Coffee Break: Built NY Cooler Tasty Lunch Tote

81 Comments

1. I like it! It seems roomy enough even if you bring a bunch of snacks like I tend to and the colors are very bright.

2. I love lunchboxes!

   I have this one in a different (solid) color:

   http://www.kohls.com/upgrade/webstore/product_page.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524892539193&pfx=pfx_shopcompare&cid=shopping3&mr:trackingCode=879E3EB3-76B7-DE11-93DB-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

   It makes it a helluva lot easier to find my lunch in the fridge among all the plastic bags. :)

3. I love the Built lunchbags. I have one in all black and one that is polka dots. You can throw them in the washer too.

   1. I have a black one also. so easy, the right size, and the neoprene can “form” around odd shaped containers if necesary.

   2. I LOVE THAT — you can throw it in the washer! OK, now I want it.

4. I have this in a different color and love it! I usually toss in a frozen water bottle and things stay cool through to lunch even in the summer.

5. Finally ahead of the curve! I have that exact one and love it!

   1. Love when that happens! Very cute…but given the typically non-perishable nature of my lunch I can’t quite justify giving up my admittedly un-stylish (and free) insulated lunch bag (that sits in my work carry-all under my desk, hidden from judging eyes ;-) )

6. Need to vent for a second.

   I’m a 1L intern. I forgot to change out of my commuting shoes prior to following my boss to court today. And she let me sit up front, at the counsel table. The shoes I was wearing are those steve madden ballet flats that everyone has (in black), so they are marginally acceptable enough that no one said anything, but they have ZERO heel and thus were really pushing the limits. I had my beautiful Cole Haan pumps in my purse, and they would have been muchmuchmuch more appropriate. Not a huge deal, but I’m feeling like an idiot :-/

   1. bummmERRRRR! Shoes make the outfit, IMHO. You’ll be stylin’ again soon with your boss, promise!

   2. Black ballet flats are fine, and if your boss is a woman I’m 99% sure she’d have noticed and said something if she thought that your footwear was inappropriate. Wear the pretty shoes tomorrow :).

   3. Black ballet shoes are totally appropriate, even if the pumps would have been fancier.

      Also, just a general PSA – be careful sitting in front of the bar if you are not an attorney! That does not work in all courts!

      1. Agree that black flats would have been fine. As long as they didn’t look like sneakers or were flip flops.
         As for sitting in front of the bar – when I was 1L intern (at a local prosecutor’s office) my division supervisor instructed me to sit in the bar. I was also introduced to our regular division judge my first day so he knew who I was.
         But if your boss says it’s ok, it’s probably ok. If not and the judge has a fit, it’s the bosses fault. But agreed that it definitely may not be appropriate in all courts.

      2. My attorneys always introduce me as “and with the court’s permission, our legal intern ____.” No judge has had an issue with it, thank god!

         (..and thanks!)

      3. I actually saw a judge yell at an attorney for *not* having his interns sit there. Granted, this was day 3 of the trial and on day 1 the judge had told him to have his interns sit there…

   4. Some people can’t wear heels and routinely wear black flats. I don’t know the shoes you’re talking about specifically, but I’d like to think flats are more than “marginally acceptable.” Don’t sweat it.

      1. Thanks :)

         I generally agree and I, too, wear black flats regularly, but they are the kind with a tiny bit of a heel – like a wide half inch tall one – like this http://www.naturalizer.com/Shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?p=EC0221612&pg=3006560

         The tiny heel doesn’t feel like a “heel” but adds a bit of support and makes it look more like a “real” shoe…

         The shoes I was wearing, though, were these – http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2987993

         … and they are pretty worn out so they definitely look like commuting shoes :)

      2. #E2 – Were you looking for a pink cardigan earlier this summer? Talbots has a couple of them on their website (if you’re not one of the Talbots-averse) – search for the colors Monet, Parasol Pink, Gelato and Rose Dore. It’s sale time at Talbots, so sizes may be limited… (I’m really not a Talbots flack – I just buy a LOT of sweater sets and was on my own quest for a pink sweater this year.)

