A saddle bag is a small structured bag with a rounded flap and, usually, a buckle or clasp at the front. The name is literal: the shape comes from the bags that hung either side of a riding saddle, which had to be secure, weatherproof and shaped to sit against a moving animal.
What makes a bag a saddle bag rather than a satchel?
The curve. A satchel has a straight flap and squared corners; a saddle bag has a flap that curves down over a body that is usually wider at the base than the top. The silhouette is the whole identity of the shape.
The other difference is structure. A saddle bag is built to hold its shape when it is empty, which is why it looks the same in a photograph as it does on the third day of owning it.
What fits in a saddle bag?
A phone, a wallet, keys, sunglasses, and something small beyond that. It is a day bag rather than a work bag, and the structure that makes it look good is the same structure that stops it stretching to take a laptop.
If you need it to swallow more on some days than others, an unstructured hobo is the shape that does that; a saddle bag is deliberately not that bag.
Who should buy one?
Someone who wants a bag that reads as considered without being formal, and who carries a predictable amount. It is the shape that works with both a coat and a summer dress, which is more than most bags manage.
It is the wrong choice if your load changes a lot day to day, or if you need to reach into the bag quickly and often — a flap and a buckle are two motions where a zip-top is one.
How to wear it
Crossbody with the strap long enough that the bag sits at the hip, or on the shoulder with the strap shortened. The curve of the flap sits better against the body than a flat-fronted bag does, which is the practical residue of the shape's origin.
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