When I was contacted a few weeks before my most recent trip and offered the chance to build my own Custom Timbuk2 Tartine Tote Bag, I jumped at the chance. I’ve long been a fan of Timbuk2 and their fun, color-blocked messenger bags. The shades they grouped together, progressing in vertical thirds across their bags, always create a distinctive impression that tells you you’re looking at a Timbuk2 creation. I was thrilled to learn that Timbuk2 was now offering the chance for their customers to sit in the design chair and personalize their own bag. WanderShopper’s Tartine Tote Bag turned out fantastic, so join me as I share my design choices and tell you about my experiences traveling with my own Custom Timbuk2 creations.
Designing my own Custom Tartine Tote Bag proved to be really easy at the Timbuk2 website. You have the choice of jumping right in and to “Start Blank” or you can “Get Inspired” and view other recent creations. I jumped right in and made the first of eight decisions in designing my Custome Tartine Tote Bag. The first is to choose your size as it is offered either in M (15.4″ x 13.2″ x 4.3″) or L (18.3″ x 14.4″ x 6.1″.) With step 2, you select the color and fabric to be used for the body of your bag from 55 options. The fabrics are grouped into three categories called Ballistic Basics, Performance or Specialty Fabrics. There are so many great patterns and colors to choose from that I have to confess that I “built” a few bags online before I made my final choice which turned out to have been my first choice as well.
Once I had the body fabric selected, I found the other choices fell into place pretty easily. The Kaleidoscope Fiesta print featured a lot of colors and shades of red, coral, yellow, grey, white and black. As I planned on using my tote bag when I travel, which will force it through all kinds of conditions, I knew I should use a performance fabric for the boot and I liked how the Waxed Canvas in Grey tied in to the colors in the pattern. Since Kaleidoscope Fiesta gave me so many colors to play with, I decided to have some fun and go with a Coral shade for the pocket and Crimson Red for the binding. I choose Red for the Liner as I figured things that fell to the bottom of my tote would be easy to see against such a strong color. My final step of the eight was an option of adding a shoulder strap which I chose to do as it gave me some flexibility in how I could carry it and wear it cross body when I needed to. With so many options for colors, patterns and fabrics, you can tell that everyone can build a tote that they will be thrilled to own.
The WanderShopper Timbuk2 Custom Tartine Tote Bag Recipe:
Size: L
Body: Kaleidoscope Fiesta
Boot: Waxed Canvas Grey
Pocket: Ballistic Nylon Coral
Trim: Black
Binding: Crimson Red
Liner: Red
Outside Options: Black Shoulder Strap
The Tartine Tote Bag offers so much more than just an attractive accessory though so you won’t want to sell it short as just another pretty thing. To begin with, the tote can be completely closed with a double pull zipper which also allows you easy access at any position. The liner is an earth friendly vinyl that will contain whatever you choose to slide inside from a damp bathing suit, dirty sneakers or a leaking lunch container. You’re less likely to suffer a leak from a bottle though as part of the built-in organization includes a stretchy, mesh compartment for holding your drinks upright. All of the interior pockets are lined with a scratch resistant material, no skimping here, so that your valuables are pampered where ever you choose to store them. Inside you have a padded slash pocket for storing your laptop or tablet. On the opposite wall to the laptop pocket is a zippered pocket perfect for carrying your cell phone, compact camera or even jewelry while you’re in your Pilates class. That pocket has two open pockets stitched to its exterior, one which boldly proclaims “Let them stare.” And they will! I was stopped by many people during my travels and asked about where could they buy one.
In addition to how much I love my Tartine Tote Bag, I also really love Timbuk2 as a company. All of the Custom Timbuk2 items are made entirely in San Francisco. Also all of their products come with a lifetime warranty, although I have yet to need to test that with any of my Timbuk2 bags. I like that they choose to use materials that are non-toxic to the environment. Timbuk2 also offers to give you 20% off a new bag if you return your old, distressed bag to them for recycling. The majority of their employees are women with the lowest location at 57% women and in some locations as much as 90% women. These are bags made by women and perfect for women!
Once my Custom Tartine Tote Bag arrived, I liked it so much that I jumped right back on the Timbuk2 website and created a couple more products to bring with me on my travels. I knew that I wanted a Custom Envelope Laptop Sleeve for my computer. And of course I made it to co-ordinate with my tote bag. I selected Waxed Canvas Grey, Kaleidoscope Fiesta and Ballistic Nylon Coral for my bands and Crimson Red for the binding. One extra choice I got to make was for the embroidered Timbuk2 logo which I chose to do in Red. It turned out wonderful and I loved to pull it out and show it off every time I needed my laptop.
The other Custom Timbuk2 item I ordered to travel with was the Custom Laptop Messenger Bag. I chose the same color scheme and patterns as with the other items I ordered so they make a wonderful set. The Messenger Bag is HUGE! I used it as my carry on and it easily accommodated my laptop, camera body and two lenses in the Timbuk2 Snoop Camera Insert, my medications, jewelry, work file folders and my quart sized Ziploc bag full of my liquids for the flight. It fit easily under the seat or in the smallest overhead space, especially when I gave it a good cinch. I loved all the built in organizers it had both under the flap and inside the bag. I’m still discovering pockets and the ways to make use of them all as I continue to “move in to” this bag. I was also really impressed by the industrial strength Velcro that secures the flap to the bag so that even before it is buckled, you can pick it up by the handle sewn to the top of the bag and move it with ease. The Truefit Cam Buckle is amazing in its ability to quickly adjust the length of the strap based on your need at the moment and then securely lock the length into place for even the heaviest of bags.
As you can tell by now, I am a huge fan of the Custom Timbuk2 line. My Tartine Tote Bag, Envelope Laptop Sleeve and the Laptop Messenger Bag all performed like champs as I traveled to a travel bloggers conference in Toronto, Canada and then on to a WanderTours Food Tour of Santa Fe, New Mexico. They were opened, inspected and always admired. I took the Tartine Tote Bag out with me everyday as I walked the cities, rode the subways, trollies and buses and toured museums. I used it to hold my valuables as well as to collect my purchases and food to take back to my room. They went with me into conference sessions and meetings. In every situation, they were the perfect balance of beauty and function.
I encourage you to head over the the Custom Timbuk2 page and play around with colors and patterns. I think you will fall in love with them as quickly as I did. Let me know how your design turned out. I would love to see it!
Until we shop again,
Sarah