Like all Piel Leather bags, the leather is luxurious, supple yet strong. There is piping along the outside edges to give support for standing upright. The straps fit on the shoulders perfectly, putting the tote just under your underarms. The size is a bit misleading, though. The ad states 12x17x6, however it is 12x16x6. The width is at the bottom only, narrowing towards the opening, making putting things in and taking out difficult. The tote is much, much smaller than I originally thought. I had thought Amazon sent the small tote instead, so I got out my tape measure and it is almost the advertised size.I'm not sure what I can use it for now, thinking it would be a great bag to take to the grocery, book or clothing store. Its big enough for a few items but nothing else, certainly not a weekender. The front side pockets are long and narrow, with a very tight fit. There is a larger center pocket, that could fit a 7" ereader, without the cover. There is a bigger end pocket that is a bit more forgiving. There is also a zip pocket just above the center zipper, for quick access to wallet, keys, etc.With the awkward top opening, narrow-pyramid shape bag, I'm not sure what I will use it for. Besides my love of all things Piel Leather, i'm going to have to return it. I also bought a Piel Leather fold-over cross body messenger bag for every day use (having grown from the 8x9x6 bag I was using) and they are almost the same size.