‘These are real bags, for real women, for real life,' Julia Dobson tells me when we meet. And I like her instantly. Well, not exactly instantly, the co-founder of Village England bags and I have been trying to get-together for over a year. Julia had introduced herself via email and I liked the look of Village England bags – simple design, good quality leather, lots of pockets – as well as Julia’s friendly tone. But what with the book writing and the business-running, meeting up in real life, took these two real women a real long time . ‘We’re not trying to be fashionable,’ she adds, ‘Just stylish and lovely. Life is too busy to worry about your bag being ‘’so last season’’, it just needs to suit your lifestyle.’ Having worked at Céline, Julia comes from a luxury background but didn’t want to go back into the busy, corporate world after having a baby. Together with her pal Eddie Knevett, the man responsible for turning around the accessories department at House Of Fraser, they decided to do something special, to embrace slow fashion and combine a luxury brand approach with an artisanal feel and an affordable price tag.
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| Village England Beamish bag |
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| That's Me with my Beamish |
Village England very kindly gave me a Beamish bag to test-drive and I’ve been carrying it around ever since. The Beamish is a good size, I like the slouchy style and the khaki colour goes with everything, including my Polar Vortex Parka. There are two straps so I can sling it across my body, carry it over my shoulder or in the crook of my elbow – not something I’ve ever been comfortable doing before but the design of this bag makes that incredibly easy. And not at all fashion-y. Village England are offering a Beamish bag worth £275 to one lucky That’s Not My Age reader all you need to do is to click through to their website and leave your details (the link is below).
Here are a couple of other Village England styles that I'd like to get my hands on:
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| The Ickford cross body bag |
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| The Audlem |
Click through to the Village England website HERE. Good luck.
