Style • February 20, 2025
Cara
Travel Style
Checked or Carry-On? Hard or Soft Pants?
Some think that the world is divided into those that carry on their luggage and those that check. Maybe you had a lost luggage experience once and are now scarred for life. Totally get it. Or maybe you’re someone who lives their life with a “just in case” or “you never know” kind of mentality- thereby necessitating a larger checked bag. I tend to live in the middle area; I’m not afraid to check but will try my hardest to carry on if I can (like a lot of you I’m sure).
The other great debate when traveling is what to wear. I believe this is even more definitive. You either like to be comfy and wear “soft” pants or you feel you should wear a real outfit, complete with “hard” pants (loosely defined as pants with a waistband and zipper). I am firmly in the soft pants camp; I can’t help but be amazed when I see people walking down the jetway in their tight-fitting jeans and boots.
Whether you’re a hard-pants-wearing, carry-on only traveler or a lounge-set-wearing bag checker, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite travel fits and luggage that we have in our closets.
Bags We Really Like
In the checked bag category, I know that I look for something durable, roomy and with at least one zippered section. Extra points for being stylish!
Delsey Paris Chatelet Air 2.0 Spinner - 28” with two zippered sections. Good for a long trip (2+ weeks).
Calpak Ambeur Medium Luggage - 26” with two zippered sections. Cool colors
Away The Medium Flex - Wraparound expandable zippered section
For carry-ons, these are our favorites:
Travelpro Platinum Elite 20” Expandable Business Plus Carry-On Spinner - Karen’s absolute favorite. She doesn’t even own a checked bag - she makes this work!
Away The Softside Bigger Carry-On - The two exterior pockets are awesome for your laptop or book.
Away The Bigger Carry-On - Just a great size.
The all-important personal item:
Dagne Dover Landon Neoprene Carryall-XL - Pairing this with your carry-on basically gives the space of a large checked bag! Love the neoprene for durability and all the compartments inside the bag.
Dagne Dover Landon Neoprene Carryall- Large - Just a bit smaller than the XL.
Beis The Premium Weekender - Very trendy with a separate zippered section on the bottom - perfect for those extra pairs of shoes.
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