Today’s review features the Star Wars May The Force Be With You purse available at ThinkGeek. This cute black purse mixes a classic Star Wars quote with punk style, complete with studs. I love accessories that stand out from what I already have – this Star Wars purse has a little more attitude than my usual handbags!
This tough little bag has “May The Force Be With You” printed on the front, in white lettering with different fonts and surrounded by metal studs. It’s so tough looking that you might think it came from the Dark Side – it just hits that sweet spot between Jedi and Sith style so well. The bag features a removable shoulder strap with chain-link details, which attaches to the purse using oversized lobster clasps. There is a top zip closure, and the interior also has a zipper pocket for smaller accessories. Whether your never-leave-home-without-it essentials include phones, wallets, or lightsabers, this bag will come in handier than a droid co-pilot during a Death Star raid!
The purse is priced at US$49.99 each – but it currently on sale for only US$29.99 each! ThinkGeek can ship internationally, which is great!
May The Force Be With You Purse – US$49.99 each (currently US$29.99 each)
The back came packaged in a clear plastic bag, which noted the manufacterer information. I had guessed this bag was made by Bioworld – but it is in fact made by Concept One Accessories! This is a brand I haven’t come across much, except for the Rey hooded scarf and Stormtrooper tote bag. Inside, the purse was filled with plain paper to help maintain the bag shape, and the shoulder strap was also stored inside.
The ‘May The Force Be With You’ purse is made from black faux leather, and features the classic Star Wars quote ‘May The Force Be With You’ printed in different font styles on the front. The front panel is also decorated with dark gunmetal coloured studs around the border. The removable shoulder strap is made from dark gunmetal coloured chain with center piece of faux black leather strap with a buckle.
The purse is made from black faux leather, which has a subtle texture. The faux leather is fairly rigid (not soft like garment vinyl/leather), so it holds its shape well. The front of the purse features a Star Wars printed design, while the back of purse is plain. With a bag that doesn’t stand up on its own, I prefer a plain back so I don’t need to worry so much about damaging a design when putting the bag down.
The front of the purse is decorated with a printed text design and metal studs. The classic Star Wars quote ‘May The Force Be With You’ in printed in white, with a varied font design. The printing is clean and tidy, even up close which is nice. The use of different fonts is a reference to punk style, notably the ‘ransom note’ style mix of text as used on album covers for the British band The Sex Pistols. Each line of the quote is printed in a different font – May The Force Be With You.
The font used for the word ‘Force’ is the most decorative, but also a little harder to read – the ‘C’ and ‘E’ letters in particular. Most fans will recognise the quote instantly, so it doesn’t really bother me. It reminds me of those reading challenges where letters are replaced with numbers and your mind fills in the gaps automatically. M4y t4e F8rc3 8e W17h Y02!
The front of the purse is accented with dark gunmetal coloured studs. The studs are attached across the top of the purse, just below the zipper, and down each side. The studs have a square-based pyramid shape, with rounded edges, so they are not sharp. In total, there are 27 studs on the front of this purse. They feel very securely attached, not loose like you occasionally find with studded items.
The studs are not spaced perfectly – at first glance, the lines/rows are even, but when you look closer, the line isn’t completely straight and the spacing between the studs varies a little. This again is another touch of punk style – perfect alignment wouldn’t suit the aesthetic. The studs are tidy enough so as not to be distracting, but varied enough to look like they were done by hand. I like the effect – like you took a plain black purse and customised it.
The top of the purse opens with a black plastic zipper. The zipper pull is a dark gunmetal colour, made from metal. The pull has a ‘figure 8’ shape, with the lower half forming a larger oval shape. This sort of shape sits nicely against your thumb when grasping the zipper pull, which is always helpful. The decorative pull is attached to the zipper with two metal rings, which look like a short length of chain – it matches the shoulder strap chain well.
The zipper end is sealed with a gunmetal colour metal cap. It looks quite decorative if left out, but as it extends past the end of the bag, it is best to tuck it inside. Even though it’s not really designed to be seen, I like that it still fits with the style of the purse.
The purse features a removable shoulder strap, which clips onto the bag by a ring attached at each side. The rings are inserted through the side panels of the bag, not sewn on. You can’t see the rings on the inside of the bag, as they are inside the lining fabric, so they won’t touch any items inside your bag.
The shoulder strap is made from a dark gunmetal coloured chain, with a clip at each end. The center of the strap is made from the same black faux leather as the purse. The strap has dark gunmetal colour buckle, which is functional. The strap has five punched holes, so it has a small amount of adjustment in length.
Please note the ThinkGeek website description says this bag has a “crossbody strap” – but the shoulder strap is not long enough to be worn in a crossbody style. To my eye, the strap pictured on the ThinkGeek website looks much longer than the one that came with the purse – though the strap measurement given is correct – 23 1/2″ long (10 1/2″ max drop).
When worn on the shoulder, this purse hangs a little below the arm, at chest height. As it arrived, the shoulder strap measures 60.5cm long (including clips). The length can be adjusted – one notch longer, or three notches shorter, depending on your preference.
Inside, the purse is lined with plain black lining fabric. There is one internal zip compartment, against the back of the purse. The internal compartment closes with a black plaster zip, with a dark gunmetal coloured zipper pull. The zipper pull is smaller than the one used for the main zipper – it is a small rectangular shape with rounded edges, but still nice and easy to grasp.
There is also a small printed tag sewn into the lining, which features the Star Wars logo, copyright information, country of manufacture (China), and materials used –
- exterior – 100% polyurethane
- interior – 100% polyester
The purse itself is about the size of a clutch – it can hold a small wallet/coin purse, phone, keys etc well, but it is not large enough to hold wide objects like a water bottle or hairbrush. The purse measures approximately 23.5c, across, 15cm high, and 3cm wide.
As a size reference, here is the purse next to a standard Loungefly mini dome bag –
I can’t wait to pair this purse with studded Jeffrey Campbell boots and and some statement jewelry. It is fun to see a Star Wars handbag design that incorporates a different fashion style. It’s important to have a bag that suits your personal style – whether you identify your style as punk, or just want to add a little more attitude to your outfit, this is a fun little handbag!
