We stalk Etsy almost daily for the perfect bag. It’s like an ongoing hunt, and sometimes we think we’d be disappointed if we found the perfect one – then what would we look for? We thank our antique-collecting parents for this trait (we were traipsing around flea markets at the age of 4, trying to help them find intact Mah Jong sets and Lionel trains). We’ve come very close to what seems to be the perfect bag on Etsy before, but there’s always been some kind of issue – either the price (we appreciate paying a premium for handmade, but we draw the line at over $200 for items, sight unseen), or the shipping, or there’s been some kind of random, stupid thing we don’t like. We think we may have found the bag to end this hunt, and it’s also the most expensive item we’ve bought on Etsy – so we are anxious, triple fold. We expect it this week, so fingers crossed!
Zhenun Leathers doesn’t have a massive array of styles, but the styles she has are simple (yet functional. One bag we bought had the straps sewn so closely together you couldn’t put your arm through). There are simple top closures, a reasonable number of pockets, strap drops appear to be arm sized. And, most of all, the leather! We are a sucker for aged, multi-tonal leather – nothing is less exciting than flat, almost painted looking leather. The dark whiskey leather Zhenun uses is everything we’ve been looking for – and we really, really hope the Ton Sai bag lives up to our expectations. Though, if it doesn’t, at least we’ll still have something to search for!
LB