For those of you who don’t know me in real life, I should explain here that I look young for my 28 years. This is a good thing and a bad thing, I think. I’m getting kind of tired of people asking me if I’m in Oregon for college, and getting carded every single time isn’t the greatest. On the other hand, I’m told it’s something I’ll be grateful for soon.
In any case, the babyface issue is one reason I avoid using backpacks for the most part. Why look any more like a high school/college student than I already do? But they’re oh-so-convenient, especially when you’re traveling, as I have been almost constantly for the past month. The obvious goal was to find one that didn’t make me look like a fifth grader. I narrowed it down to these three:
1. From Baggu: a cheerful striped backpack for grown ups! The sleek lines and narrow size make it both adult-friendly and easy to handle. ($24)
2. Kimchee Blue Printed Backpack. My fashionable friend Kim suggested checking out Urban Outfitters, and I’m glad I did. Yes, lots of college students shop at UO, but they’re fashionable college students. As in ones looking for an alternative to the usual Jansport.
3. Definitely the most grown up, ladylike backpack. One of my very favorite UK stores, TopShop, has finally come to the US. With fashionable finds like this one, it’s not hard to see why they’re the go to for so many trendy Brits.
The final decision: the Kimchee Blue bag! It had the right number of pockets (boarding pass, lip gloss, cell phone, pens…am I the only one who requires all these odds and ends???), it was the right price, and it’s along the lines of the way I dress. While I adore them all and would totally pick them up as gifts for friends, I’m sadly not preppy enough for the first one and not fancy enough for the TopShop one.
I took the Kimchee Blue backpack with me to Hawaii for Thanksgiving and it held up like a champ, even stuffed with my laptop, charger, pashmina, big headphones, and all those other bits and pieces I listed above. And the biggest bonus? My seat mate’s first question was “What do you do for a living?” not “Where do you go to school?” Ah, the power of accessories!
