Savvy

Headed Off to College? Here’s What to Carry for Under $550

Even though it’s been a solid decade since I went off to college, this time of year makes me nostalgic for back-to-school shopping, no matter how many grey hairs I’ve recently started producing. (Spoiler alert: a significant number of grey hairs.) As you might expect, I have some thoughts on how to pick exactly the right bag for all your college needs, as well as some suggestions of what’s out there right now that fits the bill.

Your (or your daughters’) experiences may vary, but my college career required a ton of walking on a very large, hilly campus, so the first thing to think about when picking a bag for a new or returning college student is its weight; coated canvas or lighter-weight leathers are ideal, and forgo bags with lots of extra pockets unless you really need them, because the extra material adds up quickly.

Second, the bag has to be big enough to hold the requisite college student stuff–I only chose bags that I thought would fit a notebook, a textbook and a slim laptop or tablet. If you’re going to be hauling around two giant organic chemistry books, your problems are bigger than any solutions I can provide. On, like, several levels.

I’ve also only selected bags that can serve a young woman (or man–carry what you want!) well in the event of an internship or job interview; those sometimes pop up last-minute in school, and making a solid impression on someone that early in your career can quite literally change your entire life.

Lastly, I’m not trying get all Marie Antoinette up in here. Although we are primarily an emporium of information on stupefyingly expensive handbags, I know that college is a time of tight budgets for most people, and even most fashion lovers. While most of the bags below cannot be accurately described as inexpensive, I’ve kept them all below $550, with many options far under that price.


Alice.D Leather Tote Bag
$495 via ShopBop

Alice D Leather Tote Bag


Clare V. Simple Tote
$450 via ShopBop

Clare V Simple Tote


Danielle Nicole Simone Geo Print Tote
$88 via Neiman Marcus

Danielle Nicole Simone Geo-Print Tote


Elizabeth and James James Calf Hair Tote
$545 via Neiman Marcus

Elizabeth and James James Calf Hair Tote


Jonathan Adler Duchess Medium East-West Tote
$178 via ShopBop

Jonathan Adler Duchess Medium East-West Tote


Madewell Transport Tote
$168 via ShopBop

Madewell Transport Tote


Marc by Marc Jacobs What’s the T Tote
$298 via Zappos

Marc by Marc Jacobs What's the T Tote


MICHAEL Michael Kors Channing Shoulder Tote
$448 via Neiman Marcus

MICHAEL Michael Kors Channing Shoulder Tote


ONE by Ampersand as Apostrophe Large East-West Tote
$413 via ShopBop

ONE by Ampersand as Apostrophe Large East-West Tote


Rebecca Minkoff Bowery Tote
$325 via Bloomingdale’s

Rebecca Minkoff Bowery Tote


Tory Burch York Buckle Tote
$295 via Bloomingdale’s

Tory Burch York Buckle Tote


ZAC Zac Posen Eartha Saffiano Shopper Tote
$395 via Nordstrom

ZAC Zac Posen Eartha Saffiano Shopper Tote

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