Bags of Blog — satchel

I am not huge on designer bags. I have nothing against them, I just feel like they are too expensive to enjoy.  As a result I do not have many (except for the occasional impulse-buy at the sales!), I prefer to window shop (or late night web shop I think it should now be called).   It was during one of these online sessions that I came across a page talking about a ‘Chanel Satchel’. Given that I am satchel mad, I was intrigued. How were they going to renovate the old-school design to give it that modern, designer edge, but keep that retro look?   My anticipation grew as the picture was loading; would I be compelled to buy this bag?   [caption id="attachment_99" align="aligncenter" width="300"]        Apparently this is a satchel - er, no, it's not![/caption]   But instead of delight at the picture I was now staring at, disappointment flooded me. Chanel had not designed a satchel. It was merely a tote with a flap to shut it. No outer pockets, no strong edges, not even a sturdy top handle; it was just a leather handbag (albeit one made by Chanel). I felt defeated, that is until I looked down at the price. It was a good thing I didn’t like it. It would have cost me $600.   For a mere £80 or so, perhaps one of these real classic satchels is a better bet.  I really should send a definition of a satchel over to Chanel. [caption id="attachment_104" align="aligncenter" width="300"]                             Now this is a real satchel![/caption]  

 

Now, although I’ve always been a fan of the old school satchel, this style of bag has made a recent re-entry into the fashion industry. There are many reasons for this, though I like to believe that the main one is that Jack Bauer (CTU agent portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland) wears one of these timeless bags in the award-winning TV series 24.

 

Bauer is not only ranked as #1 in a list of “TV’s Toughest Men” by Sky 1, but also in “The 20 All Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture” by Entertainment Weekly. This just goes to show that the trend for satchels must be down to the fact that they make you look tough yet cool; what every man wants!

 

I must say that however cool Jack looks with his canvas satchel, he would look even better with a naturally suntanned, all leather satchel. Although Matt assures me that normally these bags aren’t used to carry Baretta 92s or Walther PPKs.

 

[caption id="attachment_80" align="aligncenter" width="241"] Is that a gun in your satchel or are you just pleased to see me?[/caption]