Chances are, anyone who works doesn’t commute empty-handed. There are always the essentials to lug around-like lunch, files, an extra pair of shoes or a best-seller. And there always will be the classic briefcase to accommodate.
But look for something different these days, says Sandra Constantine, vice president and accessories manager of Barneys New York, noting a shift in the last few years to briefcases that are more colorful or soft-sided.
June Blaker, owner of June Blaker, 750 N. Franklin St., says she conducted a diligent search for the selection of fashion-foward she sells in her shop, finally spotting the more unusual offerings in Europe.
Funky portfolios that look like they’re made out of the recycled rubber used for “welcome” mats are stocked next to elegantly tailored, but unorthodox, German leather cases in Blaker’s River North boutique.
“People who buy my cases are looking for a statement,” says Blaker. “They’re usually artistic types-like architects, graphic designers or gallery workers. They like to take them to meetings to make an impression.”
Mike Manning, a sales representative for Boyt and Zero Halliburton, both high-end bag lines, says the “more unusual or relaxed briefcases have only become acceptable as legitimate business totes within the last three years.
“It’s ironic that the one piece of businesswear that everyone carries receives the least attention,” he says. “That’s why it’s sometimes difficult to find a lot of options.”
Although soft-sided cases are typically more unusual than hard-sided attaches, interesting hard-sided offerings like the Gold Pfiel leather cases from Germany-available in vivid colors like green and red-abound at Barneys New York, 25 E. Oak St.
While color may be big at Barneys, other local retailers report that softer cases are selling better than attaches these days.
Ken Levine, co-owner of Chicago Trunk & Leather Works, 12 S. Wabash Ave., says it’s because the soft versions are “lightweight, flexible and can go with any attire.”
In fact, says Levine, these cases are more adaptable to a host of indispensible equipment everyone lugs around today like telephones and computers. “It’s easier to stick a pouch on the outside of a less-structured bag or put a computer in something lighter with a little give,” he says.
This is not to say that the sales of attaches are suffering.
According to Manning, the hard-framed case that was conceived and used by the diplomatic corps several hundred years ago still is practical. “It’s like the armored car approach,” he says. “If you have something to protect, it will be safest in an attache.”
Manning represents a line of sleekly styled attaches by Zero Halliburton made out of brushed airplane aluminum. “They’re impermeable to air or water and amazingly sturdy,” he says.
Despite its up-to-date style, the aluminum line was first made in 1938 by Earle Halliburton, who was in the oil equipment industry and traveled to all sorts of inclement corners of the world. It was originally manufactured in a shade of silver, but today the same Halliburton case, which has been manufactured continuously for 55 years, is also sold in hues of graphite and gold-a true testament to the staying power of this classic attache.
