Update: The Guide to Everlane's Big Black Sack (AKA The Petra Portfolio)

UPDATE:

So I can see that this post is trending for the past couple weeks now, so how's about I give you all an update on the status of my owning said Petra Portfolio leather bag. Well, after 6 months of using this little baby in heavy rotation I can clearly say I'm a supremely satisfied customer. For the record, I use the Petra Portfolio to carry: my Macbook, The Goldfinch (huge 700 page hardcover and one of my favorite books ever now!),  cell phone and charger, tiny makeup pouch mostly used to keep my migraine medication and a couple granola bars in, commuter shoes, Glasswear lunchbox. Let me be clear; that is not an easy amount of shit to tote about the city and the east bay 7 times a week. 

I ended up having the bag straps reinforced knowing I would be carrying a lot of things all the time, which is a good thing because those adjustable snaps come undone easily when the bag is heavy. This can be easily done at any shoe repair shop. It cost me $15 in SF.  What about the leather? I love that leather is soft and ages super super well. I'm actually so shocked my Petra looks as good as it does after such use. The leather is definitely not as delicate as it first seemed. Feel free to throw this bag around like the horse it is! JK, it's a beautiful pony. Any other downsides? Those little grommets are pretty useless. The corners of the bag wear out very easily because that's where most of the weight goes when you set it down. That's about it for downsides, which is why I'm such a satisfied customer. The bag has lived through so much abuse and looks beautiful still. My absolute favorite place to take the Petra Portfolio tote is the airport. The terms "personal item" and "carry-on limits" have never been so maximized here in this land that basically encourages people to push rules like this to the limit. This tote literally fits everything you'll ever want to have access to during a flight. (I'm using the word "literal" here because I need to underscore my honesty in describing its size) The Petra P even fits perfectly under the seat in front of you, so it helps you keep track of all your stuff because the bag's size is a reassuring feature that comforts you in knowing your important things are all in there somewhere. 

If I had to suggest changes I'd say: Dear Everlane, please include more internal pockets and pouches. The Petra Portfolio is enormous and one time I dropped my keys in my bag and needed them in a hurry about a minute later and I couldn't find them and I became that girl who puts her entire bag down on the floor between her legs, crouches down, and proceeds to audibly grunt and dig like a dog with a bone for her keys. Also, fix those grommets. Love you, mean it, thanks!

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To say this leather tote is big is an understatement. I finally pulled the trigger on the Everlane Portfolio Petra bag after missing the boat a couple times and ending up on the waitlist. Why? Because I simply did not know if I needed the largest size. I thought I could just get away with the Market tote, but I know very well my life isn't as simple as place my wallet, phone, and laptop in the bag and go. There are the extra commuter shoes I carry, and the glassware of lunch and snacks I take with me (on a budget forever!), not to mention the zipper pouch of phone charger, lip gloss, compact mirror, and who knows what else that always end up in my purse. These facts complicated the seemingly simple task of buying an all purpose nice looking bag.

 So my coworker Steph and I came up with a genius way of trying to figure out what would really fit inside it before ordering it: we taped out the dimensions of the Market tote and the Portfolio tote on an empty desk. To our surprise, the Portfolio wasn't really much larger depth-wise, or even width-wise in some parts of the tote, than the Market tote and the canvas tote. The extra width in the Portfolio tote really comes in handy when you have a ton of crap to haul home — which let's be real is all the time. 

Is it heavy? Yes. When it's full, it pretty much sucks, but whose fault is that? I may reinforce the straps at some point, since there is a slight gap in stitching that kind of freaks me out when my full haul of nonsense is in it. Is it beautiful? Definitely. The leather is basically the anti-Mansur Gavriel, in that it is soft and a little structured at the same time. The slouch in the bag keeps it from getting too uncomfortable on your shoulder. Oh, and those grommets? Those are definitely a must, since when the bag is full you'll definitely want to put it down. What about when it's empty? It's pretty adorable empty. It's just large and slim. Is it worth the price? Listen, I purchased mine with all the credits on the planet I earned from Everlane the past 2 years with their in-house referral link program. So mine was in a sense "cheaper." I'd say I still would have paid the higher price, but Mansur Gavriel totes run along the same cost, so it comes down to your preference.

RewardStyle is being annoying, so here is a link to the bag. If you like what I'm saying and wouldn't mind me getting a commission on your purchase, click this one, friends: SHOP IT HERE