Although I own hundreds of bags, I find myself hunting through my collection to find a bag that I love and will end up carrying for weeks at a time. Sometimes I change out my bags often, but when I find a great bag, I tend to stick with it. A few weeks ago, I started carrying my Salvatore Ferragamo Small Tote in Raffia and Python and since I first picked it up, I haven’t put it down. With all the love I’m giving this bag, it only seemed fair to break it down in our Purseonals series.
Here is how my Ferragamo Small Tote scores in our PurseBlog Purseonals ratings:
Aesthetics 
I was immediately drawn to this bag; the classic tote shape has outside details to make it stand out, and the sleek design lured me in. I’ve always been drawn to mixed materials, and Ferragamo does it right on this tote. The pairing of raffia and python with leather trim creates a very upscale look.
Upon further inspection, I found so many additional touches that gives this bag more character. The silver hardware has classic Gancio ornaments and leads to a really clever zip around pocket at the rounded sides of the bag. Everyone who has seen me carry this bag loves it, and I do too.
Usability + Functionality
Let me start with the good, because there is so much good to this bag. Even though this is the smaller size, the double top handles offer plenty of space to actually throw this bag over your shoulder, which is rare on a lot of bags. The inside of the bag shows the design to be fairly thoughtful and clever, with side pockets and pouches along with an optional zip top closure that still sits beautifully if you choose to leave it open.
I can’t say that there is a bad, but there is something I would add to make this bag even more functional and usable: an optional shoulder strap. The size is really great for everyday use and even for travel, and while the shoulder straps are easier to put on, a long strap would make this bag absolutely ideal.
Quality + Construction
Every time I end up with a piece from Ferragamo, I cannot stop raving about it. This bag is no different. From inside to outside, every material is absolutely magnificent. I’ve been carrying this bag for a few weeks and have used it for everything from travel to everyday wear, I’ve really used this bag, and it has yet to show one bit of wear.
Python typically is very sensitive and tends to look like it’s flaking, but the sides of this bag are still super soft and beautiful, without a bit of rolling. The raffia is very secure and doesn’t feel rough, and from the moment I grabbed the shoulder straps, I fell in love with the supple leather the bag features as well.
The inside is no different – soft suede lines the interior, which features well thought-out pockets. The suede is lighter color but still shows no wear. Overall, if you saw me with this bag, you would think it was my first day carrying it, and that is the sign of a well-made bag.
Value
The price of this bag is $2,100. Prices are rising on all designer handbags, and the majority of bags of this quality tend to start closer to the $2,000 range than the $1,000 range. For the quality of the bag, the materials used and the brand heritage, it’s priced more fairly than I would have expected.
The ‘It’ Factor
I absolutely adore this bag, as does everyone who sees me carrying it. Many Ferragamo bags tend to err on the side of classic and safe, but the mixed materials give this bag a very current finish. The tote shape has a modern-day touch that makes it stand out.
While this isn’t an entirely new design and shape, Ferragamo found a way to make this bag incredibly on-trend, and since you can carry it for years, this bag is totally worth it.
Total Score
This is a classic design and a beautiful bag. I adore this smaller size, but there is also a larger size that I may need to look into as well. Across the board, this bag scored well, and it’s easy to see why.
There are plain leather versions on Neiman Marcus for $1,990 and my exact version is $2,100 via Ferragamo online.
