Well, Dagne Dover has done it again. Only this time instead
of gorgeous leather bags that keep you uber organized for work, it is a line of
neoprene bags (called the 365) for weekend fun, travel, and the gym.
I arrived to New York mid-morning Thursday, and my first
stop of the day was Dagne’s headquarters in Soho. I love stopping by and seeing
what’s new and what they are working on next. They are also some of the
sweetest, most creative, and all-around awesome girl bosses you will ever meet.
During my visit, Maria showed me the entire neoprene
collection and all of its nifty features. As gorgeous and functional as each
design was, I knew I had to try the Dakota backpack the moment I saw it.
I have been searching for a functional and stylish backpack
for a while now. I often lament not having one as I schlep my laptop, books,
and other necessities across Florence, or on day tours/trips with students. And
don’t get me started with my airport tote. It is always way too heavy. While I
know it is so much better for your back to use a backpack, I just never found
one that I loved. Until now!
Enter Dagne’s neoprene pink backpack. I immediately tested
it out for an afternoon of exploring Soho and Tribeca. Inside I carried my camera, tripod,
various Soho purchases (sorry, not sorry), water bottle, cell phone, wallet,
etc. I couldn’t believe how comfortable it was! Four hours and four miles
later, I was still going strong. The neoprene makes it super lightweight and
incredibly functional. You can hand wash it (thank goodness because NYC already
got mine dirty, sigh), steam out any creases from travel, and it is quick drying.
Inside the backpack you will find a laptop compartment, shoe
bag, detachable small accessory bag, and more pockets than you can count. My
favorite detail is the hidden side pockets on either side, which allow you to
access your cell phone or metro card without having to take off your bag.
In addition to the backpack, I also opted for the large
neoprene cosmetic bag. I am super excited about this piece for travel too,
because as we all know, keeping your bag under the allotted weight is so
important when traveling (more tips on that here). This is especially true if
you’re headed to Europe where they are even stricter about bag weight. Charles
de Gaulle will actually weight your carryon and personal item as you enter
security, and together they cannot exceed ten kilos. Needless to say, anything
that cuts down on weight and helps you stay organized is a win-win. I will be
doing a spring beauty update soon and I promise to share more of this gorgeous toiletry/make
up bag then.
So what do you think of Dagne Dover’s latest neoprene
collection?
