A letter from a reader
I Didn't Think It Would All Fit. Now It's the Only Bag I Carry
A place for everything, so I found my keys at the front door without tipping the bag out.
I'm not someone who writes letters like this. But I've bought from Scott & Daughters for years, and lately friends keep asking about one thing: the little brown bag I carry everywhere.
For years I carried a big handbag. It held half the house, it pulled on one shoulder all day, and every time I needed my keys or my phone I was standing at the door digging through it.
What I wanted was simple: something smaller that still takes what I need, with a place for everything, a strap that sits across me so my hands are free, and a shape that looks smart, not sporty.
The Harper is that bag. I carry the light brown one, and I've had a good look at the black and the dark brown too. Here are the five things that made me write this letter.
I found my keys without tipping the bag out
Everything has its own place.
The Harper is about 26 by 22 centimetres, so it can't turn into a bottomless pit. But it has more places to put things than my old big bag: a zip pocket under the front flap, the flap pocket itself, a zip pocket on the back and a main compartment with separate slots inside.
Keys go in the front zip pocket. Now I walk up to my door and they're in my hand before I get there.
Both hands free at the Saturday market
A strap that sits across me, not on one shoulder.
The wide strap adjusts, so I wear it across my body at the length I like. The weight sits in the middle instead of dragging one shoulder down.
At the market I had a coffee in one hand and a bunch of flowers in the other, and the bag just stayed where it was. If I only pop into a shop, I take the short handle on top instead.
My phone is out before the second ring
The back pocket holds it flat.
My phone used to sink to the bottom of every bag I owned. On the Harper there's a zip pocket on the back, against my side, and my phone sits in there flat.
When it rings I unzip, and it's in my hand. No more missed calls from my daughter while I'm rummaging.
From the shops straight to lunch
It looks right in both.
Plenty of small bags look like something for a bushwalk. The Harper is structured, with clean lines, a flap at the front and a neat top handle, so it looks finished.
I've taken it to the supermarket and to a birthday lunch on the same day, and it looked right both times. It comes in light brown, black and dark brown, which go with almost everything I own.
Everything zipped on the train into the city
I don't sit there clutching it.
I used to hold my handbag on my lap on the train, one hand on the top. With the Harper the main compartment zips shut, the pockets zip shut, and the bag sits in front of me on the strap.
It's a small thing, but I sit back now and look out the window instead of watching my bag.
Everything I wanted in an everyday bag, together.
Where I found it, and the current price.
I found the Harper through Scott & Daughters, a family boutique that Julie Scott has handed over to her daughters, Emily and Charlotte.
Right now it's part of their New Chapter Sale, priced at $64.95 AUD, reduced from $159.95 AUD. I don't know how long that price lasts.
If this sounds like the bag you've been looking for, you can see the three colours and order directly from the product page below.
Harper - Luxury Shoulder Bag
$159.95 AUD$64.95 AUD
New Chapter Sale · Save 60%
- Small and organised: about 26 by 22 cm
- Front flap, front zip pocket and back zip pocket
- Wide adjustable strap to wear across the body
- Short top handle for quick trips
- Light brown · Black · Dark brown
Free Shipping with Australia Post | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
See the colours →Check the product page for current colour availability.
Megan ♡