“I love bringing my camera with me everywhere I go and my big, bulky Canon-emblazoned bag was always attached to my hip. This girl needed a better looking option. I didn’t want to announce “hey, I’ve got lots of expensive gear in here!” and, oh yeah, I wanted to look good too. My two passions, photography and bag design, combined and I created a fabulous bag that was not only great to carry, but was meant to carry a camera, some gear and everything else a girl needed to bring with her.”
-Ketti Phillips, Designer and Owner of Ketti Handbags
[Mid Century Handbag – photo © Ketti Handbags]
Review: [rating system = 1 to 5 with 5 being excellent and 1 being poor]
• Sex Appeal: [4.0] The variety of fabrics allow you to choose one to accent your own unique style. The fabrics change from time-to-time, often with the seasons. The images pictured here are from the fall/winter collection. Last summer there was a bright floral print and some pretty, dainty patterns too. If you subscribe to the @kettiphoto Twitter feed then you’ll get the latest news on available fabrics.
• Sport Appeal: [3.0] Not comfortable or rugged enough for serious trekking or biking (unless you have a big basket and bungee cords) but it’s more than comfy for a full day of sightseeing.
• Day-tripping: [5.0] While I was field testing the Mid Century Handbag I was impressed with how easily the bag complimented both dress clothes and yoga clothes.
• World-trekking: [4.50] Plenty of room for gear and the few personal items that one is want to have handy when traveling. It’s large and sturdy enough to be a good pick for a carry-on and it meets all the requirements too. It’s loveliness and adaptability recommends itself to a walk along the Seine, an evening at the Sydney Opera House, or a hike through the ruins of Machu Picchu.
[Chevron Handbag – photo © Ketti Handbags]
• Wearablility & Comfort: [5.0] It is easy to carry – either by the padded handles or across your body by the wide strap. I love that the handles are long enough for me to wear the purse on my shoulder without the use of the longer strap. The structure of the bag itself is very thickly padded, so if it bangs against your hip it doesn’t bruise. When worn across the body with the detachable strap, the bag curves itself just a little and nicely fits itself to your body’s own curves.
• Dimensions: 16.0″L—-11.00’”H—-5.00’”D (with a 22” removable, cross-body strap)
• Price: $195.00 (plus shipping) A note on availability: Ketti handbags sell out very quickly. Never fear – with rare exceptions the bags are back in stock each Monday at 9 AM Pacific. You may need to set your alarm to be certain to get one, but it will be worth it!
• Price-to-coolness ratio: [4.0]
[Interior of Ketti Handbag – photo © Ketti Handbags]
• Comments from women: 90% positive! This camera bag does just what it’s designed to do – it is a fashionable, well-made handbag that truly looks like a chic, sassy, couture purse but offers secure transport for your camera gear too. The bag was fancy enough for work and looked stylish when worn with a suit and heels and yet it also complimented my weekend errands-running-casual-jeans-and-a-tee look. Many mentioned that they liked the bag but not the strap*.
• Comments from men: 100% positive! All of the men who commented on this bag assumed it was a purse and were surprised to find it held so much camera gear. One male colleague in particular commented that men designed practical, ugly bags for a hundred years but it took a woman to make a bag that was both practical, stylish, and classy. Who can argue with that?
• Drawbacks: 1. When you zip the bag shut, there is a small, open gap on either end of the bag. The gaps are not large enough to lose equipment, but it did make me nervous while dashing from my car to a building in a light rain. 2. *You will either love or hate the strap. I love cars and so the retro-safety-belt-strap look works for me. I also liked the way the texture of the fabric pattern contrasted the silky stripes of the strap. Love or hate the look of it, it’s worth noting that it does very securely attach to the bag but it does not have extra padding. 3. It is not in anyway rain repellant or water proof (but then, if it were, it wouldn’t be so lovely).
• Highlights: 1. Just enough room for all my can’t-live-without gear and my purse essentials too. 2. It is well made, soft and yet sturdy, beautiful and yet practical. 3. You can tell it was designed by a woman who is passionate about both photography and personal style.
[Backgammon Handbag – photo © Ketti Handbags]
• Ketti Handbags Website: http://kettihandbags.com/
• Ketti Handbags on Twitter: @kettiphoto
• Ketti Handbags on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kettihandbags
In joy,
Melinda
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