Practical Design Choices We Need to See More Of

“Design is a constant challenge to balance comfort with luxe, the practical with the desirable.” – Donna Karen

It’s always a sad moment when you realize a bag you’d previously really wanted isn’t that comfortable to use. You try to ignore that nagging feeling of having purchased something that, while totally the cutest thing you’d ever seen, is actually pretty cumbersome to carry or was only good for a season and now doesn’t fit your current needs.

It sucks, but it’s ok. It happens to the best of us. That’s what reputable reseller sites are for; They’re all just catalogs of people’s former must-haves’ Ones they also spent hours of research on before making the final purchase.

Unfortunately, some bags are just too heavy, with handles too stiff, or are just plain awkward to dig around in. Their beauty was enough to initially draw us in, but their lack of practicality always leaves us with a wandering eye.

I believe many more bags could’ve had more staying power if only the brand had considered making more functional design choices. Not big changes necessarily, just adding a few elements here and there that would’ve made carrying the bag look and feel more effortless.

I love a bag that feels like the designer put a little extra thought into it. It’s what takes a bag from being ordinary to extraordinary.

Are you listening, creative directors?

There are some bags I think have hit the mark. So using them as examples, here are a few functional design choices I think we need to see more of:

Exterior Pockets

If a bag has a secure closure, there should be at least one exterior pocket. If the bag is hard to get into (which could actually be a positive) the wearer still needs to be able to quickly access their phone, metro card, or other little important things.

The Hermès Her Bag and the Louis Vuitton Ebene Totally bag are both great examples of secure bags that still leave a way for the wearer to slip their hand in.

Hook for Sunglasses

“In the case or on your face,” I hear my optometrist repeating in my head.

Sorry but sometimes we don’t have time to fish around in our purses for our glasses case. Especially if we only removed our sunnies momentarily but still need to keep our hands free. We’ve probably already got keys or a water bottle in one hand and now need to sign or pay for something. I need somewhere to put my sunglasses.

As far as I know, only the Celine Luggage Tote has this little detail, but having a place to hang your sunglasses should be a must to be considered truly on-the-go!

Shape Shifters

The quickest way for a bag to develop staying power is to be adaptable to the wearer’s needs throughout different stages of life. That designer tote you bought for school becomes a travel tote or a diaper bag, and you can count on it as your handy sidekick for many years to come.

Up until this point, big open totes have been the most adaptable, but I’m intrigued by shape-shifting silhouettes like the Loewe Hammock bag and think they should become more commonplace. Not exactly like the hammock bag, but designs that are a bit more ingenious.

What do you all think?