         1. There are some in the big jcrew sale right now too.

   5. Don’t feel bad. Interning after my first summer, I was wearing a sleeveless suit (it was 2002 and I didn’t know any better). Of course that was the day the major case I had been working on decided to settle on the eve of trial. So we had a late-breaking settlement hearing before the judge, which I appeared, at counsel’s table, in a sleeveless ‘vest.’ Believe me, I never made that mistake again.:)

      1. The first time I argued a dispositive motion in federal court, I was feeling pretty good about myself after the hearing until I went to the ladies room and found that I had a 1/2″ run all the way down the back of my hose. Humbling, to be sure. But I did win the motion.

         1. Ouch! To both of you…

            And thanks :)

   6. I don’t see the big deal. I interned for a female federal judge during my 1L summer and wore black ballet flats w. no heel all the time, even into court. As long as they are discreet and not sporty-looking or judge is very conservative, I wouldn’t even think twice.

7. i’ve seen people carrying these and wondered what brand they were because they look exactly like what i need–thanks!

8. I ordered this exact tote from amazon a few months back and after waiting on it for 6 weeks I canceled my order. I just ordered this one and it says I will have it by Friday! Yay!!

   1. I believe they have them in (at) the Container Store. I went there once to buy one of them (or something that looks exactly like one of these), after seeing a friend carrying it, but I was dissuaded by the price tag. But, they had them in-store. That was a few months ago, however.

      1. I got mine at target.

9. Thread hijack: Can anyone recommend your wallet to me? I’d like it to be leather and possibly checkbook sized but thin, or at least to be able to take about 8-10 cards. What’s your favorite wallet that has held up forever? :)

   1. It’s a little spendy, but I looove my grey leather coach wallet. It’s held up amazingly well, and it has the added benefit of being able to pass for a clutch. This way I don’t have to haul my entire bag when I run down to get lunch.

      1. that sounds perfect! do you perchance have a link to the wallet or something similar?

   2. 2nd this request! I’ve been looking at the Fossil Hanover Checkbook wallet, which holds 17 cards and a checkbook (which is something I need), but I’m still iffy for some reason. It’s approx $40.

      1. I had a Fossil wallet that held remarkably well for 2-3 years. I ended up breaking the zipper pull (easily fixed but I chose not to) but would highly recommend their stuff.

      2. I’ve had a similar Fossil wallet for, gosh, 7 or 8 years now. It’s held up like a champ and I love it to bits. For the price, I think Fossil is one of the best options out there.

   3. I have a Hobo that’s held up for a couple years with no sign of wear. I think it might be a discontinued model (I got it for nothing at a Flight 001 sale), but this one at Zappos looks like it.
      http://www.zappos.com/hobo-international-lucy-rouge-florence-leather.
      Mine is bright yellow, which I love because I can always find it in my giant, boring, black work bag.
      The Iris and Clio models look to be the right size, too.

      1. Love my Hobo wallet (the Lauren style). It can double as a clutch when running for lunch or dinner. Or in some colors, even as a clutch for evening.

         1. Seconding the Hobo Lauren wallet. LOVE mine.

         2. what do you do with your cell phone/keys when you need to use it as a clutch? that’s my big problem.

            1. I have a Lauren, and I find that the exterior pockets are big enough to hold my keychain (one key ring w/allen wrench and leatherman, VW key, bike lock key, and house key) and phone (bb pearl) along with the checkbook that usually hangs out in there. I also have two Hobo “Zoe” wristlets that are big enough for clutch duty (less structured with Laurens, more room for non-checkbook/cash/card items), but also work well as a wallet in a bigger work tote, gym bag, or backpack. Nordstrom rack always has great deals on Hobo stuff. I have never paid full price for a Hobo piece and they are extremely durable.

            2. @J: are we twins? :) I switched from the Lauren wallet to the Zoe wristlet, too. Now I use the wristlet as my main wallet (holds keys, phone, cards, lipstuff) and everything else goes into the tote. Granted, the tote is huge. It was more important to me that I could take a very small purse with me into court without looking like a total slob.

               Now I’m thinking about the Zoe in different colors.

      2. Absolutely love everything I own from Hobo. Definitely my favorite bag brand! I have two different wallets from Hobo that have both been discontinued but are fabulous.

   4. I’ve been considering these, which are on the high end of what I’d like to pay:

      http://tinyurl.com/3xk6foc

      http://www.zappos.com/hobo-international-sadie
      (taking out the coin purse)

      1. I’ve also had my eye on the Sadie for a while, because I know someone who has it (in black), and it’s beautiful, roomy, and high-quality-looking in person. I may bite the bullet soon. By the way, it, and the coin purse, have a lovely almost paisley fabric lining. The wallet also has a magnetic flap closure that seems really strong.

