.5″ x 11″ x 4.25″
2.) Karl Lagerfeld Paris Mini Agyness Quilted Leather Crossbody Bag
While there are some purses from the Karl Lagerfeld Paris brand that seem a bit juvenile for my taste at near 40 (think similar to Kate Spade cartoon animal bags), where they get it right is with their minimally style leather quilted purses. Given the namesake “Karl Lagerfeld” is the inspiration for the style direction, it is not a stretch to see the similarity in the mini Agyness bag to a classic Chanel bag. This purse is made of soft leather, and it offers more room inside than the wallet on a chain. It has the outside cell phone pocket I look for, and lovely gold hardware. On negative is that a standard wide wallet hardly fits inside it, but this just requires downsizing to a smaller wallet. It is a very pretty, ladylike purse, and it comes in a variety of colors. This purse has been available lately on Off Saks Fifth Avenue here and here
Size 7.5″W x 4.5″H x 2.5″D
Rebecca Minkoff Edie Wallet on a Chain
My smallest crossbody purse is this lovely Edie wallet on a chain by Rebecca Minkoff. Not unlike the Karl Lagerfeld bag above, it features soft quilted leather and gold hardware. This purse is literally a wallet inside, with slots for cards, and a center zippered pocket for coins. It has the perfect outside cell phone pocket. The crossbody strap can be removed and it can be used as a wallet in a large purse if you wanted to do that. I love the size of this bag, and it is the easiest of the 3 purses, to store in my flight attendant tote bag. However, putting car keys or a lipstick inside is a trick, but not impossible. This bag has proven to be a favorite of mine. Available on Rebecca Minkoff
7.75″ W X 4.75″ H X 1.5″ D
Hopefully I have given you some ideas for possible small crossbody bags with outside cell phone pockets. It took me quite a while to find these ones which are just what I was looking for. If you know of any other good purses like this that you like, comment below.
Crossbody purseKarl LagerfeldRebecca Minkofftravel purse
