Backpack in style

During our recent travels, I found the best bag to carry was a backpack. When you’re on holiday your days are varied - from walking the streets of a tourist village in the morning, to a museum in the afternoon, to dinner at night. You want to be comfortable, not having to lug a handbag around all day, but you want to be stylish as well. 

When I look for a backpack, I want one that’s versatile. One that can hold everything you’ll need for the day, that you can use as a backpack, but also one you can carry as a normal handbag. So here are my picks of the backpacks.

Mulberry Cara Delevingne Bag

Black Natural Leather £995

This bag ticks all the boxes for me, as Mulberry usually do. Great size, great look (very Bayswater) and can be carried on the back, on the shoulder, and on the arm. The Cara range is full of different sizes and styles, but for me the middle range plain leather is the best. For this kind of money, I don’t want to be in possession of a camouflage design that will look outdated next season. To be honest, I think it looks outdated now. Available at www.mulberry.com

Moschino Quilted Backpack

$AU553

Fun and funky, Moschino has become a favourite of celebrities like Lily Allen. The downside to this bag, for me, is that it’s a proper backpack. No holding it in the crook of your arm. It reminds me of my school days, really. To reminisce, I’d probably fill the thing with books. Available at www.farfetch.com

LK Bennett Sophia Backpack

£295

I’m a huge fan of LK Bennett. They take timeless chic to a whole new level. This bag has a hobo style, and is the perfect ‘throw it in’ bag for the day. Available at www.lkbennett.com

Aspinal of London Letterbox Rucksack

$AU1225

Aspinal of London describe this bag as ‘relaxed and practical but full of attitude.’ Yes indeed. Over the northern hemisphere summer, this bag was seen on members of the ‘It’ crowd in Glastonbury. Definitely the perfect music festival bag. It looks cool, and reminds me of those leather backpacks we had back in 90s. If you’re looking for something a little quirky, then check out their character bag. Super cute! I love this bag, and I want one. Are you reading this, Mariya Dykalo? Available at www.aspinaloflondon.com

Oroton Tour Backpack

$AU695

I’d like this a whole lot more if the top handle was a little bigger, but that can be compensated by the easy-access side pockets, perfect for your phone or your keys. Available at www.oroton.com.au

Black Widow Edit

Over on giorgethomas.com I wrote a post about Black Widows - women that kill their husbands for money. It got me thinking what kind of wardrobe crime shows always portray Black Widows as having - they almost always carry a little black top-handle bag. Here are some of the bags I think a Black Widow would carry...

Chanel Vintage Medallion Tote (in Velvet)

$AU2,220.73

Available at Farfetch (www.farfetch.com)

Aspinal of London Mini Hepburn

$AU1,100

www.aspinaloflondon.co.uk

Oroton Mini Barrel Bag

$AU295

www.oroton.com.au

Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere 30

$AU3,500

www.louisvuitton.com

When one Bayswater isn't enough

For me, it’s an oldie but a goodie. It’s the first designer handbag I’ve ever bought, and the one I always revert back to. Simply put, I can’t get enough of the Mulberry Bayswater.

We all want variety in our lives, and sometimes the original doesn’t quite do enough for you. I usually use my Bayswater with all the straps fully extended, because I’m always after a little extra space. So when I look for Bayswater alternatives, I usually look for a bag that will give me a little extra room.

It’s why I purchased the Bayswater Tote (RRP £895). It’s that kind of ‘take with you every day’ bag that can carry you through work and whatever you’ve got going on after. The only downside to the Bayswater Tote, I’ve found, is that there is no inside slip pockets. When you’ve got such a big bag you want to be able to have easy access to your phone, and when it’s sitting at the bottom of such a large space, that’s difficult. It’s probably why I am known for never answering mine. Whenever there’s a message left on my phone, the caller usually begins with, ‘so I guess your phone is at the bottom or your bag...’  I end up using the zip pocket to house my phone and keys for easy access, but this means I have to find another alternative for those items you’d rather kept zipped away (lady products and such like). I use my Coach wrist purse which, as you can see, has seen better days. 

Because the Bayswater style has been so popular, Mulberry has added to the family over the years, first with the Bayswater tote. Here are some of my favourites.

Bayswater Double Zip Tote

RRP £1500

A convenient bag for those that like different compartments, this bag was released after Modalu made the double zip style fashionable with their Pippa bag.

