A couple of quick suggestions for what to look for in a briefcase. First, true messenger bags
And second, try and match your work bag to your workplace. Like wearing a suit to a t-shirt & jeans job will get you funny looks, so would showing up with a gleaming hard sided attache. Dress for yourself first, but keep in mind that it’s good to dress appropriate for the situation and environment you’ll be in.
A variety of looks and price ranges follow. Keep an eye on those dimensions… you’ll want to be able to fit whatever technology you carry (laptop, tablet, etc…) inside. Have a nice day at work my dears.
Jack Spade Waxwear Davis in Grey – $199.00 ($375)
Serious, but creative. Creatively serious? Jack Spade stuff can start off a little high when full retail, but the quality is solid (lots of their goods are made in China, but still…) and with sales you can find deals. Never too buttoned up, and usually just slightly off center. Black leather accents and grey waxwear canvas.
Billy Reid Laptop Sleeve – $221.25 w/ SPRING25 ($295)
Super sleek. Part of the Billy Reid Friends & Family sale. Also worth a look, the full sized briefcase in Tobacco, for oddly enough the same price. Sleeve also comes in Tobacco leather, or canvas for $146.25.
Filson Original Briefcase – $225.00
And now available in navy. Backordered until 5/1 if you order through Filson, but it looks like Brooks Brothers has em’ in stock. Don’t worry, they still make them in brown, green, and tan.
Fossil Estate Document Case – $148.00
It can be awfully hard to find a simple briefcase in this price range. Fossil seems to have gotten the hint, and they appear to have moved their logo to the inside of the bag. Nice. Also available in tan canvas, or leather for an extra $100.
WeSC Ewart Brief – $59.00 ($89)
For the ultra casual workplace. Looks more like something you’d haul to the beach than to rot inside under soul sucking fluorescents surrounded on three sides by cubicle walls. Available through GILT, so know that it returns for credits only.
Billykirk Schoolboy Satchel – $355.00 ($365)
The latest extra 30% off code for J. Crew expired yesterday, so, hang out for the next one. Gives you the chance to shop around if you’re in the market for one of these. The extra 30% off drops the price down into the mid $200s, which is more than fair.
Beckel Canvas Briefcase – $52.00
Very casual, but great looking with the contrasting handles and canvas color options. 15″ wide. Available in black, green, a bright red/deep orange, or a standard off-white canvas. Much more from Primer here.
Wheelmen & Co. E. Homes Laptop Case – $85.00
Extra slim. Available for either 13″ or 15″ laptops. Charger pocket on the underside of the flap gives you that needed extra pocket without loading down the shape. Good for those who travel REAL light. Made in the USA too.
Jack Spade Davis in Light Grey Leather – $178.00 ($425)
Gonna be tough to find another modern, sleek briefcase in leather at this price. But it’s a pale grey leather. Not everyone’s taste, but if you’re good with a brief that takes a chance by going with a light shade, worth a look. Sold through Bonobos.
Gold Rush Leather Co. The Zephyr – $372.00
They don’t have a webstore, but you can get your hands on one by giving them a call or sending an email (they responded quickly when I asked how much the Zephyr costs). Full grain boot leather. A few styles that are similar to Saddleback, but this one is a little more streamlined. And speaking of…
Saddleback Thin Briefcase in Carbon Black – $414.90 ($461)
Most would prefer one of the shades of brown, but just keep an eye on the Dave’s Deal’s section. There seems to have been an increase in available discounted product (due to manufacturing goofs) as of late. This gets the 10% off “handheld discount”, which means you’d only notice the issue if you had it in your hands.
A Vintage Zero Halliburton – $50ish and up?
Has spent more time on the big screen than Kevin Bacon (challenge: 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, but instead of another actor, what about a Zero Halliburton? Has he ever appeared in a movie with one?). A serious case (drugs? large quantities of cash?) that at the same time you shouldn’t take too seriously (you’re carrying around a movie prop for Pete’s sake). Tough though. Lots of them have beat up interiors. Finding one with a working lock and rust-free hinges isn’t easy. Try your local Home Depot for some foam padding and be prepared to make a mess cutting it down to size.
What do you carry and why? Leave it all in the comments section below…
I really like that navy Filson. I’ve considered buying the Filson before but wasn’t crazy about the super earthy color selection – the design itself is already so rustic that the usual olive drab and coyote tan selections start to look a bit off for office use.
I have the first one–the grey Jack Spade. Got it at your recommendation during the clearance last month or so. Really like it. The downside is that it’s small and not many organizational pockets. The leather accents are actually a dark chocolate brown, which is a bit more versatile than the black in my opinion.
Picked up the Jack Spade Davis in Black Wesson Leather on sale for $178. Best deal of past 2 years for me considering I was seconds away from dropping $450+ on a Billykirk.
I have a cool bag made by Gobi Urban (http://gobiurban.com/). This has been a very durable bag. One of the very interesting elements of the bag is that is made from camel leather. A note on the camel leather, it has a very rustic aroma to it, different from the cowhide sent you may be familiar with.
I’m a lawyer, but I work in a business casual office. My everyday bag is a chocolate brown Piel’s Ultimate Organized Portfolio: http://pielleather.com/shop/index.php/executive/portfolios-briefcases/portfolios-and-briefcases/2478.html MSRP is $400, but ignore it: I bought mine on eBags.com for $225, so it pays to watch for sales. The leather is top-notch, it holds everything I need without needless bulk, and it’s *just* nice enough that I’m not embarrassed to bring it to court when I need to. Fantastic everyday bag for the money.
