Let’s talk about an often overlooked facet of packing for a trip: handbags. I’m someone who actually thinks about this a lot when I’m shopping for a handbag. If you’ve ever tried traveling with a large, bulky, or heavy handbag, you know how cumbersome it can be. I certainly do, and at some point in my life, I vowed to never repeat my bulky handbag-on-a-trip mistake. And as somewhat of an overpacker, I hate to have my handbag count as one of my two personal items. The solution is to bring one that I can slip into my carry-on bag while navigating the airport.
I’ve found that the best bags to travel with are those that are slim or can be flattened. Flat shoulder bags, bags without a lot of hardware, pouch bags, nylon or fabric bags, and those made of soft leather as opposed to stiff are key when choosing a bag that can be packed. I did a fair amount of searching and found 28 stylish bags that check the travel-friendly boxes. Scroll to shop them before your next flight departs.