Style -- 1 day ago
The best weekend bags for winter mini-breaks
Words: Violet
As Advent hits, weekends become events in themselves; whether you use them for paying visits to relatives in the West Country, romantic mini-breaks to Christmas markets on the Continent, or attending a winter wedding – this close to Christmas, we’re all zipping around.
Whatever you do, your stuff comes with you. The first part of the weekend away is packing it; the last part is unpacking it. Your weekend bag brackets whatever you do and wherever you go. Start and finish your weekend with a feeling of proud pleasure, carrying a bag fit to follow you.
This is luggage you can happily leave in your host’s hall for all to admire, rather than dash up to stow away in the guest bedroom; it will hold its own on a bellboy’s trolley. And as for the one cabin-bag policy on some of the unfriendlier airlines – well, these bags do as their names say – they hold it all.
1 . YSL
This is a thing of beauty. Whisk a girl away and you’ll have seduced her with your luggage – forget about the cosy candlelit dinner. This YSL classic duffle 48 bag comes in a shade of grey leather Hedi Slimane has called ‘Earth’, or you can stick to a more standard black. It will suit your surroundings, from the Highlands to Paris.
£1,830, ysl.com.
2 . Mulberry
This is classic British travelling gear: a roomy yet well-proportioned, quietly stylish leather holdall. This Mulberry Clipper bag comes in a very bluish black, with a sharp cognac-coloured leather trim around the zip and handles to make sure it lasts you for a lifetime of mini-breaks. A member of Mulberry’s new Scotchgrain collection, it shows their concept of classic, flawlessly-executed luggage design is alive and kicking; if a style ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
£595, mulberry.com
3. Paul Smith
Normally, we’d say keep luggage a dark colour to hide wear and tear, but this colour of leather just gets richer with a bit of ill treatment, whether in the back of a muddy Land Rover or coming off the dusty luggage belt at Marrakech airport. It’s top of our AW13 colour palette, and Paul Smith’s obviously been thinking the same thing too; he’s got some other key accessories in mustard yellow leather, not to mention his Lennie sunglasses with hints of the tone around the black frame. Are you thinking what we’re thinking? Some winter sun in Havana..
£239, Paul Smith Mustard Yellow Holdall, paulsmith.co.uk
By Charlotte Beale
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