As much as I love my Form Bag (reviewed here), I was looking to switch things up with a part-time backpack. Despite the comfortable and wide Form Bag strap, I still found myself sometimes tensing up my shoulder to carry it. I like that a backpack more evenly distributes the weight of a laptop, so I was in the market for a black leather backpack. I have a few existing packs, but they’re all colorfully nylon.
When the Parker Clay team reached out to collaborate, I was intrigued by their lineup. Their goods are all ethically made in Ethiopia – from the leather sourced from local farmers to the women who are paid a fair wage with employment advancement opportunities. I decided to try out their popular Miramar backpack style. Now that I’ve used it for a few weeks, here are my thoughts so far!
Style
I like the simplicity of this backpack – it’s a simple zip top backpack with a small front pocket. The clean lines are nice, along with the bright pop of gold in the zippers – I went with black (of course), but the cognac and dark brown look lovely as well. The thin straps make it look a bit dressier than your standard padded backpack straps.
Function
This pack fits just enough for a workday – my Macbook Pro 13”, notebook, cables, keys, wallet and small accessories fit perfectly in here. Given that the straps are narrower, it’s good that I won’t accidentally overstuff this pack. I do wish it could fit a water bottle (it might be able to fit a small one sideways), though I know that would change the design quite a bit. I like the slimness of this backpack, as it allows me to sit on a bus or train without having to take it off #lazy
Material
The Parker Clay leather is sturdy. It’s very, very different than that of my other bags, with a waxy-like finish on the thick leather. While scratches can be visible at first, you can almost buff them out due to the finish. The stitching looks solid, and I haven’t had any concerns carrying around my laptop in it on a regular basis. I did notice that initially, there was some black color transfer from the bag itself. So I would avoid wearing this with lighter colored clothing until it patinas a bit.
Overall, I’ve enjoyed using the Miramar backpack so far. It’s been one of my daily staples for work, and I can see it remaining so for a while.
If you’re interested in purchasing one of their bags, you can use my code SINCEWEN20 for 20% off your first order.
Update: Their Black Friday sale is LIVE with 25% off sitewide and 30% off orders more than $250! No need to use the code above, this sale is sitewide.
Partnership Disclosure: This blog post was produced in partnership with Parker Clay and contains items that were gifted in exchange for coverage. As always, all opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, in which I earn a commission on purchases.