   5. kate spade! i have a checkbook size one i bought a few years ago and have used every day since. it is amazing. i highly recommend checking out an outlet. that’s not where i bought mine, but if you’re open to different colors, you can find one there for a lot less than the full price.

   6. My absolutely favorite company of all time is Lodis. Their leather is lovely. I have a slim wallet (basically checkbook size but without the checkbook part) and I had a small chunkier wallet that had a removable i.d. card holder. They carry them at Nordstrom’s (I got mine at the Rack) and sometimes at TJ Maxx or similar stores. But they hold up really well and have many styles. They’re also very good about replacing it is anything starts to wear more than it should.

      1. ok, apparently now they make bizarre colors and patterns as well. but the simple wallets are still lovely.

   7. I have a Longchamp wallet that I’ve had for years. They don’t make the exact one any more (or at least I couldn’t find it on their website), but it looks similar to the Roseau.

   8. Louis Vuitton Black Murakami Porte Tressor International. I got it as a 21st birthday gift from my mommie. I am turning 27 next month, and I haven’t carried another wallet since receiving it. It’s starting to fall apart just a little, but I am so attached to it that I refuse to give it up. =)

   9. I have a black leather Coach checkbook wallet and, like Corporate Tool, I love it. Mine is basically an earlier model of this: http://www.polyvore.com/madison_slim_envelope_wallet/thing?id=12356686

   10. Do people really use a full-size wallet? I have one, and it sits at home with all the cards I never use in it. I have a little one that I carry every day, and it has four card slots in which I cram 8 or 9 cards. I just can’t see carrying around a full-size one.

       1. LV epi leather wallet (no clue what style it is). It zips all the way around, has a coin purse within, a large centre slot that i use for store loyalty cards etc + enough space for atleast 12 plastic cards – ID, DL, credit cards, cash cards, you name it………my big issue with most wallets is that they think women don’t need more than 3 slots for all this!! This wallet is now 3 yrs old and still looks like new. Of course it set me back a fair bit BUT i was preggie then and bought in in lieu of clothes shopping:)

          1. I have this in momgram, and have been known to slip my iPhone in there as well…

   11. I got a gorgeous gray Furla wallet on sale this spring. Love, love, love it. Perfect size and features (old wallet was one of the long ones, got to the point where it weighed 50lbs and took up way too much space; this one is a fold-over square one).

10. Love Built NY bags! I have the large tote in a similar stripe and that thing can carry a watermelon home from the market. The material is sort of stretchy and thick.

11. Question for people who carry their lunches — how many bags do you carry? I have a fairly large tote that I put my laptop in, a bottle of water and my clutch (and of course random other purse items). But I can’t see how I could fit a lunch bag in as well unless I got a much larger tote, which I’m reluctant to do because I’m 5’2″ and think it will look comical. So do you carry the lunch bag separately or have a giant tote?

    1. I would carry my lunch bag separately. My lunch bag was like the one in the picture up at the top, so it was easy to carry and it looked cute. Mine had a bigger handle though, so I could put it on my wrist or forearm if I needed a hand.

    2. I’m a traveling bag lady. I usually have my briefcase, a purse, and my lunch bag – and when I’m walking from apt. to car in the morning my gym bag too! That is just from house to car to work though. From that point on I just take what I need for the time being.

       1. It just seems like so much to carry — I guess I’m a weakling and I commute by walking/ public transit and that doesn’t really help. Ah well!

          1. I just carry a backpack. I walk a mile to and from the bus stop and a backpack seems to be the best solution

             1. I have a wristlet with the necesities. If Im carrying my computer, it goes in the laptop bag, if I am carrying the diaper bag, it goes in there, if I am carrying a larger purse/tote, it goes in there. Then I have my lunch bag.

    3. I carry my purse, and separately I carry my lunch plus whatever other things I need (cardigan, water bottle, shoes) in a canvas tote.

    4. My purse plus a landsend canvas tote for everything else. I bought a laptop sleeve on ebay for about $4 so I don’t have to carry a separate computer bag.

    5. I have a Tiffin lunchbox, so I usually just put it in my work or gym bag. I am usually schlepping around a large longchamp plus a canvas tote for gym clothes and lunch.

