I needed a functional bag for work that would pretty much go with anything, and for that nothing is safer for me than a black tote bag. On top of that I was really drawn to the clean white lines on the Aspen. Because of them I feel unique, but in a subtle way. I also like how I don't need to switch bags when I leave work and proceed to more casual activities. You can tell the designer put a lot of thought into the function of each pocket. I hate bags with extremely literal phone pockets, pen holder etc. Who has time to deal with those? I just like to throw my stuff into my bag when I'm done. Unfortunately then I'm struggling to find it later. The Aspen solves that problem. My favorite is the exterior top pocket for easy access to my cell phone. Yet the pocket is covered by my arm when I’m wearing it, so I don’t worry about anyone else reaching in there. On top of all that the detailing is impeccable, from the hidden magnetic enclosures to the interior pocket trim pattern. I love it!