Name one messenger bag that effectively combines a notebook bag and a camera case? Obviously the bag pictured above. The Kata CS-17.
Short version: Like lots of pockets in a laptop backpack? I count 27 on the Booq Boa Squeeze and wouldn’t be surprised if there are some hiding.
Finding a good multipurpose bag can be difficult. The Crumpler 8 Million Dollar Home is a good example of a shoulder style camera bag with optional laptop storage. It works best as a camera bag; the laptop storage sleeve is added as an afterthought for a photographer that needs to download pictures in the field.
The Booq Boa Flow XL is huge! You can stuff a small dog in it and still have room for your computer and DSLR.
Short Version: Sumo is fairly new to the bag game but this is a strong showing for the company. For $79.99 you get a 17-inch laptop bag made of waterproof ballistic, rip-stop nylon. Sadly, a lack of internal organization pockets hampers the overall storage capacity.
I put up a hand-on of these two bags a few months ago, but I have to repost it. Not only in the spirit of Bag Week, mainly because I’ve found after using both bags over the last few months, my initial conclusion was dead on: These bags are rad.
Short Version: The Commute 2.0 is from Timbuk2’s new TSA friendly generation of messenger bags. Essentially this means that they’ve added some commuter friendly features to a standard messenger bag.
Short Version: A rugged, reliable, and attractive bag — but its layout may not be suited to those who like to pack in lots of stuff.
The Kata 3N1-33 Sling Backpack could be a Transformer in disguise and I would cleverly reference the most appropriate character if I knew anything about the show
Duffle bags are usually done in nylon or canvas, so it’s nice to see a good sturdy leather duffle enter the fray. APC always deliver on those basics that someone really should have made before. The bag shape is unchanged from their previous collections – but being available in full grain leather adds a level of sophistication that isn’t usually seen in duffle bags. Taking this to the gym would be doing a disservice, keep it for short trips and nights over at the girlfriend/boyfriend’s house
That's it: we're officially sick of winter gloom already. And if we can't do anything about the weather, we'll do what we do best and accessorize the hell out of this ghastly, gloomy weather. If you don't want a yellow bag, then an even more colourful number is the way to go. This one's technically an overnight bag, but I'm sure you'd get away with it for the remaining 12 (or OK, more like 8 hours) of daylight we have to enjoy. It features a real leather trim and is seriously shiny, very practical and cabin-sized if you can't take any more rain and decide to skip the country.
This roomy shoulder style is one that has always served me well in the past, so I tend to gravitate towards bags of a similar shape and size. They're great for doubling up as overnight bags, work a treat at the supermarket checkout when you've forgotten your 'bag for life' and hide a multitude of shopping sins when you know you should not have splurged... Fortunately, splurging is not something you'll have to do to buy this bag, because it's been reduced from £79 to just £29 at Aftershock
As well as looking gorgeous, the limited run 'Tabitha' shoulder bag helps a very worthy cause, as profits from each one goes towards the Baba Programme (also known as 'Give a Granny'), which pairs up mature women with young abandoned children in need of a loving, caring and safe relationship. The children have suffered mental and physical abandonment in Bulgaria, where orphans are often kept in faceless institutions. Every bag sold will fund a Baba for six weeks.
The bags themselves are made by hand in London by The Bag Ladies (great name!) who've done a fantastic job with this instantly lovable scalloped design. If you're keen to take one of these very special bags as your own, you'll need to act fast as the metallic version has already sold out. But bags are still available in the 'caramel' shade above and also in a deep 'aubergine' hue.
Flowers are going to be coming at us from all directions in a few short months' time, with floral and natural motifs infiltrating the work of almost every designer. But if there's one label that has always embraced the botanical, it's got to be Cath Kidston. I absolutely adore her zip-up handbags, available in the familiar Folk Flowers, Rose Bunch (pictured) and Vintage Rose print. They're a handy shape and size for everyday use, and are just so charmingly pretty you can't help but want one. £55 from Cath Kidston it that includes you!
