Many pockets
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2016
Good bag with many pockets but too short strips and no separation in the main inner section of the bag
I absolutely LOVE this bag
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2015
I absolutely LOVE this bag! I ordered it in black and the color is a beautiful true black. The material is a nice durable nylon which is super easy to clean; just wipe it off with a damp cloth or throw it in the washer. The cross-body strap and the shorter handles are the only things not made of nylon. It has 7 outer pockets: 3 zippered on the front; 1 velcro pocket on the front; one velcro pocket on each side (big enough to fit a water bottle) and one zippered pocket on the back. This makes it very easy to organize everything so you don't have to dig around every time you want to find something. The inside has one zippered pocket, 2 gusseted pockets (that comfortably fit a cellphone) and a pen holder. It also has a key lanyard that you can attach your keys to which makes it very very easy to find your keys inside the bag.The shorter handles are shorter than I anticipated. It still fits over my shoulder but just barely. It doesn't bother me too much because if anything, I can just attach the longer cross-body strap. It's a beautiful everyday bag so if you're still unsure of whether or not to buy it: DO IT! It's perfect.
Not quite the Goldilocks or Unicorn Bag, but very close
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2019
My husband always accuses me of looking for the unicorn, and he's right. I tried 8 bags before settling on this one to take to Europe. (Thanks Amazon!) I wanted a bag that:1. I could wear cross-body (on my 5'3" plus size frame) that would reach to my lower hip. Check.2. Had a good size zipper pocket on the back side (next to my body) where I could put my wallet. Check.3. Had another outside zipper pocket for my IPhone Xr with case. Check.4. Had a large center opening where I could place my stainless water bottle, guide books, maps, and sunglass case. Check. (I plan to keep this open so I won't be carrying anything valuable here--just the stuff I will be reaching for often.)5. When empty, would collapse so I could put it in my 38L backpack--the only piece of luggage I will take on my 3 week trip. Check.6. Was light weight. Check.7. Didn't look like a travel bag. Check.8. I could carry as a handbag at home, too. Check.And now you know why the unicorn compliant. But the Defea bag checked all the boxes, plus has additional features that will be useful: The side velcro pockets will be perfect for tissues or hand sanitizer, and the second outside front zipper pocket will be good place for a few Euro coins.I've now carried it for a few days to get used to its functionality, and I've found that it's even more useful than I had expected. Yes, you need to remember where you've placed things since there are so many pockets, and I've been fumbling with that. I was concerned about the removable shoulder strap in terms of pickpockets, but I've just decided to not worry about it and be mindful of my surroundings while sight-seeing. Even though I bought this for a cross-body bag, it turns out that I can wear this as a shoulder bag which I can never do thanks to sloped shoulders. And, although I didn't see myself carrying it by the handles, I've done that, too. I'm happy with it.So maybe it is the Goldilocks or Unicorn bag--for the moment.
Neon Purple Defea
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2013
First let me say I am not really into fashion or brand identification. I ordered this bag for three reasons: One, reviewers had repeatedly stated that the bag was long-lasting and durable (I am really hard on purses!) Two, it had tons of pockets for organizing things; and three it comes in my favorite color, which the manufacturer calls Neon Purple.Personally, I think this color would be more aptly named "vibrant violet", because while it is a gorgeous, radiant indigo-purple color, it doesn't obnoxiously floresce like a neon pink or green from the 1980's! This is a good thing, in my opinion. Also, the bag's fabric is called "crinkle" nylon. It doesn't strike me as terribly crinkly, and I would never think to describe it as such. But it does have a slight texture that I think is attractive. I am pretty impressed with the overall quality of this bag. The stitching is heavy and flawless. The hardwear is sturdy and beautiful, too. I am not the type of person that spends this kind of money on a handbag, but I wanted something that would last me longer than two years. In most cases you get what you pay for. That being said, I am sure that it costs about one-tenth of what you pay to manufacture a bag like this. After all, it is made of nylon, which is probably quite cheap to produce, and of course the company utilizes Chinese labor...Someone is making a killing. All of that being said, it is a beautiful, functional, high quality bag. I would definitely purchase it again.
Another Great Kipling Bag
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2020
Kipling has always been one of my favorites. They are so lightweight and always have tons of pockets for organization. Sadly, there weren't too many color choices available for this particular bag but after reading so many great reviews regarding the Defea, I decided to take a chance and ordered the Stone Purple color. I'm not really a fan of purple but from the pictures, it didn't look too purply. I was pleasantly surprised when I received the bag that it is more of a fuchsia color. In fact, I have a fuchsia Filofax Malden and the colors match perfectly. So many pockets for organizing all my things. I will definitely be buying more of this style in different colors. I would love to find a pink one!
Ample Storage
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2020
This is my second Kipling Defea cross body purse. There was nothing wrong with my first one other than it was starting to look worn. I'd had it for years. There are several outer storage pockets, making it easy to quickly access my diabetic supplies. Also, it's great for travel. There is space in the middle pocket for an extra outfit, my Kindle, my cell phone, paperwork, etc. There is even a slot for securely storing a pen. The only thing I don't like about this purse is that the strap twists and I cannot figure out how this happens. It is still the best purse I have ever owned.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2020
And mine was a golden one. I have several defeas in various colours and this one is very cute.Defea is fantastic. Somebody called it little tardis of a bag because you can squeeze all your life in it and there will be some room left. Also it washes well but unfasten the monley first
Reviewed in Mexico on July 31, 2020
Tamaño excelente. He tenido otras kipling que han resultado muy grandes o muy pequeñas pero este modelo me encantó. Llevo cartera, agenda, dos libretas de anotaciones, dos botecitos de gel para manos, mis lentes, un paquete de Roa lloras desinfectantes, el celular, el paquete de chicles, las llaves del coche, de la casa, lipstick, un perfume en frasco de bolsillo, en fin. Me cabe todo! Y no es estorbosa ni pesada. Compraré otra en algún otro color, realmente me gustó.
Reviewed in Mexico on June 22, 2020
Reviewed in Canada on September 15, 2018
Mi esposa adora y es fan de Kipling, la bolsa cumple sus deseos y expectativas.
Reviewed in Canada on September 5, 2020
