In Athens, Georgia, the Freshman Apocalypse is nigh. We’re the home of the University of Georgia, my alma mater and a school of over 35,000 students, and in two short days, that will include 5,000 brand new freshman. For a town this size, the influx of the new students (in addition to the other returning students that had left for the summer) means we’re about the see the sort of chaos and havoc that’s only novel when you’re one of the people that is helping to create it. Target and Wal-Mart will be completely sold out of…everything, none of the thousands of brand new residents know where anything is or how to drive, and they’re all going to be really excited to be out in public without their parents. If you don’t hear from me for a few days, it’s because I have run off into the woods, mumbling deliriously, in order to escape them.
But what this time of year means for most normal humans is that it’s time to start gathering together back-to-school wardrobes, either for themselves or for their kids. And the topic of chic and functional school bags is always a topic of discussion on our Forum, and something that I’ll talk more about later this week, but for right now, I’d just like to show a little love to the A.P.C. Black Leather Satchel. This crossbody bag appeals to my inner grad student – it’s made of thick, matte leather that, when combined with the traditional shape and double buckle closures, has “vintage book satchel” written all over it. The proportions are a bit shrunken to look more appropriate on a female body, but it still looks easily large enough to carry the laptop, bottle of water and cosmetics pouch that normally populated my school bags (journalism school? Rather light on textbook usage). Buy through Net-a-Porter for $420.