    6. I’m also short and try not to carry HUUUUGE bags for the same reason. I typically carry my lunch bag separately from my purse, although if I’m bringing something smallish like a sandwich I’ll just stick it in my purse.

       1. My sandwich, an apple & a banana all fit in my purse and I take them out when I get to work. I keep my water bottle at work and fill it up first thing.

12. Threadjack–anyone here rollerblade? I always see rollerbladers when I’m out running and even though I’m incredibly uncoordinated, a part of me thinks it’d be a fun off-day workout and might help work some of my weaker muscles that cause running injuries–mostly my hip flexors and ad/abductors (this is just a thought–anyone who knows more about it than me, is it totally wrong?).

    I’m wondering where the best place is to look for skates, how much should I expect to spend, and how does the fit run IYO (i.e, do you size up like in running shoes?). Also, is there’s anything else I would need to get? I’ve fallen off my road bike countless times, so I can handle nasty scrapes and bruises…but is it just plain stupid to not wear any protective gear?

    1. I always wore wrist guards when I roller bladed. If you fall, your instinct will be to put your hands down. The guards have a metal plate that support your wrist to keep it from breaking and to keep you from scraping up your hands. I didn’t wear a helmet or knee pads but I was usually on pedestrian/bike paths. If you are going to roller blade in the city, I’d wear a helmet too.

    2. Please please please wear a helmet.

    3. Thanks for the replies! I’m in the south and would be on sidewalks for a block or two to get to a paved hike/bike trail.

    4. I’m a rollerblader. I bought my bf skates online last summer from Sport Authority for around $70 (they were lower end because he had never done it before). If you are as uncoordinated as I am, you’ll probably want wrist guards especially and kneepads (I have scarred up knees from rollerblading falls, so the pads help with that). I’ve never really felt like I needed the elbow pads. Absolutely always wear a helmet, and make sure it fits properly. I wear a 9 in regular shoes and a 9 in skates, and haven’t had a problem. It helps the fit if they are adjustable because you can account for your sock thickness, puffy ankles/calves during your period, etc. And I’ve also found that it’s more difficult to find half sizes in skates, so you will want to size up if you wear a half size.

       1. Thanks for all the great tips! I have scarred knees from when I switched to clipless pedals on my bike and crashed at least a dozen times learning how to get in and out of them, so knee pads sound like a good idea. Same with the wrist guards, I have kind of gross bony wrists (weak forearms I guess) that look like they could break pretty easily!

          1. LOL about the clipless pedals! I just recently switched, and I feel like I’m always sporting scabby knees now. Yay for looking like an eight-year-old….

    5. Wear protective gear…I have a pretty nasty scar on my knee from rollerblading in college without pads.

    6. Helmut, knee pads, wristguards.

       I finally gave up rollerblading (my knee isn’t strong enough to do the dip thing I had to do to stop on them) and bought regular roller skates. I don’t look as cool but at least I can stop in them.

13. Spam?

14. I can never ever find a big enough lunchbox or sack. I just reuse gift bags for my lunch. I guess I eat a lot than most people.

15. I have two, so I can coordinate with my outfit. They are very squishy and stretchy, so they hold a lot. Previously, I hated lunch sacks because they smell after a while and you can’t wash them or get them clean enough. These can be thrown in the washer and air-dried overnight and never smell of stale food (mine are three and four years old). They are also great to take traveling — great to take on the plane and because they fold up really small for packing for the return trip. And I also use them on picnics or cycling trips in my panniers.

16. That reminds me, I need a new lunch bag.

    I notice that this one does not have a strap so that you can sling it over your shoulder. Does anyone have a recommendation for one that does? I would want it to be about this big.

    1. It looks like they have the same bag in solid red and black with a strap! See http://www.ebags.com/product/built-ny/extra-relish-lunch-tote/131514?productid=1340560&rlid=detail_ai&rcode=res10071306105794251945705

       1. This one does have a strap that is detachable. I can recommend. Although it does fit in my Longchamp bag in a pinch.

17. Another bonus to using a lunch bag that looks like a fancy purse is that you are less likely to have food taken away in places that don’t allow food (court, library, etc.) – I don’t eat in “no food” areas but sometimes I’m going from car to library to work and need to have my lunch with me in the “no food” place.

18. spam…Vuitton doesn’t go on sale

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