Here at T&C, we pride ourselves on our discerning eye for quality. With Tried & True, our editors will give you an inside look at the pieces they simply cannot live without.
There are few things in life that stress me out more than packing a suitcase. It doesn’t matter if I’m going away for a night, weekend, or week, I always get overwhelmed with fitting my belongings into a carry-on (because as you know, here at T&C, we’re #TeamCarryOn). Ahead of a recent 10-day trip across Europe, I found the task especially ugh-worthy because I couldn’t decide on a purse to take with me. I needed something like a crossbody bag for my day-to-day sight-seeing, and I also wanted a more elevated style I could carry in the evening, but I didn’t have the room to pack both. Enter: the Senreve Aria Élevée Belt Bag.
Senreve is a luxury label that prides itself on designing sleek silhouettes that can be converted into various other styles. The best-selling Maestra backpack is the brand’s best-seller, but the one that caught my eye when I was doing my research was the Aria Élevée Belt Bag. The purse is structured and made of genuine pebbled leather in Italy that’s scratch, stain, and water-resistant, and it features the most elegant gold metal buckle with a magnetic closure for easy access.
But this chic little number is more than just a looker; it’s the most functional piece around. The Aria comes sold as a belt bag, but it can also be turned into four other different silhouettes just with the change of the strap. I repeat: You can wear the Aria Élevée in four different ways: as a sling, shoulder bag, crossbody, and clutch. How convenient is that?
This bag came to the rescue when I was traveling abroad because it not only perfectly fit all my daily essentials (card case, phone, sunglasses, and emergency Tylenol) and was functional enough to be carried as a casual crossbody or sling while I was touring European landmarks, but it transitioned effortlessly into an elegant shoulder bag or clutch for dinner plans. There are even little rings on the exterior sides, which you can use to swap out the leather band for a dainty chain strap. Not to mention, it’s easily the most lightweight leather bag I’ve ever carried. No matter how much I pack inside, it never digs into my shoulders after hours of walking.
I have since taken the Aria Élevée on two other trips, and constantly grab it when I am running errands in the neighborhood or meeting friends for drinks. If you’re looking for a bag that goes with everything and can be carried absolutely anywhere, this bag is seriously the perfect middle ground. With the holiday season just about here, I couldn’t think of a more practical gift for the special lady in your life. Mark my words: The Senreve bag will be the workhorse of her wardrobe.