Do you have a childhood toy or activity that inspired you to become something or taught you something that was useful later in life? I had Day to Night Barbie and she inspired me to be the business woman that I am today. By day, she dressed in a beautiful pink suede skirt suit with a neck scarf. And by night, her reversible skirt had pink sequins to match her pink sequined cami. In an instant she went from work to play, seamlessly. She showed that you can have it all and that changing from day to night with little effort should always be the goal. I didn’t know it then, but the Holly & Tanager Companion Max Handbag would be my adult Day to Night Barbie.
Imagine my excitement finding a purse that can take me from daytime to nighttime in an instant and keep me stylish the entire time. Not only is there one purse like this, but there are several. The brand, Holly & Tanager, is the brainchild of Lindsay Lingle, a Chicago entrepreneur. Lindsay identified a gap in the marketplace. She needed a functional, stylish bag that could easily take her from office to evening events. She didn’t want to sacrifice fashion for function and believed that women really do deserve it all when it came to a bag to fit their lifestyle.
Holly & Tanager offers seven products ranging in size, function and color. All products are made in the United States and constructed of 100% genuine leather. Lindsay truly thought of it all when designing the product line. Each bag is designed to be carried together and work with one and other. From the Champion wallet to the Companion Max handbag, they are created to function together. It’s a complete system to add functionality and style to your everyday life.
The Companion Max handbag is my favorite, as I haven’t been able to put this bag down! I will admit the size was a bit intimidating when I first got it. I truly loved the size for daytime use as it could fit everything I needed without looking bulky or feeling heavy. However I wasn’t sure if it was too big for nighttime use as an oversized clutch. I quickly put that doubt to rest after using it once.
For daytime, the bag is a great size to wear alone or use as a portfolio within a bigger tote. I was able to fit everything I needed without it feeling weighed down or too stuffed. You can easily fit all of your essentials including an iPad, notebook, pen, wallet, sunglasses and other necessary toiletries. The full zipper closure allows you to easily access the entire purse. The interior of the purse has a side zipper pocket as well as a open side pocket. I like to keep my phone in the open pocket so it’s easy to find.
The adjustable strap offers several options for wearability, either over the shoulder or across the body. It’s also very easy to adjust the length of the strap to take it from over the shoulder to across the body in seconds. I typically wear bags across my body though, as I’m always paranoid that someone is going to try to swipe it from me. When I wear it across my body, they need to take me down in order to get it :). Wearing it this way is a breeze as the bag lays flat on your side or back and feels even. It doesn’t hang to one side or twist.
For evenings, I simply remove the strap, slip it in the purse and use it as an oversized clutch. I can carry it under my arm or slip my hand in the leather hand strap. I love the leather hand strap, love it! It’s a unique detail that other purses don’t have and it serves as a functional piece for both day and night. It creates effortless style and stays on my hand with little to no effort to hold it up. In terms of sizing, I can easily fit everything I need for the night into the bag and have a little room to spare. I tend to trim down my things at night and carry my phone, a small wallet, keys, mints and a scarf (I always get cold, even in the summer), which all easily fit into the purse.
The Companion Max handbag is truly the perfect for day or night as it is designed for the woman on the go. Functionality is key for me and the design of this bag is centered around functionality, its pure genius and it’s something I haven’t seen executed perfectly before. The craftsmanship of the bag is similar to a Coach or Tory Burch bag. However, I’m a fan of the Holly & Tanager leather over the previous brands. Its smooth and buttery with zero imperfections. It’s also 100% genuine leather and smells delicious!
I also favor this bag because of the logo placement and size. With a tiny gold embossed logo on the front of the bag it’s subtle yet strong, and allows the bag to speak for itself. This is a big selling point for me, as I’m not a huge logo person. While I love the luxurious brands like Coach and Burberry, I am wary of looking like a walking billboard for brands. Which makes the Holy & Tanager brand perfect for me.
The details of the bag as super rich as well. The purse has soft stitching around the strap and zipper that offers the slightest amount of contrast to the buttery caramel colored leather. The caramel colored bag is topped off with shiny gold hardware that offers the right amount of shine to the purse. The straps of the purse attach on the back of the purse with beautiful gold hardware. The small claws are lightweight and swivel 360 degrees, meaning you never get twisted or hung up on anything. The purse moves and works with you, not against you, which is a great feature for a woman on the go who is walking everywhere and getting on and off the bus multiple times a day. Adding or removing the straps takes seconds and the strap fits perfectly inside the purse. It’s so easy that I can literally change the strap while walking.
Needless to say I’m obsessed with this bag. I’ve recently been using it more than my Burberry Tote I saved for and my weekend signet bag due to the seamless transition from day to night and the multiple ways I can wear it. If you haven’t checked out Holly & Tanager yet, head over to their site (tell them Later Ever After sent you) and shop their bags and treat yourself to the only purse you need.
Looking for other great female owned brands, check out one of my favorite clothing brands that just came to Chicago!
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