The rare and elusive WORK BAG.  Everyone has one, but few are satisfied with (much less excited about) the sloppy jalopy tote that carts their essentials to and from work every day.  I, too, resigned myself for years to the idea that when it comes to work bags, you just can’t have everything.  Either you carry a tote that looks like something you stole from Perry Mason, or you carry a bag that looks fab and just pray your laptop is still in one piece after sloshing around with all of your other personal effects.  It’s form OR function.  Take your pick.  That is, unless you know about Senreve.

Senreve is a luxury handbag line tailor-made for the working girl.  As you may recall, I shared my love for the Senreve Mini Maestra bag in this post last fall which has continued to be the source of countless questions from many of you.  The most frequently asked question is whether I recommend the Mini Maestra or the regular full-sized Maestra bag (the black beauty I’m carrying today!), so I thought I’d put together another post showcasing the Maestra to give you a better idea of how the two compare.

The most obvious difference between the two is size.  Despite having the word “mini” in its name, the Mini Maestra is a really nice size.  It can hold a ton (as seen in this post) and is the size I prefer any day I don’t have to cart around my laptop.  However, when the laptop is in play, the Maestra is my go-to.  This not only includes treks to-and-from the office, but as you may have seen last week on instagram and instastories, it is hands-down my favorite travel tote bag.

As you can see above, the seven interior pockets and dedicated sleeve for securely transporting a 13″ laptop are KEY when trying to stay organized on the road.  But aside from the fact that this beauty can hold a Mary Poppins amount of goods, one of the biggest game-changers for me is the ability to transform it into a BACKPACK.  When traveling, it typically takes every ounce of my strength to manage unwieldy suitcases, so completely removing my carryon bag from one arm/shoulder and turning it into a backpack is life. changing.  My elation is documented in this instagram snapped entering the airport last week (swipe right to the second photo to see it worn as a backpack).

When using this bag on a typical workday, I usually prefer to carry it as a satchel or a tote as you can see in the photos today.  The ingenious design of the adjustable straps makes it easy to alternate from backpack, to crossbody, to satchel or tote in seconds.  I’m telling you, there isn’t a single design detail overlooked on this bag from the gorgeous pale blue micro-suede interior to the gold feet on the bottom of the bag that prevent it from flopping over when you set it down.  To marry this much functionality with luxury materials (all Senreve bags are made with genuine Italian leather) at a fraction of the price of other designer bags, is truly jaw-dropping.

It’s really just a question of which color I buy next…  Sand or Mimosa?