SMART LIVING Lovely Luggage
Travel with good taste.

By Jenny Watkins
A polka-dotted rolling duffel bag might be one traveler’s fancy and a compact beige carry-on could be another’s. But many commuters would agree that regardless of the pattern, price or style, lugging lovely luggage is a luxury. So why is there such a difference in carrying an attractive and well-made bag as opposed to a shabby suitcase? Mae Rosenberger, CEO of Rosenberger’s Birmingham Trunk, believes that “buying quality luggage is the same thing as buying a good pair of shoes.” She adds, “You get what you pay for in anything you buy.”

Also, traveling in style is very telling of a person according to Richard Lewis, men’s sales associate at Saks Fifth Avenue. “You want to present yourself as well-maintained and polished,” he says. “And you want to appear to be pulled together at all times.” To do this, Lewis urges travelers to choose “a nice, durable piece of luggage,” and not necessarily one that is the most expensive. “But, not only should it look great but it should be able to hold up too,” he adds. Travelers can even make a fashion statement while transporting their pets, through an airport or on a road trip, in a rolling pet carrier, carry-on luggage and shoulder bags from Generation Dog in Homewood and High Style Pets in Hoover. The options are plenty—check out some of our other lovely luggage findings below.

Brookstone
Visit brookstone.com for locations
Styles: (Men and women) Brookstone brands available in leather, hard shell and ballistic (tough woven) materials; bright colors

Doree
1830 29th Ave. S.; 879-1333; doreedenim.com
Styles: (Women) Black and white mod design rolling duffel by Toss, with patent leather material and lime green straps

Fun Stuff
3370 Morgan Dr.; 823-3688
Styles: (Men and women) Jon Hart Design options including duffel, carry-on and garment bags, etc.

Mary’s Alterations
270 Doug Baker Blvd. Ste. 1000; 991-7129; marys-alterations.com
Styles: (Women) Trendy luggage in leopard, zebra, giraffe and polka-dot prints available in small, medium and large bags; totes; and cosmetic boxes

Mori Classics
3000 Riverchase Galleria, No. 229; 985-9101; moriluggage.com
Styles: (Men and women) Desired brands like Victorinox, Vera Bradley and Hartmann are available with duffel, carry-on, tote and toiletry bag options, etc. in unique patterns and colors.

Please Reply
50 Vine St.; 870-4773
Styles: (Men and women) Bellemonde and Jon Hart Design lines offer a variety of options including garment, rolling duffel and weekender bags, etc. in a variety of colors.

Rosenberger’s Birmingham Trunk
770 Brookwood Village; 870-8282 and 225 Summit Blvd.; 870-8282
Styles: (Men and women) Brands include Hartmann, Briggs & Riley, Dilana, Victorinox and Skyway to name a few

Saks Fifth Avenue 129 Summit Blvd., 298-8550; saksfifthavenue.com
Styles: (Men and women) Tumi line with rolling bag, briefcase, duffel bag, laptop carriers and hanging bag options

Vera Bradley 214 Summit Blvd., 977-7840; verabradley.com
Styles: (Women) Ricardo luggage line in three patterns in addition to other Vera Bradley totes, rolling luggage, overnight bags, carry-on bags and more in 15 different patterns

Lovely Luggage Labels a.k.a. Girl Stuff
2906 18th St. S.; 802-7735
Tag Styles: Mud Pie, Pylones of Paris, Fluff and RiteBag brands

Francesca’s Collections
200 Summit Blvd. Ste. 600; 969-2432; francescascollections.com
Tag Styles: Anne Taintor, Fluff and Plastic brands

Gifts From A to Zebra
giftsfromatozebra.com Tag
Styles: Personalized luggage tags with ribbon tie

The Ruby Begonia
1018 Oxmoor Rd.; 871-4614; therubybegonia.com
Tag Styles: Create-your-own and Boatman Geller styles

Town & Country Clothes
74 Church St.; 871-7909
Tag Styles: Icon line; famous paintings printed onto leather

Simplicity 102-B Croft Street; 995-4438
Tag Styles: Baekgaard and MudPie lines in addition to polka-dot fabric tags monogrammed by Main Street Collect\ion
August Birmingham, Alabama

  

 
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