The Ambleside — Oxblood Women’s Leather Messenger Bag

Oxblood is a deep, wine-dark red that looks almost brown in the evening and glows in daylight. On the Ambleside it turns a practical work bag into the one detail people remember about an outfit.

The Ambleside is our slim women’s laptop messenger: 15 inches wide, just 3 inches deep and around 2.2 lb, so it lies flat against the hip and never drags on a shoulder. The flap closes with a square turn-lock in solid brass and opens on to a rose cotton lining that you can see into even on a dark morning.

See the rest of our leather messenger bags for women and the wider women's leather bags range. Our guide to the best leather work bags for women compares it with totes and satchels.

Why an oxblood women’s messenger bag works with everything

Oxblood behaves like a neutral. It pairs with camel and grey coats, navy suits and black jeans, and it looks better the more it is worn because the colour deepens where your hand rests on the flap.

A slim laptop messenger that carries a 14 inch laptop

Inside, a padded sleeve takes a laptop up to 14 inches. There is a zipped pocket for keys and cards and two slip pockets for a phone and lip balm, all lined in rose twill.

The strap is 1.25 inches wide and adjusts for wearing across the body or on one shoulder. Because the bag is only 3 inches deep it fits under a café table and between seats on a train.

Oxblood full grain leather and the brass turn-lock

The leather is full grain with a smooth finish and a faint natural grain. The turn-lock is solid brass with no plating, and it clicks shut firmly so the flap never lifts when the bag is full.