outfit: win a leader bag co. backpack!

i have to admit it. have a love/hate relationship with diaper bags. to me, they’re a kind of necessary evil. if i try to leave the house without one, i usually end up regretting it. either because all of the baby things are scattered in the little storage bin under the stroller, or sliding around in the back seat of my car. or worse yet, i find myself stuck somewhere without extra diapers and wipes. so i know i need to bring one, but i am not super into the idea of carrying around a puffy shoulder bag with baby characters splashed across the front of it. and while i admit that the selection of diaper bags has already gotten so much better than when i had my first kid, there still aren’t many that i would hold up as very awesome. but leader bag co. is one such bag. in my very first guide to diaper bags, i held them up as the holy grail of diaper bags. and that still remains true today.

i finally got my hands on the julien leather set in ivory and tan, and it was love at first sight. the only catch is that, as some readers pointed out, the price point wasn’t super attainable. but here’s the thing: the brand really took the comments to heart and came back this year with not only a lower price point on their original leather bag, but a brand new bag: the julien canvas set, which comes in the black you see in my photos, along with a variety of other fun color combinations. i went simple with mine, but i already have my eye on the golden colorway. but enough talk, and onto the fun stuff….

we’re offering one lucky winner the chance to win any one of the leader bag co. julien canvas sets! to enter, simply visit this post on instagram!

outfit: the baby backpack

calivintage + leader bag co.

remember in the ’90s when baby backpacks were all the rage? well, today i’m talking about a different kind of baby backpack. because i’ve got two babies now, and a teensy tiny backpack will no longer cut it. now i carry a backpack full of diapers, and it’s huge and fully loaded (the backpack, not the diapers– hopefully). since becoming a mother and accepting that i will indeed need to carry a diaper bag, it’s been really hard for me to find something that is both fashionable and functional. thankfully, there are a lot more brands understanding that not all parents want to carry around a puffy bag covered in cartoon characters. i mean, it’s cool if you want to, but i prefer something a bit less conspicuous.

so when i came across leader bag co., it was love at first sight. it’s my holy grail of diaper bags. and not just because it’s good looking, although that certainly helps. it was also designed by two mothers who are well aware of the organizational needs that one might have when lugging around a bag filled with baby stuff. before i got this handsome backpack, i carried around a fjallraven, which was awesome, but sorely lacking in all of the little compartments i needed to contain various diapers, wipes, toys, pacifiers, coloring books, snacks, bottles, etc. this one has tons of useful compartments, plus it’s handmade in new york city with soft leather accents and a durable cotton canvas body with a wipeable nylon interior and brass hardware. swoon. it also has padded shoulder straps and comes with two leather stroller straps. inside, there is a separate pouch that doubles as a cross-body handbag, and contains a nylon changing mat.

it’s so good looking, in fact, that even brendan is willing to carry it around. and i know some people may balk at the price tag, and i totally get that not everyone is willing or able to spend that much on a diaper bag. luckily, i also wrote this quick guide to finding a cute diaper bag, which has several more options that might suit your needs! and a little birdy told me that they will also be coming out with an all canvas style in tons of fun colors (think mustard, blues, purple) in mid to late february! so keep an eye out for those, too!

wearing:
colorant cashmere sweater
rachel comey slim legion pants
maryam nassir zadeh roberta heels
steven alan bryce sunglasses (in peach crystal, coming soon!)
young frankk orb cuff
leader bag julian julien set in natural

calivintage + leader bag co.
calivintage + leader bag co.
calivintage + leader bag co.
calivintage + leader bag co.
calivintage + leader bag co.