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The saddle bag is one of the oldest shapes in leatherwork, and it has survived because the proportions are genuinely right. The Aryanna is our version of it.
The saddle bag is exactly what the name says: a form developed to hang from a saddle, with a flap that keeps weather out and a shape that sits close rather than swinging.
Those requirements produced a bag that happens to be ideal off a horse too. The flap protects the contents, the structure holds its form, and the proportions sit well against the body.
The Aryanna holds its shape. That has real consequences day to day:
Our guide to the leather shoulder bag covers structured versus soft in more detail.
Full grain leather on a structured bag ages differently from a soft one. Rather than slumping, it burnishes: the flap edges, the corners and the areas your hand touches darken and take on a shine, while the overall form stays.
That’s the look people associate with old riding leather, and it’s why a saddle bag at ten years old often looks better than at one. See how leather ages.
Short on the shoulder, with the bag at the waist. The most flattering, and it suits the structured form.
Crossbody, which is how the shape was originally designed to be carried and still the most practical for walking.
Over a coat, where the structure holds up against bulk in a way a soft bag doesn’t.
Our guide to country style meets city chic covers the styling.
A saddle bag suits country and equestrian settings obviously, and that’s where ours get used most. But the shape is formal enough for town and smart enough for an occasion. Our guides to equestrian-style handbags and the perfect handbag for the races cover the occasions.
A twilly on the strap fixing is the natural pairing, and the country prints suit it particularly. See pairing bags and scarves.
A structured bag with a flap relies on its fittings constantly: the fastening is opened and closed every time you use it. Solid fittings matter here more than almost anywhere else. Our guide to leather bag hardware covers what to look for.
The saddle bag comes in more than one size, which changes the character considerably. The smaller version is an everyday bag; the larger carries a day out comfortably. Our guide to choosing the right handbag size helps decide.
See the Aryanna bag and the rest of our handbags.
No. The shape is formal enough for town and smart enough for occasions. The association is historical rather than limiting.
It holds its stated capacity reliably rather than stretching. In practice that means things stay findable.
The smaller for everyday carrying, the larger for days out. Our handbag size guide walks through it.