All designers like to keep some element of their bags distinctive, but when trends take over it can be tricky for even the most experienced Bag Lady to identify who made what. I suspect that will never be a problem for Sonia Guzzo, however, whose bags really are instantly recognisable! Shaped a bit like strange, organic forms they are quite unlike anything we've seen before, her 'truffle' (left) and 'shell' styles are highlights of the collection. I was surprised to learn that Sonia works not in some newly-developed, synthetic material but in plain old leather. She applies her own original technique, however, which gives the bags the structural, textured look that marks them out as unique.
Alexander Wang may be the only designer who's currently interested putting studs where they're actually needed on a bag: why, on the bottom of the bag, of course! His Coco Mini was a sellout in all sorts of textures and fabrics, and now he's released an equally cute bucket-shaped bag with the trademark studded bottom. The 'Diego' bucket bag is clearly influenced by Native American suede pouches, and has a lovely softness to it. It's rendered in a hugely trendy spring 2010 buff colour, and would look awesome with a casual-look playsuit.
These slouchy hobo bags by Maddalena Marconi are pure, effortless, laid-back chic. Available in three shades of suede (a black version completes the trio), the addition of stones gives a bohemian twist that will make for perfect spring and summer wear. For added practicality, each bag comes with a small inner-pouch that can be clipped to the interior of the bag or removed. They're fully lined and coloured with deep, rich dye.
With all these Christmas fripperies diverting our attention, we're almost forgetting about the need for practical, useful bags - you know, bags you can put stuff in - so I thought I'd bring us all down to earth with this roomy leather bag from Nine West. I've got a slightly older version of the Tammie, bought second hand and still going great guns, so can personally vouch for the practical benefits of Nine West bags. Sturdy and spacious, there's almost no guilty shopping secret you can't hide in one of these babies and they're ideal for carting a laptop and associated tems, too. This bag also comes in black if you're not taken by the pink shade, and has a fashionabl
With all these Christmas fripperies diverting our attention, we're almost forgetting about the need for practical, useful bags - you know, bags you can put stuff in - so I thought I'd bring us all down to earth with this roomy leather bag from Nine West. I've got a slightly older version of the Tammie, bought second hand and still going great guns, so can personally vouch for the practical benefits of Nine West bags. Sturdy and spacious, there's almost no guilty shopping secret you can't hide in one of these babies and they're ideal for carting a laptop and associated tems, too. This bag also comes in black if you're not taken by the pink shade, and has a fashionabl
2009 has seen the launch of quite a few new ethical bag collectives, including NV London and Calcutta (wonderful bags, shame about the unwieldy name) and a clutch of wonderful new styles from Matt & Nat. And here comes another new player that's ideal for those of us who prefer not to waste resources wherever possible. Dialog use a special recycling technique from Malaysia that incorporates small origami folded squares of mixed fabrics. The result is the very pretty patchwork-like pieces that brighten up this practical and stylish looking oversized handbag. This one costs £79; a good price for such a unique piece. But there's also a metallic version on sale at the moment for just £39.
I'm loving the tassel - can't get enough of those right now - and the mock croc effect is knowingly chic. The heart-shaped decoration makes for a lovely finish on this bag, which is also available in cherry red.
It's hard not to stare at a bag that's made from magenta leather, but when it's delicately flecked with ostrich specks and as unusually fashioned as this one, the staring becomes downright rude. What is that beautiful bag, and where is it from? It's actually a handmade piece from Brighton-based designer Jane Hopkinson, who makes this style (along with dozens of others) in three fabric colours at her workshop in Ditchling on the South Coast. To see more from this fascinating designer, check out her site, where you can find out more about how to order and commissions.
