Searching for…Luggage

During my last vacation, my Missoni for Target carry-on finally bit the dust. It was able to hold together through the whole vacation but I noticed it had started to come apart at a seam that couldn’t be repaired. It made me really sad as it went everywhere with me – Italy, New York, Vegas many times, San Diego, San Francisco and SE Asia. It was always easy to spot among the sea of black and gray.

Thus began my search for a new travel buddy. I have always wanted a leather weekender and originally considered the Transport Weekender. But I also wanted something that could be rolled around instead of being carried everywhere. Because of that, I turned my focus to an actual suitcase. I knew I wanted something chic and I love the look of the old vintage style steamer trunks and cases. That took me to Steamline and Globe-Trotter, which would be fabulous to have, but I just couldn’t justify the price. I know they are well made but for most of the year, it would be in a closet, unseen.


I finally found something that is so chic and that I absolutely love from Amazon. I bought the Vanity Case and the Small Carry-on. Against my better judgement, I chose the white with dark brown accents and straps. I just couldn’t resist the white over the other colors, knowing full well it will get dirty. There are some covers for them but even though that would keep them clean I wouldn’t be able to show them off.

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They items came from Japan and took about a week, which was quicker than I expected. The material is PVC/PU and the brown does look a little cheap. The small trunk is a carry-on size and so lightweight, especially compared to my last bag. I could have used it in place of a kettle ball for workouts.

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The vanity case can sit on top of the small trunk and there is a little strap that you can hook around the handle so nothing falls off.

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The inside of the small trunk. There’s a small pocket on the top. The bottom has a cover, with another zip pocket, so that everything looks nice and neat.

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So there is one thing bothers me about this trunk. The poles for the pull-out handle take up a little room inside the trunk. You don’t start out with a flat bottom. Now, I haven’t seen, or even been able to find, pictures of the inside of the Steamline or Globetrotter trunks so I don’t know if they have the same issue. For the price, I doubt it. If you roll your clothes then you can work with this issue. Sometimes I roll, sometimes I use additional inserts.

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I’m all packed! I have six outfits in here including pants, shorts, a dress and tops. They are all Summer items so the material is thinner than a sweater, but everything fit comfortably. The leather straps that you see buckle and there are two key locks on either side.

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The vanity case has two pockets on one side but no cover on the other. Since there is no pull-out handle, the bottom is flat. I have some additional shoes underneath my toiletries and make-up bags. The leather straps snap to the case and there is a combination lock for the case. I’ve actually used this case for weekend trips to see our friends in Dallas.

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The wheels on the small trunk spin and the handle is easy to pull out. The proportion is good for me and not overwhelming. I always hate to see people struggling with such large bags. I think I’d rather have two small trunks than one large suitcase to manage.

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In addition to the small strap to connect around the handles, the vanity case also comes with an over-the-shoulder strap.

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I am contemplating ordering the Medium size, with a cover, so that it would be more useful traveling during Winter or for longer trips, when I need more clothes. Of course, I also hate checking a bag so I may just get another small trunk. I did use this a few weeks ago traveling to Vegas. I was forced to check the small trunk on the way there and it did get dirty and a little scuffed up. When I got home I got a little baking soda and water and made a little paste and all the dark scuffs and dirt came right off. I did choose fashion over function with these two bags but I’m really pleased with my purchases.

1 Comment

  1. Tati
    September 29, 2016 / 2:44 pm

    These are really gorgeous pieces, AB! Very stylish and classic — the trunk idea reminds me of how stylish travelers were back in the day, when flying was a big deal. I hate to check-in luggage as well, and avoid it when I can (though not always possible, boo.)