The Not Fresa Tote

I'm typically one who shies away from patent products. Something about the high gloss makes me feel a little tarty, although tarty doesn't quite describe it. The best word I can think of doesn't really have an English translation, but in Spanish, it's fresa. Literally, it means strawberry. Colloquially, it means something like "entitled brat on The Hills." That's how patent makes me feel.

However, I just got this large patent tote (unlike the tote pictured, mine has brass hardware). I love it. It holds everything: large wallet, two notebooks, a 640-page book (Chasing The Flame by Samantha Power), a water bottle, and any number of tiny extras like chapstick.
Because it's so utilitarian, there's nothing fresa about it, and I'm learning that patent paired with matte and more industrial-looking textures is actually quite striking.