This crazy coloured hobo bag by Kathy Van Zeeland has a strangely nostalgic quality for me, as it reminds me more than a little of this portable stereo, which I had in the eighties. Of course, being a bag you may not want this item to look like a stereo, and I think it has more than enough grace and style of its own to carry off the loud colours - and the boxiness - without looking plain odd like some of the colour block accessories out there. You can also buy this fun hobo in more muted colours, or in an all-over grey; all fantastic choices for an accessory that's a little different.
I'm sure that nobody reading this will be surprised to learn that there's a baby boom on, as everybody knows someone with a new baby on the way just now. Time was when parenthood meant abandoning all vestiges of style to hide away in baggy skirts and bad jumpers, but that's certainly not the case now, with whole industries emerging to make Mums and Dads look cool. So yummy mummies present and future take note: Blooming Marvelous is a great luggage label specialising in bags that you'd never guess were full of nappies. The two styles pictured above: 'Oi Zebra' (£85) and Lin & Leo in red (£159) are both super stylish bags to carry your baby's must-haves with impeccable dignity. Watch out for more styles in the spring!
Nine West's 'Cayla' hobo reminds me rather a lot of Mulberry's Somerset hobo in cerise, which now appears to have sold out everywhere, much to my own personal chagrin. But the Cayla is a lot cheaper, and is made from good, sturdy fabrics in a pleasantly rounded and practical style. Also available in a royal blue that would work well with a nautical ensemble in summer, or in eminently matchable classic black leather, I'm pretty tempted by this style as an all-round day bag.
DVF doesn't bring bags out all that often, but when she does they're pretty special. I love the luminosity and shimmer on this latest offering: it's an intricately woven multicolored metallic leather (yes, leather, I was thinking it looked more like chainmail too) that fits right in with next season's obsession with visible threads and weaving - while remianing 100% hands-down chic. Something about the colour scheme here makes me think of ocean and seaside colours, so this would make for the smartest beach bag ever. Expect to see it on bronzed, bikini-clad celeb bodies before April's out!
The classic hobo makes its debut in episode 12 of season 3, to the awe and wonderment of the show's main characters - and it's been having a similar effect on audiences in the States ever since. Kylie Minogue, Mary-Kate Olsen and Rihanna are also big fans of the bag, and have all been spotted wearing it in recent weeks. Rendered in black, the bag is timeless chic, for everyday or evening wear.
To celebrate the launch of the new Express Rewards Credit Card, American Express® has teamed up with The Bag Lady to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a selection of fabulous fashion accessories. Each of the items has been hand selected by Claudia Winkleman, the first holder of the Express Rewards Credit Card, and are all available with vouchers you earn by using the new card. The items include a wool cloche hat from Marks & Spencer, Chanel sunglasses from House of Fraser, a key pendant necklace from Tiffany&Co, an Alexander McQueen skull print scarf and Faulke wool tights from Net-a-Porter.
Bottega Veneta has been one of the most coveted names of 2009, responsible for the most beautiful box clutches, the most luxurious materials and some of the most jaw-droppingly expensive items available on the market. So all eyes are firmly fixed on what the label will Do Next. A bit of a departure for the specialists in all things dinky and delightful, this large-sized leather tote is completely covered in that 80s-chic fabirc of choice, Houndstooth. I like the way the usual monochrome effect is offset a little with the pale lemon yellow background. Springlike style is on its way!
£1,520 at Net-a-Porter
Want to get in on the yellow bag trend with a really wearable and handy bag that you'll want to keep by your side well into next year? I think I may have found the perfect ally. Small, compact and very chic, Coccinelle's 'Cindy' tote is the perfect shade and shape to add style and a smile to your everyday look. Mid-range bags are difficult to get excited about, as by their very nature they're a compromise between those life-enhancing, wallet-busting purchases that are not worth buying unless they give you goosebumps and the more cheap and cheerful whim-purchases that picks you up on a dull day. But Coccinelle bridge the gap very well, bringing out styles that are engaging and lovable investments in their own right.
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