I got this purse to use in Italy. I'd initially bought a larger one, which, when filled, was way too heavy. The larger bag itself was heavy and I overpacked it. Before going I tried out each bag for a week. The first one was uncomfortable just going to the grocery. (I put in it a pair of mini binoculars, a small camera, my wallet, my sunglasses, my checkbook, a small makeup bag with powder and lipstick and a coin purse and my smartphone). When I switched to this one, I could not fit the checkbook and sunglasses -- but realized I would not be bringing the checkbook overseas and so the newer size was fine -- without the checkbook, the sunglasses fit.

I put the binoculars and the camera in the zipper part under the flap. I kept tissues in the visible zipper part (bathrooms don't always have them -- seemed more of a problem in Rome than in Venice...). I also put 3x5 cards with notes and folded pages of the Rick Steves travel guides in that front zippered area (and in Venice, the tickets we used for the boats). The back of the bag also has a zippered pocket that rests against the body -- good for the powder and lipgloss or sunscreen. The top zipper has a loop that holds a mini flashlight -- nice when returning to our room with the hall lights on a timer. The top zipper has a clasp that locks on to the side. I put my sunglasses, phone, wallet and our passports in this main compartment along with the change purse. There are slots for credit cards in the purse but I did not use them. I liked having the added protection of the wallet being at the bottom of the purse.

A few caveats: My wallet is a mini one... it holds 3 cards and ID. The change purse I used was a bit larger and had 3 compartments (a kiss lock bag). I used one for coins, one for dollars and one for euros. The bulk of our money I kept in a hidden waist belt bag (which I never showed in public -- if I needed more, I would excuse myself to the restroom and would transfer money). I kept the credit cards in RFD sleeves and our 4 passports were kept together in an RFD bag. Before leaving I made sure to latch the bag. I always wore it as a cross body bag, not a shoulder bag (though it could be worn that way). It felt more secure, especially in places like the Trevi fountain where it is wall-to-wall people. When we would eat, I generally left the bag on me. FYI -- if you use a smart phone do not set it out on the table like we do in the US. LOTS of tourists shared that people in their tour groups were getting phones taken that way. My phone was either in the locked part of the bag or in my hand when I was using it for directions or Tripadvisor.

Wearing it all day, it did feel heavy. That said, it also felt secure. The chocolate color, while not the prettiest, is nondescript which is really what you want when traveling. You don't want it to catch the eye of a pickpocket. It is also a gender neutral color and so my husband and sons did not mind carrying it if I was taking pictures. It more resembled a camera bag or messenger bag than a purse (and they certainly preferred carrying it to the bright pink tote I also had with me (tote was used ONLY for a scarf, an umbrella, any postcards or trinkets we would buy -- things that if taken could be replaced).

I have this purse both in Black (purchased Nov 2014) and Cranberry (purchased Aug 2015). I alternate between the colors, depending on occasion, and hands down it has become my daily go-to purse.

As my pictures show, it is approximately 9” tall and 10” wide. If you are a person who likes to pack all of your worldly possessions, into your purse, and do not mind the weight of 10lbs+ of stuff digging into your shoulder, then I do not recommend this specific bag. It simply is not large enough to accommodate everything and then some. If you like the security features of the Travelon bags, you will need to look at their larger sized purses.

However, for a small purse it has a surprisingly large amount of roominess in the main interior, which opens to about 3” wide, the zipper pocket (back side of purse), the smaller zipper pocket and zipper pocket with flap (both on the front side of purse) are all useful and roomy too.

I use a skinny wallet (believe me it is packed) Vs a rectangular brick sized traditional wallet. Where the main compartment zipper opening is about 8” wide, there could be difficulties navigating a large wallet in/out of the purse. I carry my cellphone, pens, flashlight, tape measure (yes - you never know when you’re out shopping, if you’re going to need to measure something), lip balm, comb, food snacks, sunglasses, maps &/or tickets depending on the event.

My purses (black or burgundy) have gone with me on vacation to Las Vegas, Acadia National Park, to work, out to dinner, etc. Wearing it as a cross body bag, I feel the purse is secure, is the right size for my daily needs and the additional slash-proof features, main compartment latch, adjustable shoulder strap length are all an added plus.

I’ve had my black purse for almost a year and have had no issues with quality or wear. I liked it so much, I ordered it in burgundy.

This is a cute bag from the outside, but not very functional inside where it counts. The lining seems to be made from an ugly brown pillowcase...it's thick and fuzzy and takes up a lot of room, making finding anything in the bag really cumbersome. Also; no phone pocket.