Dear Bag Snob,
I am a young University Professor, I am looking for a bag that will carry all of my books and papers while still looking fierce. I don't want to look too young with a backpack, or too aged with a briefcase. What do you recommend? Thanks!
Shawna
Dear Shawna,
Now that everyone is gearing up to go back to school, we have been getting a lot of questions about the perfect bag for students, as well as professors like yourself. You are absolutely right, who in their right mind would show up post high school with a backpack? And unless you are wearing a tweed coat with leather elbow patches, you should not even own a briefcase!! We of course have the perfect bag for you and it's from one of our favorite designers, Lanvin. This suede messenger is super functional and is as fierce as they come without being overly frivolous and fussy for campus life. The flap closure makes your life easier and the short strap keeps you from looking like an actual messenger. In fact, the length of the strap is what makes this bag for me. The obvious thing to do would be to make this into a over the shoulder bag, but you lose the chic, on-the-go style. The size is great for books and papers at 15" x 19", not so big that it would topple you but adequate for most books (at least the ones that I read =) You can get it at Barneys for $1380.
Love,
The Bag Snob
this is a lovely bag...Lanvin makes the best bags!!!
I don't know about Shawna, but this young (and aspiring to be fashionable) professor cannot afford this bag on an academic's salary. Do you have any lower-priced suggestions?
What function does that tail on the front strap serve? It is a lovely shape and a great suggestion (price be darned).
I'm an English and ESL college instructor and I've been using my oversized YSL Muse bag to put my textbook, workbook and student papers. In fact, I even have a different color for each class that I teach (I teach 4 classes on Mondays through Thursdays and on Saturdays!). Believe it or not, I've also used my carryall Chloe Edith bag with the shoulder strap. The bags are quite pricey, but (to me) they're definitely worth it. I've been using my Muse bags for about a year now and they still look fierce and fabulous! It's amazing how much stuff you can put in an oversized Muse bag!
--Agnes
it's a good world, like your website!
Sara, it's all a matter of prioritizing. I find it hard to believe that even a young professor cannot afford one $1300 bag. I read all about university professors leaving the U of Wisconsin-Madison because their salary is not in the six figures. So a young professor's salary (at a university or 4 year college anyway) must be in the 40-60K range. If you need to, pay for it over three months - big whoop - you'll have that great Lanvin bag.