Bayswater Buckle

RRP £1,200

I almost felt like Mulberry made this for me when they released it, as the style is the exact way I use my original Bayswater. The extended sides of this bag gives it a shape quite like Aspinal of London’s Marylebone tote - the bag which saw Aspinal become Mulberry’s biggest competitor in the English market. 

Oversized Bayswater

RRP £1,350

Put the words ‘oversized’ and ‘Bayswater’ together, and I’m sold. While you may be asking, ‘isn’t that just a Piccadilly? Mulberry has made sure it’s not quite that big, and have added extension straps to the front of the bag to both change the look, and enable the wearer to have more arm room. 

Prices are in Pounds Stirling, as per Mulberry’s price list. Items can be purchased online at www.mulberry.com. A delivery fee to Australia applies. Please allow 5-7 days for shipping.

***Images courtesy of Mulberry, Polyvore and Giorge Thomas

Lovely Smythson

It's always a good day when you get something other than bills in the post. Even better when you receive something handbag related.

Unfortunately for me, not an actual handbag. But just as good. As a Smythson customer, I'm on their mailing list, and was happy to receive these beautiful postcards advertising their wares for the coming season.

Smythson is an iconic British brand, specialising in stationery. Their exquisite notebooks and writing paper has been used by Royals, Lords and Ladies for over a hundred years. Those who appreciate quality and prestige having been using Smythson for their personalised stationery needs since the store's inception in 1887.

While I'm a massive stationery fan (I'm losing count of the number of Filofaxs in my possession) I am also a lover of handbags, and Smythson has carried their attention to detail, quality and luxury over to their handbag line.

Here are a few of the pieces on offer this year from Smythson. Perhaps, like me, there will be some new additions to your Christmas list!

On this postcard: Mara iPhone 5 Case, Mara Card Case, Mara Heart Keyring, Envelope Box Clutch, Panama Six Card Wallet, Wafer Series Notebook and Panama Women's Tote.

Carry This... Smythson Panama Women's Tote in Venetian Red, Grained Calf Leather. £550.00 €715.00 $US995.00

On this postcard: Grosvenor Folding Photograph Keyring, Mara Passport Cover, Mara Envelope Keyring, Mara Travel Wallet, Grosvenor Continental Purse with Hinge, Wafer Diary, Eliot Mini Tote.

Carry This... Smythson Eliot Mini Tote in Midnight Blue Calf Leather. £995.00  €1295.00 $US1680.00

Something for the boys...

On this postcard: Panama Luggage Tag, Panama Eight Card Wallet, Panama Slim Coat Wallet, Panama Laptop Case, Mara Currency Case

On this postcard: Panama Travel Watch Roll, Eliot Document Case, Panama Series Notebook, Panama iPad Mini Sleeve, Panama Double Travel Wallet, Viceroy Rollerball Pen.

Why Handbags?

My Mulberry Bayswater in Chocolate

My name is Giorge Thomas, and I'm a handbag addict. I thought one of the best ways to deal with this addiction, apart from going broke, is to share my love of handbags with you all.

So why handbags? If you want to stay ahead with the latest fashions, you’ll have to go out every summer, autumn, winter and spring to buy the latest looks. Fashion mags tell us that what we wore last summer cannot, cannot, cannot be worn again this summer. It’s an expensive process. Not only that, but unless you have supermodel proportions (tall, painfully thin, boob and bum-less) a lot of the latest trends aren’t going to suit your body type.

Which is why handbags are the answer.

Not only do you have a vessel to carry around all the crap we women have to lug everywhere just to function, but if we’re clever, we can have a statement piece to carry around through all the seasons.

When you think about it, realistically, how much do you spend each year on clothes? $1000? $2000? More? For that amount you can buy one handbag which will not only look great, not only be functional, not only compliment your entire wardrobe, but will be admired, too. Actually, for that amount, you could probably purchase a number of bags.

With handbags, it doesn’t matter what you look like, how big you are, how small you are, how short, how tall, how young or how old - anyone can carry them. In a way, handbags are quite unprejudiced.

So, why handbags? I think you’ve found your answer. On the Carry This Bag site we’ll showcase the classic handbags you can take with you year to year, season to season, and, well, my personal favourites.. Affordable, extravagant - something for every budget. We’re sure to find you a bag you’ll be happy to carry.