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Normally, I would say no. But I'm about to do something a little different for me. I'm about to start a new little job and that involves a commute ... on public transport. I can't remember when I ever did that, infact I never did because I drove myself to work even for my very first temping job in my early twenties. So I said yes. I said yes to a Gaston Luga backpack when they contacted me because I thought "actually that might be really useful".
Gaston Luga are a Swedish backpack company from Stockholm. They actually had me at the "from Stockholm" introduction as I do love a little Swedish minimalist design. Ironically, I went for the least minimal design which is their Pärlan range and also unexpectedly, I went for a burgundy one instead of traditional black which you would expect me to home in on. A change is always good and as it turns out, the burgundy tone in real life is quite beautiful.
The Pärlan design is a fairly neat size but I didn't want anything which would swamp me either. I studied the website and their Instagram feed before deciding on what felt right for me. They do have larger designs such as the Pråper which comfortably fits up to a 15" laptop but that wasn't necessary for my needs. I have to say, it is beautifully made - the stitching and finishing on the backpack is precise and my hubs first impression when he saw it was "that looks expensive" and then "Do they do any for men?". Answer to that is yes by the way as the majority of the designs are unisex.
So what can I tell you about the backpack? The "leather" parts are made from a vegan leather and the nylon used seems sturdy but is lightweight and water resistant. Little bonus features include the way it's separated in to two reasonable size compartments, good for keeping purses, phones and keys on one side and all your junk in the other like foldup shopping bags and packets of tissues. I'm not that snotty but it's just one of life's essentials that I think you should have with you. 😊
Oh and one thing which stood out to me, the strap holders. There's two of them basically instead of one which helps keep the straps flush and in place instead of them being loose and getting bent. Little touches like that means some thought has gone into the design.
And last but not least, the cutest little feature has to be the "hidden" back pocket where you can keep things like your passport when you're travelling. Because it's in the back, there's no pickpocketing of your valuables from there, so likewise it's good for people to keep travel or work passes which they want to keep safe yet easily access. My family would like this feature in particular as they are paranoid about pickpockets and have been known to go round Hong Kong with a backpack on their front just to make sure they won't have anyone creeping up and stealing anything from behind.
So yes, as I was saying, I'm starting a little job soon helping my friend Alex at The Little Yorkshire Candle Company, in York which involves a daily commute and I'm going to enjoy using my little Pärlan backpack to bring a little colour to my daily outfits.
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Last Note :
- Currently, Gaston Luga are offering a 25% discount on all their products as part of their Black Friday promotion which also includes a free Ärlig clear travel bag. The discount is automatically applied at checkout so no code is required however this is for a limited time period so if you miss it or you might need a little time to thing things through, you can always use the code SUSIESOSO for 15% off instead.
- If you see me wandering around in York looking a bit lost - I probably am. I have a rubbish sense of direction.
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