Id love to see a backpack version of this article.
Nice-looking bag. Thanks for the suggestion.
I use a Red Oxx “Metro” briefcase. It’s not a formal briefcase, but if you need a durable one, I highly recommend it. $140 Made in the USA.
I love that Wheelman & Co. bag. The Zero Halliburton breifcase is no joke. Many salesmen I know use that same briefcase or a similar one that are 25+ years old. If I ever got back in sales, the metal brief gets my vote all day long. It may be worth buying just to top off a Crockett or Tubbs (Miami Vice) halloween costume.
Because I’m in a very business casual environment, I purchased a
Bodhi Men’s Military Laptop Messenger through Amazon for around $50. It was on sale through Myhabit.com for around $100 (owned by Amazon), so I waited until it went on sale through Amazon and saved another $50. Works great for travel and work, and it is easy to clean.
http://www.amazon.com/Bodhi-Military-Laptop-Messenger-Black/dp/B0065J55QO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1365438268&sr=8-2&keywords=bodhi+men%27s+canvas+messenger+bag
The Billykirk Satchel is incredible. The leather is beautiful Horween leather and the inside is very soft. I grabbed mine a few weeks ago from NeedSupply for 200 w/ free shipping.
Very good looking, small, and professional looking. My 15 in. MBP juuuust fits into it, and I leave it in there to stretch the leather so it will fit easier with time.
Highly recommend, but I would search around for lower prices than JCrew
I recently bought a Copper River bag and I’m very happy with the purchase. It’s high quality and looks really nice. It does a nice job bridging casual and business. Rugged sophistication.
Damn. Wish I knew it was on Need for 200. I got it on the J Crew 30% sale so I got an ok deal… Great bag though. Leather is incredible, very rugged looking – for some reason the pics make it look kinda prissy.
When the last batch of Dave’s Deals came in I bought a Saddleback thin briefcase(15%) in chestnut and a matching iPad case(25%). I can’t find anything I’d consider to be a defect on either of them. For me this article summed up the other options and convinced me that I’d made the right choice for my personal style. Thanks, Joe!
This. As a college student carrying around a laptop and textbooks, briefcases and messenger bags just aren’t comfortable enough for me.
Any ideas for stylish backpacks?
anyone know where I can find one of these cool leather briefs that morphs into a backpack? Cycling makes briefs tricky.
All of these look great, but I’d really question the durability of the soft ones.
Personally, I’d go for the Filson and the Saddleback.
If anyone wants to see how the two compare, I’ve got a video review posted here:
http://bit.ly/11LNmWx
http://www.manwithacapitalm.com
@manwithaM
That makes two of us (large thin briefcase in chestnut). Used it for the first time today along with the medium notepad holder. High quality stuff. Wish I could fast forward a couple of years and have them broken in though, hehe.
I’m really digging the look of this one. But, just how small is “small”? It seems a bit smaller than the Filson 256 from what I can tell, but pictures can be a bit deceiving and it doesn’t look like the Jack Spade website has any dimension info. What are you carrying on a day to day basis?
Saddleback makes them, as does Vagabond Traverler. Seen Vagabond, but didn’t buy. Just didn’t need one. http://www.vagabondtraveler.com/product/index.php?route=product/category&path=20
Haha Zephyr? You brought her!
Same here, recently got a black thin briefcase… went over it like a hawk. I think they may be trying to move inventory because there was definitely nothing at all wrong with the bag.
Frost River’s single briefcase deserves a shout out. Waxed canvas and leather, water resistant, and plenty of room without being bulky. I regularly carry some basic stuff, a tablet, and my lunch with it. It’s been through a couple storms and kept everything dry. Only negative is that one of the leather handles doesn’t stand up anymore, the side that faces out when I wear it on a strap. That’s probably normal wear and tear.
https://www.frostriver.com/shop/single-briefcase/
What about the Blue Claw bags? http://www.blueclawco.com/collections/urban-collection/products/frankfort-field-briefcase-black
I have the larger size of the Zero Halliburton. It’s literally been around the world three times. Dented, Scratched, etc, but still lives on. The ultimate gear bag (not briefcase)
I’ve got one of these as well. Taken it all over Southeast Asia and India and it’s held up beautifully. Dunked in the Gulf of Thailand, fallen off rickshaws and just generally had the crap kicked out of it.
Via Zappos: 16 1⁄10 x 2 4⁄5 x 11 4⁄5, 2 lbs 15 oz. I’d say that’s about right. I was previously carrying a huge, heavy leather Tumi, and I rarely had need for that much space. This one is generally big enough for everyday use. I can fit my ultrabook laptop and a few file folders with no problem. There are a few pockets on the side of the interior, but none with zippers or any other closure, and they’re not particularly secure. For some reason, it comes with a black strap (unlike the brown accents), but it’s not big enough for me to justify using the strap anyway.
Thoughts on Pelican 1490?
I’d like to suggest the Hartmann File Brief as well – sadly these are no longer made in America but are top notch construction wise, look great, and more importantly wear extremely well.
I’m on my second after my first was stolen.
http://goo.gl/79CF2