I'll be honest: I have never necessarily been the type of person to be either fussy about or deeply concerned with buying luggage. But joining Livingetc as their in-house travel and lifestyle expert last July has truly been a game-changer in that sense.
If once all I had to worry about before setting off on a journey was ensuring I had enough space to fit all of my holiday essentials, today more factors come into play: the type of accommodation I will be staying in, for example, is a decisive element in my choice of baggage for a specific trip, as plusher sojourns come with an unspoken (but very much visible) etiquette.
Because let's face it, the last thing you want when checking into a once-in-a-lifetime hotel is noticing staff or fellow globetrotters turn up their nose at the sight of your loud, camp-ready hiking backpack. Been there. Done that. Never again.
Weekend Bags — To Get Away Quickly and In Style
Travel Bags for Train Travel — Light, Compact, and Aesthetic
Carry-On Luggage — For Smooth, Memorable Rail or Plane Journeys
Checked Travel Bags and Trunks — For Travelers Who "the More, the Better", and Never Compromise on Style
What Makes (or Breaks) Luggage
The dazzling interiors of the Dimorestudio-designed La Dolce Vita Orient Express, whose region-specific itineraries help travelers discover the very best of Italy's best-kept-secrets.
Good luggage doesn't simply get you to your picked destination with everything you can't leave without, but fits or, even better, reflects the mood, the clientele, and the aesthetic of the place you come to overnight in, becoming a tangible extension of either your aspirations (aka, how you would like to be seen), your personality (who you are), or a mixture of both.
To be considered as such, though, mere looks are not enough. Instead, the best luggage for serial jet-setters — and since luxury rail journeys are back on track and in vogue, train-hoppers — is wary of logistics, too. To put it bluntly, size and weight do matter, particularly if you are having to move around extensively to reach your designated gate, or station platform, or if reaching your final destination includes some unavoidable journeys on foot.
