Duluth Pack

I'm a sucker for a good weekender bag. There are so many excellent ones out there--from the preppy to the minimalist to the, dare I say, directional. (As directional as a weekender can get.) Given that it's a holiday weekend, I'm assuming plenty of you are heading off to a family barbecue, a country cabin, or most likely, the beach. Maybe a combination of all three. I, for one, am writing this on a plane to Chicago. (Yes, American Airlines has Wi-Fi at every altitude!) One thing's for sure: Whether you want to spend $10 or $10,000, no one should be without a sturdy, good-looking weekender. Now, for some options:

I've been in search of the perfect backpack since before fashion week. After years of carrying incredibly heavy bags from city to city, I'm simply fed up with aching shoulders. And of course, my preppy tendencies mean that I love the look of a rucksack. But it hasn't been an easy search. There's been a ton I've admired--from Marc by Marc Jacobs' runway version to Alexander Wang's black leather style, but it was hard finding one that actually made sense to buy. I didn't want to spend a ton of money, I wanted something light--but sturdy enough to carry a laptop--and I wanted it to look good. This wasn't an easy as it sounds, especially for someone who's very, very particular about her accessories.