The B Brief, the column section for my opinions on fashion news+life+culture

Backpack style with Eastpak

Backpack style with Eastpak

 

The backpack, the school bag, or the commuter bag, whatever you like to call it, is a hard one to get right.

 
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ASOS

Navy suede zip-shirt

Albam

Long sleeve waffle t-shirt

Novesta

Star Master cords

ASOS

Grey cropped trousers

 

 

Compliments for the backpack do not go much further than praise for its practicality and its hands free appeal. Traditionally, they are not purveyors of style. What I look for in my backpack is something that doesn’t make me look like I’m heading to school.

Eastpak have released two limited bags, the Kuroki and Boro (there’s only five of these), both made from Japanese selvedge denim and offer something different to what a backpack can be. When has something come out of Japan and not been cool?

Thinking about my school years I used the ‘cool’ sporty drawstring, which resulted in buying a bag every few months. They were not meant for carrying a pile of books, but I ignored that throughout my school years. Generally, I was never a fan of the backpack because I found it too bulky and I didn’t like the canvas material they were often made from. This pack’r style uses selvedge denim, a much more rugged and quality material and it should keep repeated purchases at bay.

I’ve been using the Kuroki dark denim pak’r to see how much easier it would be to carry around my essentials when working away from home. I’m yet to own a backpack where I’d feel comfortable taking it to meetings. Most just don’t work for meetings. However, Eastpak might be changing that. The pak’r backpack style keeps bulk at bay and is a much sleeker and modern option.

Sometimes I take a trip to Leicester to work with some fresh coffee nearby. We’ve now got four coffee shops in the city and it means I’m able to break away from the desk. The city has had a second wave of new shops and cafes ever since the success of the football. With new shops popping up, it’s taking me down new roads in Leicester I’d never been before and hopefully it’ll mean plenty more posts can be done closer to home… although that’s not going to stop me taking plenty of new city trips.

You can find the Easpak Kuroki bags online on Mr. Porter and Size?


Photography by Natalie Jade Reading

This post is in partnership with Eastpak, but the backpack tips and views on two strapped bags are my own.

 
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