Make Your Getaway Sunnier With Lipault Paris’ 18″ Weekender Satchel

Travel season is around the corner, ladies!  Some of you may have already taken a mini vacation — perhaps a Spring Break beach excursion or even a weekend retreat — but summertime is when we all long to escape the concrete jungle and bask in the sun. Whether you’re hopping on a plane and heading to a cabana in the Caribbean, packing up your car and heading on a road trip to a cabin by the lake, or taking a day trip to the beach, it’s time to get those summer plans in motion, check off the items on your list of getaway fashion and beauty essentials, and find the perfect bag in which to store these goodies. By the time Memorial Day rolls around, you should have that travel tote as ready as an expectant mom’s hospital bag.

If you need a versatile weekender bag that’s roomy, lightweight, stylish, and affordable, consider the Lipault Paris 18″ Weekender Satchel ($99 at LipaultUS.com. The soft-sided bag retails for under $100 (a selling point in and of itself), weighs only 2.2 pounds (because we all know we don’t our bags to feel heavy before we start loading them up!), and comes in basic colors like gray, chocolate, and espresso, as well as lively hues like aqua, fuchsia, and tangerine (shown here).

Made of a sturdy nylon twill material, the bag measures 18″ in length, 12″in depth, and 9″ in width. The tote’s silhouette is akin to that of a doctor’s bag, with a mainly rectangular form and bulging sides creating a trapeze-like effect. A hinged top frame completes the doctor bag-like effect. When you unzip the bag completely and unfold the hinged frame, the opening adopts the same rectangular form evident in the base of the bag. Moreover, the satchel seems to expand in height, revealing a disarming amount of space. It’s nearly the size of a storage trunk! And, given the way it opens, it’s easy to fold everything neatly and with precision.

The bag is equipped with two easy-to-grasp, leather-like, curved top handles. And here’s a clever design twist: the back of the tote features a wide fabric strap through which you can slip the expandable handlebar of your  carry-on suitcase, allowing you to securely prop the satchel atop another suitcase and wheel them both through the train station or airport terminal. If you’ve ever tried stacking a duffle bag above a wheeled carry-on, you’ve likely had the unpleasant experience of it slipping and sliding all over the place, so this simple detail makes quite the difference when it comes to convenience during your travels.

Once you unzip the bag and peer inside, meanwhile, you’ll find a pouch pocket in which to tuck your cell phone, two slots for pens, and a sleeve for digital cameras or other electronic devices — and, on the opposite side, a large zippered pocket in which you can tuck your passports, IDs, credit cards,  keys, and cash.

I recently relied on this bag during a three-day weekend getaway and I was thrilled to discover how much it managed to accommodate. And, since it’s made of nylon twill, I didn’t have to worry incessantly about the inside of my bag being completely ruined if a bottle of shampoo happened to open by accident, a perfume flaçon cracked, or any other beauty-related mishap occurred. If any such incident did transpire, I could simply wash the inside with a damp cloth and some detergent without ruining the fabric in the process.

I managed to pack three outfits, three pairs of shoes (wedges and heels, at that!), towels, books, and a hefty number of beauty products (including a straightening iron and blow dryer) for my getaway, which should give you some idea as to how roomy this satchel really is. And for under $100, you really can’t go wrong!