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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.
Jane Birkin’s choice of carry-all has been in the news lately. Sure, her eponymous original Hermes bag original recently sold for over just north of 8 million dollars. But I want to talk about her other prominent influence over bags—basket bags to be specific. The icon really changed the game by making woven wicker her seasonal tote of choice. In my mind, this style note, which transcends shape and form, is one of the most lasting visual pieces of her impact. A good basket bag gives texture and functionality, but melds perfectly with the ease and laziness of the summer. It’s just natural.
Justine Basket Bag
285.00 at sezane.com
My go-to for the genre, as it were, is the Sézane Justine Basket Bag. To me she is perfect. I own the style in both the rich olive raffia (an essential neutral!) and the natural raffia colorways, both of which I carry consistently and fetch oodles of compliments. Let me tell you why.
Lightweight with a lovely clamshell like structure, the piece is grounded in its shape. The mid size is great for everyday carrying, but doesn’t allow hauling, which I think is good. But it does hold its fluted shape while toting everything you need for a day out. Second, the handles. There are two sets. Long, for when you need to carry over your shoulder and short to carry in the hand. The straps are thinner for over the shoulder, so they don’t cut, but the thickness of the short straps feels really nice while carrying. Small details that make a difference.
While there is no zipper or closure for the basket effect, there is an internal drawstring pouch to ensure that you can keep everything secure— no spills. And the raffia weave is really refined, which gives the basket a very distinguished look. A beauty through and through. You’ll see me with mine well into fall. That much I can say for certain— it’s what Jane Birkin would do.
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