I've been looking for the perfect saddle bag purse for years now and this one is it! I don't know why everyone complains about the smell because it smells like...well, "leather", but isn't it suppose to? It's not overbearing, you don't have to air the house out etc. (I think some are going overboard with this). It has a strong leather smell but nothing that's not tolerable. The purse came nicely wrapped in plastic wrap and conditioned w/ what looks like saddle soap to keep the leather soft and conditioned. Inside of the purse was a nice leather journal and extra plastic buckles that are preconditioned & still moist w/ conditioner. (You will need a paper towel to wipe them off). Some may complain about the buckles coming this way but I'm glad they pre-treated them. I measured the height & width of the purse and it's true to the size in the description. I grabbed one of my books to show you the actual size and how deep the purse is. You can fit an iPad in it if you turn it sideways. Their are 2 compartments in this purse but due to the inner zip pockets, the size can be compromised. Meaning, if you put too many items in the zipper pockets it will we hard to access anything in one of the compartments. (Probably should have gone w/ just "1" zipper pocket). The ONLY thing I don't like is the snap closure for the main front flap on the purse. It's a metal snap and it's a bear to try to get it to snap. When you're in a store, you want in and out of our purse quickly and not fighting trying to snap it closed. Quick remedy...I went to Lowe's and bought some small magnets w/ 3m tape on back, works like a charm to close now. The strap on it is pretty long so it can be worn cross carry across your shoulders or on one arm. I'm 5"6 so when worn on one arm it hangs 8" past my waist. I have it pulled to the last dot on the strap and it feels just right for me, but I carry it cross shoulder. Overall, I'm VERY happy w/ this purse and have received numerous compliments.