GC Fashionistas help me!
 

Okay, so I need a backpack or messenger bag or something to carry around my stuff. I am, right now, consulting & going to school & teaching, so I often commute downtown once and then go to two or three different jobs, and need my stuff for each one. So right now, I have a black canvas L.L. Bean backpack with a laptop sleeve and two main pockets and side pockets for a water bottle and an umbrella. This is my preferred bag, but it doesn't exactly look professional. So, I am looking for a decent replacement, but keeping in mind that I generally walk a few miles/day carrying at least a few pounds of stuff.

I need a suggestion for something that is both fashionable and comfortable. I don't mind shelling out for it, as long as it is durable enough to last me a while. Any suggestions are much appreciated!

My mom was just in the same predicament! She wanted to start walking to the train (over a mile walk), but because she carries her laptop everyday in a shoulder bag, it was too hard to carry. She wanted a backpack instead and ended up buying this: http://www.coach.com/online/handbags...ACKPACK#102340

Maybe not the most fashionable, but she just wanted a nice backpack that didn't look soon...sportsy?

She's really happy with it so far. In my personal opinion, it seemed a bit small, but she says it can fit her shoes, laptop, wallet and lunch, so it seems to be working for her!

ETA: Wrong link--she got the nylon one, not leather one.

I'm all about the rolling laptop case bags. Mine is big enough for text books, two laptops and overnight clothes. As you get older, you'll start having neck/back problems from those backpacks, especially if you only carry it over one shoulder or use a messenger bag type.

Something like this one is nice, but I've seen more fashionable ones than this too.
http://www.wayfair.com/UNITED-STATES...FYeo4AodZShm1w

There are tons of them here:
http://www.ebags.com/category/rollin...-bags/20030246

http://a1.zassets.com/images/z/1/8/5...p-DETAILED.jpg

http://www.zappos.com/tumi-voyageur-...backpack-black

I'm not sure if you want to keep with the backpack or are open to a shoulder bag, but some of Longchamp's bags (as long as you get one with a longer strap) are extremely spacious and will hold pretty much anything. They're a little on the pricey side though.

I'm thinking about this one:

http://www.ebags.com/product/mobile-...uctid=753419##

in spite of my mixed feelings on Komen.

I liked this one from ebags.com
http://cdn1.ebags.com/is/image/im5/2...ei=140&wid=140 and this http://cdn1.ebags.com/is/image/im6/1...ei=280&wid=280 And there were quite a few others that I thought were nice, grown up and feminine.

And I'm a fan of NOT using the backpack. It's better than a shoulder bag but a rolling bag is going to be much nicer to you in the long term.

I really like brown messenger bag type styles. I got mine at Ross after a LOT of searching, but I found this one online as well.