From backpacks to belt bags, the stylish and practical pieces you should invest in.

Books have been crammed into Kindles, documents and photos squeezed onto USB sticks and many of our appurtenances now float around in the cloud. You’d think that would mean we’d have less stuff to carry, but instead we’ve been lumped with laptops and tablets, and our gym kit has probably gained a protein shake or five. So, unless you have an entourage to do it for you, you’re likely to have to carry a bag around at some point. Whether that’s a tote or a holdall is up to you, but your bag says as much about your character as your shoes or your watch, so it’s worth getting it right.

That isn’t as hard as it sounds. Backpacks, it turns out, are not just for hiking nuts and schoolchildren, and belt bags are no longer the preserve of unfashionable tourists who wear wraparound sunglasses and frequent theme parks. Instead, there is a variety of bags for a variety of scenarios and, as you’re about to discover, there are lots of acceptable options for bagging up your stuff. Which is good news if you’ve got a season ticket to Disneyland.

What began as a carry-all for hiking and outdoor activities soon evolved into the classic nylon backpack for schoolbooks. This, in turn, graduated into a bag appropriate for carrying pretty much anything. Indeed, backpacks are now commonplace on the commute to the office or the gym. They look good with streetwear, but also come in iterations handsome enough to slip on the back of a suit without raising an eyebrow. Many now come with compartments specially designed to carry laptops and documents. Common Projects is perhaps best known for its sneakers, but it also makes a range of pleasingly minimal leather backpacks that are as sturdy and refined as its footwear. WANT LES ESSENTIELS, which is known for its bags, makes this robust organic cotton-canvas backpack that comes with a padded laptop sleeve and adjustable straps.

Ah, the belt bag. Also known as a bum bag (UK) or a fanny pack (US), the belt bag doesn’t have the most fashionable of sartorial histories, but is now riding the crest of the 1990s fashion revival wave. Its reputation (and its name) has had a little rebranding, thanks in part to a number of celebrities and designers, such as A$AP Rocky and Off-White’s Mr Virgil Abloh, as well as swathes of street-style regulars. Before this moment in the limelight, however, belt bags were favoured by pick-pocket-wary tourists and were up there with cagoules as resolutely uncool. But fashion loves a challenge and, to our surprise, their reinvention is looking pretty good. Try Givenchy’s canvas and leather belt bag that comes with numerous compartments, or Prada’s nylon version, which fastens with a sturdy buckle. The only question then is whether you wear it over your shoulder or round your waist, a debate MR PORTER’s editors recently had, and which you can read here.

The tote bag, favourite of the moody arts student who goes to gigs but never dances, has also gone through a bit of a reinvention. As well as the canvas totes decorated with band names or politically charged quotes, there are elegant and more durable bags made by Dries Van Noten, Maison Margiela and Thom Browne. This striped leather-trimmed bag from Loewe hints towards a nautical design, but will be equally useful on a beach holiday as on the daily commute or shopping trip. This black tote, from Saint Laurent, is made in Italy from full-grain leather, is capacious enough to carry a laptop and comes with a detachable pouch that doubles as a wallet. Who said totes were just for shopping?

The weekend bag occupies the liminal space between the hand-held bag and the suitcase. Going away for a few days but don’t want to lug a great plastic case around with you? Can’t fit all your essential impedimenta into a backpack? Got a super-comprehensive gym kit you can’t do without? There’s nothing else for it but a trusty holdall. You won’t use one every day (unless you’re on the run), but a good weekend bag will last you years, and will become one of the handiest go-tos in your wardrobe. This Clipper holdall from Mulberry is crafted from thick durable leather in olive green, and comes with an adjustable (and detachable) strap, making it perfect for short trips. For something on the more technical side, look to sailing expert Musto, whose 45-litre holdall is made from polyvinyl intended to weather the elements, and comes with buckle-fastening webbing straps and a pressure-valve mechanism to expel excess air. It almost makes us want to go sailing in February.

The briefcase gets an unfair rap for being obsolete and outdated, trapped in the pre-internet days when people took piles of paper to work in hard-shell attaché cases with combination locks. And while that particular type of briefcase may well have had its day, there is an alternative that combines the genteel elegance of the old with the practicality of the new. The latest incarnation of the briefcase has rounded edges that make it perfect for carrying a laptop or tablet, but still maintains the old hand-held carry style. Look to Berluti for some of the finest leather cases on the market. This Deux Jours style is crafted in Italy from polished Venezia leather and comes with a shoulder strap to switch it up as and when you please. For something less Italian and more British, this briefcase from Dunhill is lined with twill to keep your portables safe, and is made from extra-durable full-grain leather that will happily take a beating on your commute.

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