1. Topshop Dip Dye Backpack, $84 US at Topshop
2. Cambridge Satchel Company Yellow Backpack, £93 at Cambridge Satchel Company
3. HIXSEPT June Backpack, $295 at Opening Ceremony
4. Pieces Eda Fringed Backpack, $63 US at ASOS
5. WGACA Vintage Metallic Chanel Backpack, $3,200 US at ShopBob
6. Carven Spring Summer Backpack, $360 US at The Corner
7. Kenzo Small Color-Block Bucket Backpack,
8. Christopher Shannon x Cambridge Satchel Company Backpack, Select Locations TBA
9. DULUTH Wanderer Backpack, $385 US at Barney’s
10. Alexander Wang Small Golf Bag, $493-$690 US at Alexander Wang / Opening Ceremony
There’s no question about it, backpacks are the perfect summer accessory, weather you’re carting road beers, blankets, sunscreen, or snacks, it’s sometimes hard not to feel a bit like a high school student. So we’ve rounded up a couple of chic and cool options you can feel good about wearing for park hangs, weekend getaways, or festival going. Scroll down for more photos of each bag and to find out why we love them all!
1. Starting off in hippie territory, this Topshop Dip Dye backpack blends familiar summer hobbies with the current neon trend. We’ve chosen the pink variety but it also comes in green and a couple of other tie dye varieties that cost a reasonable $84 US each.
2. Everyone’s been loving The Cambridge Satchel Company bags since they hit Toronto in a big way at A2Zane among other retailers, but we’re even more obsessed with the backpack version of the satchel at the moment which comes in just as many pretty colours as the normal satchel. We adore them because of their traditional and timeless design, not to mention the indestructibility of the super firm leather. We’ve chosen the mustard yellow colour this time around because it’s subdued in comparison to the neon versions that seem to be everywhere right now.
3. Not all backpacks have to be flashy or patterned for summer, so we thought we should include this HIXSEPT June Backpack (which we’ve mentioned before) because of its demure, yet classic appeal. Made with light Portuguese cotton, contrast lining and suede detailing, the French design duo behind HIXSEPT combine two tough fabrics for a durable bag that will last for many seasons. But good design doesn’t come cheap, and this certainly aint your old school JanSport, weighing in at $295 US.
4. Moving back into affordable territory, we’ve spotted this Pieces bag, on sale over at ASOS for about $63 US! The Danish design team created this Eda Fringed Backpack with a little western edge and a slight vintage appeal in the old school details like the draw string closure and double layered fringe. It comes in black and nude in super soft leather, making it a steal for the price.
5. Our list wouldn’t be complete without a vintage option so we thought we’d go ahead and break the bank with this vintage metallic Chanel backpack from WGACA at ShopBob. It’s an unexpected choice for summer because we tend to reach for items in the neon or floral styles rather than this classic mint condition 90’s piece. It’s not like any vintage backpack we’ve seen in vintage stores a plenty, and the whopping $3,200 US price tag reflects in the originality of the piece and the condition. Snag this classic beauty right away before someone else does!
6. Classic French couturier Carven has undergone a recent transformation into contemporary fashion and this piece is the perfect example of the spring summer collections nerdy collegiate tailoring with wild zig zag pattern that isn’t quite Missoni or Navajo. It’s leather and textured detailing are fine yet playful, while the weave is perfectly current without being too trendy. Snag this backpack on sale over at The Corner for $360 US.
7. We adore KENZO so much and were delighted to find they had this neat, kinda 90’s bucket backpack in their spring summer collection. It’s convertible straps make it both a backpack and a shoulder bag bearing the iconic KENZO logo cut out of the calf skin leather middle. It comes in a few bright snazzy colourways like the orange/green/pink featured above (obviously our favourite), as well as red/black/blue, and white/blue/green shown below. It’s prefect for festival sporting because it has mostly synthetic materials with touches of leather, so you don’t have to worry about getting it a little wet.
8. Coming back to the Cambridge Satchel Company again, we thought we should include something ahead of the curve that isn’t even available for purchase yet. This collaborative capsule collection with emerging menswear and luggage designer Christopher Shannon makes the normal satchels look pretty darn plain in comparison to these ones adorned with leather grass trim, raffia printed leather, and pinked edges. Tired of carrying the same neon satchel as all your friends? Not anymore!
9. Rounding out the list with a backpack you can actually use to go backpacking (if you wanted to) is this DULUTH Wanderer pack handcrafted in the US from strong canvas and leather detailing that’s got a lifetime warranty. It reminds us of boy scouts slightly but the sleek black on black and buckle closures scream sophisticated camper. And don’t worry, you won’t have to go to an outdoors shop to get this bag, Barney’s stocks them for $385 US.
10. We wanted to finish off bringing the fashionable and functional item, back into the designer realm. Alexander Wang makes this beautiful leather golf bag with nickel hardware in navy blue, black, and burgundy, that’s at once adorable, well designed, and perfectly sized. While most backpacks are used to cram a bunch of junk into, this bag is for the more fashionable park-goer, who won’t be sitting in the grass, but merely strolling through. It has an equally prissy price tag of roughly $493 – $690 US depending on where you buy it.