For women, picking out a handbag is like choosing a car – it is a small part of life, but also an important example of personal style.

When choosing to live a sustainable lifestyle, you are limited to second-hand totes, PVC-based animal-friendly bags, and messenger slings made from recycled plastics.

They are all viable handbag options, but still harness unique drawbacks. What’s a green style girl to do!? I had given up on the search a few months ago, until I was introduced to Vancouver, Canada’s Sparrow Handbags.

What’s so great about a Sparrow bag? Let me count the ways:

• Handmade in Canada
• Cruelty-free (no leather, wool, fur or silk – ever!)
• Vegan
• Comprised of 100% organic cotton and hemp
• Printed and colored by hand with non-toxic inks
• Bag bottoms stabilized with recycled boxes
• Handles made from stiff hemp webbing

Most brands I’ve found cut green corners wherever they can, whether it be during design, production or promotion. Delightfully, Sparrow isn’t one of those brands – even their office is green!

The past two months have seen me carrying around a yellow-and-black Sabria bag. My first reaction to the bag was that it seemed smaller than the picture. True, the bag isn’t mammoth, but it is very functional. I found myself wading through all of the unnecessary what-nots in my previous purse, whittling down to only the things I really needed (including my rolled-up Envirosax).

Durable and dashing, my Sabria made it through the rain, high winds, and heavy snows of the Winter-to-Spring transition in Connecticut. My only complaint - the internal pocket, likely meant for a cell phone, is too small and oddly shaped to fit the average mobile. Baring that, I am deeply enamored with my Sparrow bag – being sustainable and stylish just got a little easier.

Head over to Sparrow Handbags’ online shop and SAVE, thanks to their exclusive discount for Victoria-E.com Simply enter the code “SH30VE” during checkout and you’ll get 30% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER (full-price and sale items!).

[Image courtesy of Sparrow Handbags]