Now for the second Jemma bag review of the season: the Jackie 56. I snagged this one alongside the Jules bag during the Thanksgiving Black Friday sale to get a higher level discount. I can’t resist a good travel / work bag to haul it all, so I’ll be comparing it here to my trusty Longchamp Le Pliage Expandable Weekender.

I’ve been meaning to do this review for almost 9 months! I came across Defy Bags almost a year ago. They are a workshop out of Chicago specializing in rugged, stylish, handmade backpacks, duffels, briefcases, and accessories. They are handmade in the USA and everything they make has a unique rugged aesthetic. Their target audience seems to be pretty masculine, but I love me a good masculine bag sometimes too! I’m also a sucker for waxed canvas, and they do a lot of waxed canvas bags. When I saw their Verbockel Backpack, I was instantly smitten by its good looks and its versatility.

Recently on my international work trip I found myself thinking a lot about how I would bring all my mom stuff (e.g., pumping stuff) with me everywhere and on the plane for a 15 hour flight. I needed something big enough to to fit all my pump stuff, including a large industrial strength milk cooler to keep everything cold, and ideally be able to carry on beside me in addition to a very large backpack I intended to keep in the overhead compartment. It had to be durable and lightweight. Something fashionable would be a bonus, as well as something expandable (in case I needed to bring back more than I brought over), and shrinkable to a reasonable size to double as a daybag if needed.

I just got back from an international travel trip to present at a conference, and had the chance to test out my new North St Weekender Backpack.