The Wren — Woven Leather Tote Bag in Tan

Tan is the Wren that shows the weave most clearly, because the light catches every strand edge differently. It is the color we photograph the design in for that reason. Expect it to deepen unevenly, with the raised parts of the weave darkening first, which is what gives an old woven bag its depth.

It comes in two sizes. The small is 11.75″ (30 cm) wide, 9.5″ (24 cm) high and 4.75″ (12 cm) deep, with a 9″ (23 cm) handle drop, and takes up to an 11-inch tablet, no laptop. The regular is 15″ (38 cm) wide, 11″ (28 cm) high and 5.5″ (14 cm) deep, with a 10.25″ (26 cm) handle drop, and takes up to a 13-inch laptop. Pick the size in the menu above; the price changes with it.

It is for someone who wants texture rather than a flat panel and still needs the bag to do a day’s work.

The leather

Bark tanned rather than chrome tanned, which is why this is the one hide in the range that changes in front of you. The weave runs over a full leather backing panel rather than being left open, so the strands cannot spread under load. It starts pale and unfinished, and sunlight, hand oils and ordinary wear pull it toward a deep chestnut over roughly two years.

How it is made

Hand stitching where it carries weight, machine stitching where it does not, which is an honest division of labour. Handles are set through the body panel and riveted in solid brass at both ends, never glued to a tab. Heavy cotton twill inside, one zip pocket and two open ones, stitched in rather than glued so it can be replaced. Made to order and dispatched in 4 to 6 working days, or about a day longer with a monogram.