please help me spend my money wisely

[anne_lj]

The Wednesday before Raqs's party I bought a purse to be my work bag to tote all my electronics (ipod, camera, cables, and of course the lovely Macbook Air!) and a comb and wallet and a tube of lipstick. It's 17" long x 12" tall x about 5" deep. It zips at the top, has two handles that go comfortably over my shoulder to tuck the bag securely

Comments

[swanduchess]

I guess I am not one to ask since my lap-top-work-bag is "Pirates of the Caribbean". My only concern when I was searching for one was weight. I needed something that wasn't so darn heavy! The Pirate one I picked is made of light, but durable black canvas. However, I have seen some that might be what you are looking for in Nordstrum's. Also, Mancub tells me that "Targus" is a great brand. Apparently they make all sorts of leather briefcases and bags in a variety of size and weight... even ones that are bullet proof.(Mancub seemed to think this was the most important feature, so I had to put it in.) ::grin::
Good luck!

[literalman]

A little small, but definitely durable! http://www.tombihn.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=001&Product_Code=TB0223&Product_Count=&Category_Code=

[laurion]

Oh yes, I am *very* happy with my Tom Bihn bags. Mayhaps that model will not work out, but one of the Cafe Bags likely could.

[raqs]

I find the Maxx bags sold by QVC are lower-cost but very sturdy counterparts of their designer department store versions, and several of them have a ton of pockets. My sister and I both have one model we love that for some reason isn't being sold either on QVC OR on eBay right now. However, this saddlebag http://cgi.ebay.com/Maxx-New-York-Microfiber-Saddle-Bag-Handbag-Purple_W0QQitemZ350067187227QQihZ022QQcategoryZ63852QQtcZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem is also coolness and IS avail. on ebay cheap, or you can buy it new (w 30 day guarantee) from qvc.com, A39601. It is not as long as the previous bag. i've been LOOKING for a hobo that big. I do have a Maxx shopper that is bigGER, but not that big. It was also more expensive - how much would you be willing to spend? (I am going to hell, but I've paid $120-140 for such bags.)

[raqs]

Upon further reflection, I'd also recommend the Dooney & Bourke bags, again on QVC (which often sells leather-trimmed very pretty & sturdy canvas bags which are slightly cheaper than their leather cousins sold in dept. stores.) An example is A68978. D&B bags wear like iron - people frequently own them for years, if not decades. A68978 is also available in an All-Weather Leather version for about $60 more - look it up. (I'm not sure this bag is big enough for you but it's an example of something in the design category you want.) D&B bags can also be found on eBay, including in their QVC versions - all the standard eBay warnings apply (check out the seller, check the return policy, be aware of the remote possibility of being rooked, etc. etc.) Note: the QVC "signature fabric" versions of D&B bags? Lighter than leather, while still being resistant to dirt & water

[raqs]

It occurs to me that I also make it sound as though you have to spend $100+ to get a good bag. That's just my current play area. As I blogged at some point, I didn't KNOW purse prices went up to $18,000. I'm investigating the field.

But UNDER $100 I recommend Maxx, OR my favorite brand used to be Liz Claiborne, who also made good bags with lots of pockets in designs I liked. There was a clearance store at my outlet mall - good times, good times. You might find one at the outlet mall closer to you... They might not last for DECADES but they'll last a long time.

The fact that your Target bag essentially exploded (and the fact that I saw it) indicates to me that you need something really built like luggage, something built to carry a lot of weight a lot. And that's also partly why I'm steering you towards the D&B bags, because those are built like luggage and built to last.