Luxury luggage shop in the UK: Prada’s story began with two brothers: Mario and Martino Prada. The house was founded in 1913 as a leather goods shop. Today, Prada is recognized worldwide for its sleek and contemporary designs. Prada Galleria Bag: Made from Prada’s signature Saffiano leather. Prada Re-Edition Bag: The signature Nylon bags, launched in the late ’80s but synonymous with ‘90s fashion. Yves Saint-Laurent founded his eponymous Parisian label in 1961. Saint Laurent is credited with making ready-to-wear fashion in vogue. Loulou Bag: Boasting chevron quilting, this bag is a marriage of a sleek details with a laid-back silhouette. Christian Dior founded his namesake Parisian brand in 1946, with a desire to return beauty and joy to women after the solemn era of WWII. The brand continues to deliver exquisite style to this day. Find extra information on https://www.penshop.co.uk/pens/leather-bags/leather-document-holder.
If you prefer a duffel to a hardside suitcase but want a top-of-the-line design with wheels, check out the Tumi Large Split 2-wheeled Duffel. It’s extremely spacious: we were able to fit a week’s worth of clothes and essentials with room to spare. With so many compartments and pockets, plus a zipper divider and compression straps, packing it up was actually an enjoyable experience. This duffel bag has two recessed wheels that roll smoothly over all surfaces. It also survived our bat-hitting and drop tests without any noticeable damage. While the ballistic nylon lives up to its abrasionproof claims, it collects dirt and dust pretty easily. (You can wipe it down with a damp cloth as needed.) The price is high, but it’s backed by a five-year warranty and will likely last much longer. If you can swing it and are looking for a durable, large-capacity bag, you really can’t go wrong.
How do I choose a designer bag? If you are thinking of splurging on a new designer bag, then it is definitely worth considering a style that will stand the test of time, rather than just a one-season wonder that will eventually end up gathering dust at the back of your wardrobe. For this, the best option is either to look to the classics – some of which may have had a modern makeover, but are still very much trend-free – or to snap up designs that have an endless elegance about them (think timeless colours, seasonless silhouettes and trusty fabrics). When it comes to affordable designer handbags, APC is a great name to know. The label’s Half Moon bag is a real classic, but we also love this Grace style, which is perfect for day-to-day use.
One side of the trunk has three built-in dividers that you can snap into place or remove if you are carrying something large and would prefer one big, open cabin. After using the compartments to organize your clothing, you can zip that half of the suitcase shut, and use the two large, waterproof pockets on the divider for smaller items or toiletries. We loved how you can fit the included packing cubes into the jumbo pouch, and then buckle them in with the leather straps so that nothing inside can shift around during transit — it’s all locked into place inside the spacious trunk. During our long-term testing period after our initial lab test, we took this suitcase on a 10-day trip to South Korea with more than enough space for shopping trips and gifts for family and friends. After checking the bag, we found a small dent on one of the corners and the decorative leather trim cracked a little, but neither affected luggage performance.
Samsonite’s Freeform Carry-On is a solid choice for international trips, thanks to its size (the correct size for most overheard bins across a number of international airlines), great storage capacity and reasonable price. The brand has been producing high-quality suitcases since 1910, and its spinner is compact but expandable by one inch when you need more packing room. While this option might not have the sleek, trendy look of a Monos or Away suitcase, its functionality more than makes up for it. “I took this suitcase with me on short weekend trips as well as longer flights,” says a member of our testing panel. “As an overpacker, I found the expandable panel very convenient for squeezing in extra clothes.”