As I mentioned in my February Recap post, I bought this Ree Projects Ann Tote Mini bag from Saks as an early birthday present to myself. This is my second bag from Ree Projects, a black woman-founded bag brand out of Amsterdam that makes all their bags in Italy with gorgeous Italian leathers. My first Ree Projects bag was the Mini Helene tote bag that I loved but I never reached for because the bag was a bit too deep for practical use (I was constantly searching for things at the bottom of the bag). So I decided to sell the Mini Helene with the RealReal, and buy myself the Mini Ann (mostly with gift cards so I only had to pay about $65 out of pocket). And it was the best handbag decision I’ve made in a long time.

I really really love this bag. First off I love the smooth, durable leather. It’s the same high quality leather used on the mini Helene, and that thing held up like a champ. I was probably able to get a great price on the mini Helene from the RealReal because even though it was used, it looked almost brand new. And even though the leather is smooth with a bit of sheen to it, it resists scratches. Also The bag is lined with leather but it isn’t heavy at all (actual weight empty is 9oz). I think a lot of this has to do with the minimal hardware and sleek design.

Oh and the design, I love that too. I’m a sucker for any interesting bag that has that origami look, and that’s what attracted me to Ree Projects in the first place. I love that the inner lining peeks up past the bag so you can see it. It’s pretty subtle on this caramel colored bag, but it’s definitely more striking in the black colorway.

And for a compact looking bag, this mini Ann tote really holds quite a bit. I did a #WIMB (what’s in my bag) video over on Instagram and see all the essentials (and then some) that I can fit into this thing. I also love that I can switch out the crossbody strap on this bag, unlike the mini Helene bag where the strap is not removable. So as you can see in my #WIMB video, I’ve switched the strap to my thick canvas Hermes Evelyne III bag, which gives it a different vibe and makes it easier to carry imo.

And last but not least, the design of the bag on the inside makes it really easy to organize. I love that my bulky cardholder actually fits into the flat pocket (you would think that would be a given but the flat pocket in my Polene Beri is just ever so slightly smaller and can’t fit my cardholder thus rendering that pocket useless). There are two fairly big compartments so that I can separate my most used items and my less used items. And everything closes up nice and tight with a strong magnet at the top.

And for all these reasons, this high-quality and well-designed bag has become a fast favorite and one of go-to’s when traveling light. You can now find Ree Projects at Shopbop, Saks, and Nordstrom. And I’m so glad this brand is finally getting the distribution it deserves!