Every professional woman needs a good briefcase. No matter what your industry or position, a briefcase is essential for anyone to be taken seriously at the workplace. Briefcases often carry a masculine connotation with them, but this could not be farther from the truth! Briefcases come in many different shapes and sizes, and every possible color. There are serious leather briefcases, casual soft briefcases, laptop bags and even bright fashion briefcases.
What kind of briefcases are available
You may be surprised to find that many women’s briefcases strongly resemble high fashion handbags. Many companies have designed bags that combine style and function. There are enough pockets and compartments to keep everything organized, and enough style to please even the most fashion conscious. While the market for women’s briefcases is vast, there are different products for everyone and below are some notes to consider when determining what is right for you.
Range of prices and quality
Determining your price range is one of the most important steps in purchasing a briefcase. For this, you’ll have to look at a few categories. How often will you be using the bag? If this is for everyday commuting use, you’re going to want to invest in a good piece, because your briefcase can be your lifeline in many circumstances. If this is for casual use, occasionally bringing documents from office to home, you may be able to purchase a less expensive piece. Often, the price is directly related to the material used. All leather briefcases are going to be more expensive than canvas or nylon bags, as a rule. However, material is not the only factor for cost. Design will also play a factor in determining the cost of your bag. Companies like Lodis or Osgoode Marley specialize in dozens of well designed and stylish bags that are truly considered accessories in the fashion world. However, companies such as Samsonite offer well made bags, with excellent utility, but less variety.
What you need your briefcase to offer
The amenities on women’s briefcases are as numerous as the styles available. There are a few main components that you should consider when purchasing. The first is if you will need to carry a laptop computer. Many briefcases include compartments or sections made for a laptop computer. While you can use any bag that fits your computer, considering a specially designed laptop bag can allow safer and easier transport of your computer. Among many other makes, Timbuk 2 is known for making hip, stylish laptop bags with a number of features to improve your commute.
How to get around with your briefcase
The second thing to consider is the way you would like to carry your briefcase. There are bags with hand straps, shoulder straps, wheels, backpack straps, or a combination of several styles. While a majority of the women’s styles rely on shoulder straps, there are other options to consider when making a choice. If you know you’re going to be carrying heavy items, or doubling use for air travel, a bag with wheels may make sense. If you rely on public transportation, shoulder straps or backpack straps can make sure that your briefcase is always staying with you. Hand carry straps can be useful to those who do not need to carry many items or are worried about straps on particular outfits.
Shopping for a briefcase
The best way to find the perfect briefcase is to study what you carry and use over the course of one week. Documenting what you need to take from place to place, as well as keeping mental motes of what you are wearing, how you are commuting and what you would love to be able to do will help you when making a briefcase selection. If you already currently have a briefcase, try and look at what the positives and negatives are on your current piece. If you’re crazy about the outside pockets, but would like more interior room, be sure to measure the dimensions of your current piece. When going shopping, you’ll want to take a small ruler or tape measure if space is an issue. While many briefcases list their dimensions on the tag, it may not be a comprehensive listing of all the numbers you may need. Also, don’t be shy to take your phone, computer, file folder or anything else you may carry to see how the items fit and feel in a perspective briefcase. In addition to general retailers, there are also luggage purveyors such as Specialty Luggage and luxury product lines like Louis Vuitton and Coach that offer high quality and high fashion pieces.
Color of a Briefcase
Another thing to remember when looking at women’s briefcases is color. While pink may be your favorite color, consider if you want to carry around a bright pink bag every day. While for many women this is perfect and completely work appropriate, women working in other industries like the federal government or banking may have stricter restrictions and rules on dress code. Another thought on color is realizing that a well made briefcase in any color or style is appropriate to wear with any of your business wear, and you should not feel like you must coordinate your briefcase around your outfit. If briefcase coordination is something that is important to you, consider purchasing several less expensive briefcases in multiple colors and styles. A warning on this front would be making sure that your belongings and items get transferred from bag to bag as you need them, as too often important items can be left in another bag, in another place.
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