Review: The Madewell Sling Crossbody

The Sling Crossbody Bag is she’s back in stock! She was sold out for a minute, but she’s back, baby and I absolutely recommend her. See my full review below.

I love the crossbody / sling bag trend and I don’t see it going anywhere soon.  If you, like me, started casually with athletic crossbody (the famed Lululemon one) then this is your sign to upgrade your casual crossbody to an everyday one. The Sling Crossbody from Madewell one is perfect for everyday. The size works for most bodies / sizes, too. The strap is adjustable for all heights as well as busts. It adjusts like a belt, so it’s easy to fix as your outfit dimensions differ. Wearing a bulkier sweater? No problem you can adjust for that. Wearing a lightweight dress? Adjust it right back.

The leather is smooth but doesn’t scratch too easily, although I do think it will wear as most leather does. It will soften and usually the matte wears off on some edges over time. If you’ve bought Madewell leather goods before, it’s the same leather as their bags. It’s a lightweight feel and I love that it’s logo-less. It creates a more ‘quiet luxury’ look with the no logo, smooth design.

The opening for the main pocket is very wide as the zipper extends the entire width, so if you have a longer wallet, it can slide in and out with ease. I hate when purses have plenty of room but the zipper is cut short so you can’t get the items in easily or you scratch your hand on the zipper getting items out. This one is a full width zipper with a leather tab.

So what I love the most about this little bag is the smallest feature that I just discovered by accident the other day. There is this extra little zippered pocket at the bottom that you can stash your keys or cash in. Honestly you could get your phone in there too, it’s roomy but I like to stash my keys in there for ease.

How’s the storage you ask? Really nice for a crossbody. I can fit my everyday items in there, for example:

• my iPhone
• headphones (the big kind, too!)
• large wallet
• a few things of makeup
• my keys
• snacks / protein bar

Roomy, slick and under $125 — it’s a great bag! My recommendation is black, if you tend to wear a lot of black or neutrals and if you are looking for a year-round bag. I also love the cream color as well for spring / summer. (Especially if you were thinking about the Clare V. bag and want a different price!)

Also if you don’t love the crossbody look, this one works as a shoulder bag or even a clutch look, too. But I say, give the crossbody look a try — I swear you’ll be a convert yet. 😉