The Perfect Italian Leather Hobo Bag. Reimagined.

We’ve long been fans of the hobo bag. It has a casual chic that makes it appropriate for most situations.

The hobo, as traditionally defined, is crescent shaped, with a strap designed to wear over the shoulder. It is made of soft, often slouchy, material that makes it lightweight and easy to carry.

While this handbag style has been around since at least the 1930s, it recently came back into vogue; Neiman Marcus just declared the hobo “the one bag you need for fall.” This love affair with the hobo was reignited when The Row featured the hobo in its handbag line. One of us, always searching for a perfect hobo, succumbed and bought one from The Row, despite its four figure price tag. And it is a lovely bag, in keeping with the brand’s clean and simple aesthetics. (Have we mentioned before how much we love The Row; their clothing comes pretty close to perfection). But their hobo bag left us wanting more.

Here’s how the Purse Forum described the new hobos, including those introduced by The Row: “Although some people think of hobo bags as bottomless pits, picking the right one will get you a roomy, functional, casual bag that's comfortable to carry and easy to access. Because hobos are slouchy and collapse in on themselves a bit, it's less necessary to fumble with flaps, ties or zippers than it is on most bags, and they're generally lightweight and easy to keep on your arm. This time around, the designs are generally minimalist and neutral, which can make them a great office option if you don't have to carry a laptop or simple prefer a discreet option.” This post, from the summer of 2016 goes on to feature a number of lovely hobo bags, with prices ranging from around $250 to over $4,000.

We agree with much of this praise for the hobo. Hobos are roomy, often lightweight and usually easy to access. Lovely as many of these bags are, though, we still found them wanting. Let’s face it, many really are bottomless pits, particularly when they have a dark interior. And we found their drop insufficient; elbows hit these bags when putting them on, and some have a drop that makes them arm, not shoulder, bags.

When we designed The Evelyn, we incorporated much of what we appreciate in a classic 

hobo---roomy, functional, lightweight, easy to keep on our shoulder---but we improved it. The12” drop is long enough to wear over your shoulder (even when wearing a coat), the interior is light, making it easy to locate contents, and it has a phone pocket, a zipper pocket and a strap for keys. When closed, it’s design is less of a crescent and more of a pyramid, allowing it to sit up when placed on a table or floor, perfect for a professional setting.

The Evelyn, with its signature braided straps and its buttery soft Italian leather, is our idea of the perfect hobo. But yes, it’s been reimagined.