Sunday, February 4, 2018

Fossil Sydney Satchel Crossbody Bag Strap Hack - Adding Strap Length



I am a Fossil bag girl.  I used to be interested in designer bags, although look has always mattered more than a brand-name, but function above look has begun to matter more as I have gotten older and have started to travel more.  Cross-body bags are great when traveling via back pack as they still manage to allow you to remain hands-free and do not compete with shoulder space against the backpack.  Last year when my family traveled to London & Paris via backpack, I did so with a Fossil Morgan Top Zip (no longer made but you can find them on Amazon and Ebay occasionally, link to the smaller Morgan here)as my small item and my Osprey Farpoint 40L as my backpack.  It was a great combination and I absolutely loved the bag, it was so comfortable and the perfect size for travel. Fossil bags also usually have a classic look that come in colors that tend to go with any outfit or season. I am partial to leather looks and love how they get better with age as the patina begins to develop. 





I had been eyeing the Fossil Sydney Satchel for some time.  I was initially interested because I had heard that it had a lot of room and was perfect for carrying small notebooks and planners.  I don't carry a small notebook for planner but having my Kindle Voyager with me at all times is a must and I tend to carry quite a bit in my bag as it is since I travel so much. I sometimes also carry my tablet with bluetooth keyboard and the bag could easily hold it as well.  The Sydney Satchel also is now one that sadly Fossil has stopped making.  Last week I found it on Amazon for a steal and grabbed one.  I had noticed in the pictures and descriptions that the strap seemed like it wasn't as long as the Morgan Top Zip but I had to try it out and see.  As soon as my package arrived, I tore it open and tried it on and it was... way to short. Like so short, I needed a couple of inches on each side to wear it where I prefer, low on waist.  Of course, it also had short straps to carry on my arm but I have no patience for that so it was either return it with disappointment or come up with some solution.  I tried putting the buckle of strap on the last hole, no luck.  I tried other purse straps I owned, none matched.  I looked online for straps I could order, no luck.  I then had the idea to add links to each end of the strap but had no luck finding anything online.  (The reason I am even making this post is to help others who may have encountered the same issue with this bag or any other bag that has a too-short strap or wants to turn a normal long strap bag into a cross-body).



This is when I started to get grouchy and complain-y to my husband who completely understands my neurotic nature when it comes towards bags.  He said he would see what he could come up with.  Low and behold, he came up with a great solution.  He stopped by Home Depot and picked up Everbilt Quick Links in 1/8 in (similar here).  I needed 6 total, 3 on each side.  He attached them and they look perfect, like the bag came that way.  To keep the locks on each link from opening and causing the strap to fail, he used Loctite to secure the threads.  The bag is now fully functional and I love it. 



The great thing about the bag is that it truly does hold a lot of stuff and it is all so accessible because of the side zips all the way down on each side.  The gusset on each side helps hold items in when the bag is open.  I may eventually return to my Fossil Morgan Top Zip because it truly is the best bag ever (I have in black and espresso colors) but I am going to enjoy the Sydney Satchel for now.  It is too bag that Fossil keeps discontinuing all their really great bags.  I keep up on what new bags they release and the new ones just don't seem as functional or comfortable these days.