The Backpack Dilemma

I have struggled for some time now with seeing backpacks in mainstream fashion. I’m a firm believer that just because something is in fashion does not make it fashionable and backpacks definitely fall into that category. I detested backpacks in my school days and see no need for them as an adult. Unless you are hiking or possibly travelling but in no other circumstance do I see a need for them.

With all of that said, I do see their practical value and here is my dilemma. Every few months I revisit the idea of buying one mostly due to back pain so I spend hours online researching and find a backpack I deem age appropriate and vaguely stylish. This is then followed by me falling off my chair at the price and I then decide I don’t need one after all. I am currently at the start of that cycle again but with good reason. Before I left for my trip to Oz I considered using a backpack as my hand luggage so my search began. Not wanting to spending a month’s salary on something I may not even use I hit high street chains looking for a plain, practical yet stylish backpack. Most I found were horrible and the ones that got a second glance were more than I was willing to pay. At that point I was ready to give up but I started to look at what was really bothering me about the backpacks I found.

Most of these backpacks were not age appropriate. I’m a grown woman with a lot of stuff to carry around and a ‘mini’ backpack won’t cut it. That brings me to the next thing that bothers me; the straps. Remember the driving force for me wanting to buy a backpack is it’s practical so why on earth would I consider a backpack with straps that resemble shoelaces? My other issue (I’m on a roll now) and this is one that may just be mine, is the shape. I prefer a square shape yet I found very few like this and any that were square were completely out of my price range.

This is where I had a lightbulb moment. In general I found there was some mass generalisation about what women want from a backpack so I started looking at men’s versions and bingo! I started my search from scratch going into every men’s department and do you know what I found? Simple, square, non-offensive backpacks. At that point I bought a men’s black, squared-shaped, fabric backpack for 12 euro from Penneys. I used it on the plane and if I’m honest despite it being aesthetically reasonable, I got what I paid for and I can’t see it lasting many more days.

No doubt I will return to this dilemma at some stage in the future but until then, here are a few I daydream about owning.

xo