Jo Totes Review

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I have loved and used my camera bag for almost two years now. In that time I’ve gotten countless compliments and questions about it… So here it is! An extended Jo Totes review of my camera bag: the Jo Totes Siena bag.

Let’s start this Jo Totes review with Jo Totes in general. They make a variety of styles of camera bags that are practical, but still stylish. The Siena bag has a kind of vintage allure to it. It’s the bag that I can picture wearing while exploring the streets of some foreign Mediterranean city. So easy to style, it fits everything I need making it the perfect bag! It might not be enough for some of you who carry around a lot of equipment when you shoot, but be advised that Jo Totes have some bags with more compartments and storage space in them.

first, let’s talk technical

The Siena bag comes in a dust bag, with three velcro attachments to fit inside the bag. The attachments are easy to take on and off, and move around to suit your needs for that day. One is a long attachment that attaches to either the front or the back of the inner pocket and creates a slot for a tablet. The other two are shorter and run vertical to the inside of the bag, making little compartments for cameras, chargers, and anything else you might need! There is also a zip pocket on the back inner pocket, and one on the back of the bag. Finally there’s a little slot pocket on the front of the bag. It comes with an over the shoulder strap that has a padded attachment so it doesn’t dig in. It’s fastened with a twisted latch at the front, which aren’t my favourite but I’ve never had a problem with it getting stuck (unless the bag is overpacked).

inside the bag

Because the pockets are so easy to manipulate, I can use this bag for pretty much anything. It’s *technically* a camera bag, but I always bring it travelling and don’t always carry my camera. When I am going out for a shoot, it neatly fits my camera (Canon Powershot SX50HS), my camera charger, my film Camera (Canon AE11), and some film. At the most I’ve fit in a camera body (AE11), two lenses (one big one and one smaller), about three rolls of film, and a disposable camera. Usually when I’m travelling I carry my digital camera, my iPad, my wallet  and a few bits like lipstick, Advil and a glasses case. It can get really heavy when I’m travelling just because it’s fitting so much in there, so I’ve been trying to cut back on how much I’m bringing, and I’ve been in the market for a new point and shoot camera – any recommendations?!

how I style it

This bag is the best for styling. It gives any outfit a ton of character, and easily goes with any season. In this post I’ve styled it with a lighter, more colourful spring outfit, but I’ve worn it in the past with warmer colours, and heavier clothing. It dresses down easily, and dresses up easily, and honestly I love it to heck. If you want to see me wearing it elsewhere, check out last year’s NYC travel post.

wear & tear

One of the things I love about this bag is that it shows wear and tear. The leather gets marked, the metal sometimes gets scuffed, and the straps get worn in. I think it only adds to the character of the bag as you can see how much its been worn and how much it’s been loved. I feel like it just makes the bag look more effortlessly cool and timeless! BUT it’s not for everyone. When it first started scuffing up it broke my heart a little but it grew on me like crazy. The bag has its own stories with it now, from when I dropped it here, or when I shoved it under the airplane seat on my flight to there, when I rushed to take my camera out to take a picture of this or that. I love it! I wear it in the rain (usually not by choice) and I bring it with me everywhere, no matter what. With a little more care and safety precautions you could probably get by a lot longer than I did without marking it up but that’s just how I am!

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cost & purchasing

I asked for this bag for my 20th birthday since it’s a little on the pricier side. It wasn’t in my student life budget and it’s definitely an investment piece. In retrospect, if I had known what I know now I wouldn’t question just saving up and buying it myself. I’ve used it so much in the past few years, and it’s top notch in terms of quality and looks. We ordered it from their online website, I’m not sure if they have in store retailers but we had no problem ordering online at https://www.jototes.com. I’ve been having a browse around there recently, thinking of picking out a second one but every time I just fall in love with this style all over again!

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That completes the Jo Totes review! What do you think of the Siena bag?! What’s your go-to photography bag? (Also how are we feeling about this rainbow sweater trend??? I’m on board obv). I’ve been buying a lot of backpacks lately because I own WAY too many purses. I swear I buy bags like Carrie Bradshaw buys shoes. They’re my WEAKNESS!

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Comments

    • Sabrina says

      I have an AE11 and an AL1 (that’s the one pictured) but all of my film stuff is my parents’ old cameras and lenses that they don’t use anymore! I think you can get them on eBay and amazon but you have to read reviews so you dont get ripped off!

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