The color is black, the shape is usually soft and it will hold anything from legal files and notebooks to walking shoes and a sack lunch.
That basic brown attache case of old, with leather handles and gold initials discreetly placed between the locks, has given way to a plethora of briefcases and attaches used for transporting the necessities of working life between office and home.
”Women are working, women have a lot to carry and they don`t want to be carrying their stuff in three different bags,” says Pat Eckerstrom, merchandising coordinator for Crate & Barrel. Although women frequently opt for traditional attaches, the big sellers now are soft briefcases that hold odd-shaped objects and can be slung over the shoulder via a strap.
Men also are switching to the softer cases, and black is definitely the color of choice for both sexes.
”Black is very, very strong for both men and women. It looks richer, it`s sophisticated, it`s neutral and you don`t have to worry about what color shoes you`re wearing,” says Deborah Lambert, manager of Carson Pirie Scott & Co.`s Corporate Level luggage department.
Crate & Barrel introduced a soft, leather-look matte-finish vinyl briefcase before Christmas that has proven ”the hottest seller (in luggage)
that we`ve had in years. Men and women are both buying it, and you can have it in any color you want-as long as it`s black,” Eckerstrom says.
If leather or vinyl aren`t appealing, black-bag sophistication also comes in rubber, nylon and aluminum.
Prices? There`s everything from a Crate & Barrel vinyl bag for $39.95 to a Louis Vuitton Serviette Ambassadeur grained leather briefcase for $1,050. The choice is up to you. –
