Handbags Are the Hardest Thing to Pack—29 Chic Ones That Meet My Suitcase Criteria

Emili Sindlev wearing a red sweatsuit in the airport.

(Image credit: @emilisindlev)

I have a fun international trip coming up next month, and instead of making sure my passport isn't expired and my ground transportation is booked, I'm over here thinking about what handbags I'm going to pack. As you know, travel is stressful, but providing you with packing tips to make the occasion a breeze is one of my constant missions. Today, I'm focusing on a little something we all take for granted but can be easy to neglect in the hectic planning and packing haze before any trip. In my opinion, it's one of the most crucial accessories when traveling, whether for business or pleasure—your handbag.

Not to bring up any overused Goldilocks connotations, but handbags for travel can't be too big or too small, should be versatile enough to go with all your outfits (no small feat), need to keep your belongings secure and your hands free, and, of course, have to be durable enough to withstand planes, trains, and automobiles. With all of this in mind, I scoured the internet and, believe it or not, found 29 handbags that fit the bill.

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Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater arts. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.