This sponsored post is brought to you by Lo & Sons.
It changes colors, like a chameleon. Color me sold.
I'm starting to feel a little bit like a Lo & Sons groupie—I have the O.M.G, T.T., Cambridge and Seville—but it's hard to resist bags that are sharp, attractive and functional. Lo & Sons Seville bag is the brand's newest offering and changes colors.
Let's back it up, ladies: it has an external shell that can be changed for different colors. Girl killer! Unlike many bags that are one-offs, the Seville is, fundamentally, at its core, a Shell+ Design ecosystem: It comes preloaded with a color shell of your choice, soft pouch and carrying case, with accompanying dust bag.
The bag retails for $428 on Lo & Sons. Extra shells are available for $178. (Lo & Sons often has frequent sales, varying from 20-50% off.)
It's buying into the whole shebang, but if I was going to buy into any shebang, this is a shebang worth buying into.
One of the first things most people will notice is that the Seville is big. This is a generally consistent impression across most of Lo & Sons bags we've managed to get our hands on. But like many of their bags, its often a quick adjustment: even at my 5'3 frame, I quickly got used to toting the Seville. Especially in large cities where I'm hauling a lot of stuff around the day, the bag is a godsend.
For the most part, the Seville's closest relative is the T.T. The biggest difference between the T.T. and the Seville, side from the Seville's chameleon nature, is that the Seville is designed to accommodate 15” laptops while the T.T. maxes out at 13” laptops.
There's also how these two bags are shaped: for instance, the Seville is wider on top than it is on the bottom, while the T.T. is a pure rectangle. The Seville measures 15.25 inches wide at the bottom and 20 inches wide at the top. Standing 13 inches high, it's actually a bit shorter than the T.T. (The Seville is wider, the T.T is taller.)
The strap drop length is 11 inches, so there's quite a bit of arm breadth if you're wearing a heavy parka and whatnot. This isn't a dainty bag: Including the shell, the Seville weighs in at 2.5 inches, so there's a bit of heft. However, the upside is, it comes with a travel-friendly soft pouch that significantly reduces the weight when necessary (this is actually a key feature, so more on that in a bit).
Finished materials
One of the Seville's most distinctive characteristics from the other products in its offering is the Saffiano leather shell, which is designed to be scratch- and water-resistant. The Seville is its most upscale bag—which I thought was kind of moot—until I was able to compare it against the T.T. Though I didn't think the T.T. had any issues of its own, the Seville is almost a clear and distinct upgrade. Point being, it is the only bag in their current line-up that has a leather exterior and a finish its other bags don't have.
In keeping with the theme, the trim is also made of leather complete with brass accents. The interior lining is made with their signature poly jacquard fabric. In general, the materials generally found on Lo & Sons bags are often stellar, sharp and efficient.
And it still travels!
But it's the soft shell, which is where the 'travel-friendly' component bag kicks in, that is a crucial include. Made of polymer yarn, it includes a luggage strap not found on the leather shells. This has a few upsides, including the fact travelers don't have to worry about scuffing the beautiful leather and are able to reduce its weight at the airport. The soft shell itself also comes with a carrying pouch, which can double to store dirty items or clothes.
(Please note: The suggested way to pack the shell on a trip is to pack the clothes inside the shell and then to put the shell inside the carry-on bag. This tends to take up the complete interior of the bag: it's like an unofficial packing cube!)
A practical interior
The interior of the bag is nearly identical to the T.T., the previous main work tote, save three minor differences. Like previously mentioned, The T.T. is specifically designed to accommodate 13” laptops or smaller; the Seville is specifically designed to accommodate 15” laptops or smaller. There's also an additional side pocket and pen pocket on the interior that the T.T. is missing. The Seville, in a nutshell, is designed for power users.
Other than that, the Seville comes with all the standard features, with a laptop compartment (with leather clasp), tablet compartment, key loop chain (attached inside the main compartment instead of the outside compartment like with the O.M.G and the O.G.) and standard side pockets. The luggage strap, a common feature in their other bags, is a standalone solution on the soft shell in this case.
There is also plenty of space inside. Both bags allow legal-size documents to fit effortlessly inside without having to bend or fold papers.
The Shell+ Design system
Lo & Sons has made the process of changing shells as easy as changing the Emperor's wardrobe. The Seville comes in a standard color shell of your choice, with more options available in black, red and blue for $178 each through a separate purchase on the website. Instead of buying a brand new bag here, only the shell needs to be purchased. (P.S. The red is gorg.)
It's a simple process. The interior and the shell are hooked through the luggage handles, so it's a matter of just finding the button clasp on each side that holds it together. Once unclasped, the handle can be removed and “dethreaded” through the interior and shell straps that secure it. (The straps are secure and snug, so bonus points here.)
Then it's a matter of simply removing the interior from the shell and putting it inside the new shell. The luggage straps have to be threaded through and clasped but the process takes two or three minutes at the most. Here is a quick video explaining the process:
Conclusion
Though some people may find the Seville's initial size offputting, this is the only bag that offers a leather finish with all of Lo & Sons's practicality. It might seem like a severe adjustment for some, but in the end, it's really not that bad. (Besides, I am totally teeny tiny.)
At any rate, it's the only bag in their offering that either accommodates 15" laptops, has a leather finish and or can change colors in all one fell swoop. Pick the red.