Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you asked your daughter? I get wanting to buy her a nicer item, but as a parent of two college kids, I would hold off on that. College kids are often walking a lot, hauling their stuff in the rain, throwing their bags on dirty floors, etc. They need sturdy backpacks that can take a lot of abuse.

The nicer bag would be a great gift for college graduation.

+1 - parent of a college freshman

+2 from another parent

This is an excellent milestone gift in concept, but I don't think it will survive contact with reality. My kid's backpack does double-duty for weekend trips, outings with friends (to hold ski clothes, towel for canoeing), short visits home, even supermarket runs. It also gets kicked under the bed, dropped on dining hall tables, exposed to rain and snow while walking to class, etc. Lightweight, durable and flexible should be your watchwords.

Don’t do this. She will just use a backpack in college. Wait til college graduation to get her a nice tote.

My daughter has this and loves it. But she got it with college graduation money last year.
It’s a beautiful bag.
https://kaaibags.com/collections/pyramids/products/pyramid-cognac

Shoulder bag is impractical for college. I’d get her a new backpack and let her pick it out.

Osprey backpack to carry everything

Anonymous wrote:Have you asked your daughter? I get wanting to buy her a nicer item, but as a parent of two college kids, I would hold off on that. College kids are often walking a lot, hauling their stuff in the rain, throwing their bags on dirty floors, etc. They need sturdy backpacks that can take a lot of abuse.

The nicer bag would be a great gift for college graduation.

+1 - parent of a college freshman

Get her a backpack. It's so much easier.

Cuyana has both backpack and tote options.

Have you asked your daughter? I get wanting to buy her a nicer item, but as a parent of two college kids, I would hold off on that. College kids are often walking a lot, hauling their stuff in the rain, throwing their bags on dirty floors, etc. They need sturdy backpacks that can take a lot of abuse.

The nicer bag would be a great gift for college graduation.

https://www.mansurgavriel.com/products/small-zip-tote-black-flamma

I bought this for my niece for her internships. You can buy an organizer insert on amazon to provide compartments too

DS hasn't actually used his (a hand-me-down from his father, unknown brand). I bought him a JanSport backpack in high school with a laptop compartment, and he loved it so much he brought it with him to college. It has a grey pattern and doesn't scream grade school.

Wait till she gets to school and sees what other students are carrying, how much she needs to haul around, how far she is from classes, etc. Wgat you think is an ideal “quiet luxury” bag for her may not work at all for her college lifestyle.

Knomo?

I love my Lo and Sons OG but I’m not sure it’s college student style.

I'd like to get my daughter a shoulder bag for a laptop and other daily-use items, for her to take to college, and beyond. I'm willing to pay for quality-- something that will last for years, something stylish but classic and durable. Something that gets better with age, if anyone remembers that concept!

I'm looking for some quiet quality brands. No logos. Anything bigger than a sugar cube is right out. We don't do flash or status or brand promotion. I had a Furla bag years ago, and it was great, but I don't know how the quality has held up in recent years, and I worry that the finishes aren't really suited to the college lifestyle. Coach and Kate Spade have declined in quality so much as to be a joke. That's where brand worship gets you!

Any thoughts for where else I could look?