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The first time I came across the travel bag brand Lo and Sons, I scrolled across a Facebook sponsored post and saw a blur of soft grey and white clothing being neatly folded and placed into a canvas tote. Interested, I scrolled back up.
Twenty minutes later, my husband leaned over my shoulder. “Are you watching videos of people pack?” he asked.
Yes. Yes, I was. It sounds crazy, but I continued to watch the videos of people packing. I watched shoes being neatly tucked into the shoe-specific pockets of a gym bag, carry-ons with special sleeves placed neatly over luggage handles, laptops sliding with a sigh into jacquard-lined work totes. I was hooked.
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With the Lo and Sons small Catalina Deluxe tote bag.
About the Brand
A New York-based brand, Lo and Sons was established by a mother and her two sons for the minimalist, the lover-of-pockets. Lo and Sons bags are built to travel light without compromising functionality and style. They deliver organizational travel nirvana.
Now, about a year after I first discovered Lo and Sons, I have a bag for every occasion and no regrets. I have also talked up the company to everyone who has ever complimented me on them, including my Mom, my best friend (we’ll call her Nutmeg), a woman I sat next to on a plane ride to Portland, all the staff in the Dulles airport Tumi store, and more. They are well made, as functional as they are stylish, and make great gifts.
Here are my four go-to pieces:
The Pearl Crossbody
The Pearl is a tidy leather crossbody bag that I own in both grey and black saffiano leather. The bag doubles as a clutch by virtue of an extra little wrist strap that comes with it, making it incredibly versatile. I’ve taken it to weddings in lieu of an evening bag and its modern, structured lines have fit right in amongst the cocktail dresses.
Wearing the Pearl crossbody in light grey.
The Pearl actually looks much smaller and more delicate than its capacity. I can fit a full continental wallet, sunglasses case, phone, tissues, makeup, and even a small journal inside at the same time. There’s a special pocket for just about every item and a built-in clasp for your keys so you don’t have to search for them at the bottom of the bag.
I bought The Pearl in sienna nappa leather for my Mom last year for Christmas. Every time I see her using it she tells me again how much she loves it – her favorite selling point is the thin, sturdy shoulder strap. She has narrow shoulders, but the elegant adjustable strap stays put all day without sliding off.
The Seville 13” Tote
The Seville is my everyday work bag. The coolest thing about this tote is that it comes in two parts – a soft interior (where all the handy pockets are), and a structured exterior shell that can be swapped out. I only own the black saffiano leather shell, but if I wanted to, I could change the tote from black, to grey, to burgundy on a whim.
The shell held up very well for five years of daily use, with only one visible scratch to the textured leather. After year six, the coating on the leather handles has started to peel and crack. I wish the handles were replaceable; I still love this tote so much. I ended up pulling off the cracked coating so it’s less noticeable and am still using the bag every day. I keep looking for one I like better, but I keep coming back to the Seville! I love how it also has little metal feet on the bottom that protects the bag’s base from getting dirty or damaged.
The Seville comes in two sizes that reference the size of the laptop it fits, not the size of the bag itself – 13” and 15”. I initially purchased the 15” size, but the bag – actually 20” wide – looked way too large on me (for reference I’m 5’5″, 105 lbs).
I returned it, but liked the style so much I decided to try the 13” (actually 18.5” wide) on a hunch that my 15” MacBook Pro would fit into the designated sleeve anyway. I’m so glad I did, because I was right! The stitching pulled away over time and I’ve had to repair it by hand, but I don’t see it as a Lo and Sons quality issue, since I’m technically using the wrong size bag for my laptop. Once I switched jobs (and laptops) I stopped having an issue.
The O.G. Tote
The O.G. is a dome-shaped overnight / gym bag with a delightful surprise – a special pocket for shoes. As someone who usually packs their shoes in little cloth shoe bags, this pocket is so essential. I don’t want my dirty shoes touching my clean clothes, do you?
The O.G. measures 17”x15” and is my go-to bag for one or two nights away. I can usually fit in two changes of clothes, my laptop and charger, a toiletry bag, and a pair of heels. I initially tried the O.G.’s slightly smaller sister, called the O.M.G., which measures 16”x13.5”. However, the capacity feels significantly smaller than the O.G., so I see the O.M.G. as more of a gym bag or work tote than an overnighter.
The bag is made of a tough, slightly satiny black nylon that feels sturdy and has held up very well through a year of fairly frequent domestic and international travel. The 13” laptop sleeve fits my 15” MacBook Pro comfortably and has not ripped like the Seville.
I do have one minor gripe with the O.G. – the mouth of the zipper doesn’t go down far enough. This means that when the bag is at max capacity, it’s a struggle to take out my laptop. I usually have to take out my toiletry bag first, then my computer. I have the same issue when I need to put it back in the sleeve. This wouldn’t be a problem if the zipper opening was about two inches wider. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it is a design flaw.
The Catalina Deluxe Small Duffle
The Catalina Deluxe caught my eye with its handy base compartment where you can stash shoes, dirty clothes, or anything else you want to keep sectioned off. It comes in two sizes, small (18” x 16”) and large (18.5 x 18”). There is also a tote version, and the original Catalina which comes without the crossbody strap.
I tested both the small and large sizes, and decided that the large was too big – when packed full, I didn’t even want to pick it up. The small size hit the sweet spot of being big enough to pack for a week or two away, but small enough that carrying it around an international airport was still manageable. It replaced my old LeSportsac duffel and has been much more comfortable to carry due to the padded shoulder sleeve that can be used to cover the top handles or the shoulder strap.
Bonus – the canvas is washable.
I hope these photos show how beautiful the bags are on the outside. No picture I take is going to sell the inside as well as the original Lo & Sons videos. Seriously, go to any Lo and Sons product page and watch videos of people packing for 20 minutes. You’ll thank me later.
Follow me on Instagram @theprimpysheep for more product reviews and style inspiration. And if you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
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