College graduation is an uncertain time for anyone making their way from school out into the working world, and it comes with a lot of changes: moving, finding a job, figuring out how to look and act in an office environment for what might be the first time. Traditionally, graduation gifts are things that aid those efforts, and a solid, elegant, subtle leather bag can go a long way toward projecting professionalism during job interviews and the early days of a new gig.
An ideal grad bag isn’t necessarily the same as a workhorse work bag that can tote a laptop and a bunch of files (although we have tons of recommendations for those, too). Instead, you want to look for something tailored and polished in a medium size and neutral color, which will help a job-seeker or new hire look pulled-together and polished while creating those crucial first impressions.
Below, we’ve selected over a dozen such bags, mostly at accessible, giftable price points. For those looking for a bigger splurge, we also included a few of those options, because we’re always on board with a bigger splurge.