As a college student, your laptop is often your most valuable asset. From completing homework assignments to taking notes in class to cramming for the next big exam, your laptop is your virtual right arm. Protecting your hefty investment is of utmost importance. Finding a laptop bag that is both functional and stylish can be difficult. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you! Here is our list of the top five laptop bags for this year’s college student.

1. Targus CVR600
The ‘Groove’ backpack is available in black, black and gray and brown and teal, making it a great unisex bag. The bag is also available in three different sizes, able to fit laptops ranging in size from 15.4” to 17”. Not only a laptop case, the bag has ample room to carry texts, notebooks, writing supplies and even has a pocket for your iPod. The padded shoulder straps make the bag very comfortable to carry even when packed full of your essentials.

2. Vintage Khaki Messenger Bag

This vintage khaki messenger (from right here at R.A.G. New York!) is a great bag featuring exploded an eagle print. It’s lightweight, which makes it easy to carry for long distances, and has two large pockets on outside for organization. The inside small pocket with zipper closure is perfect for pens, keys, and cell phones. A great pick for students looking for great form and function.

3. SOLO Vintage
This vintage backpack made of espresso colored leather will please anyone who wants a retro look in their bag. Able to hold up to a 15.6” laptop, the bag has room for texts, notebooks and other essentials. The bright blue lining on the interior of the bag makes your belongings incredibly easy to find.

4. Kipling Expandable Messenger
This Kipling bag regularly receives high ratings from those that have purchased it. The color variety is amazing and users are always surprised at how much the bag will hold. Able to fit up to a 17” laptop, the messenger bag is a nice break from the traditional backpack. And the best feature? All Kipling bags are easily washed in the washing machine should they get dirty!

5. The North Face Messenger
This messenger bag is roomy, stylish and completely functional. If you’re attending college out-of-state and plan on flying home, this is the bag for you. With a molded back panel, the bag slips easily over the handle of your rolling luggage. Roomy pockets allow you to carry more than just your laptop and the audio port allows you to listen to your iPod hands-free.

6. Laurex
Laurex backpacks are available in a variety of colors and styles and fit up to a 17” laptop. The Laurex line is particularly appealing to women with their cheerful graphics. The lightweight bag is paired with padded shoulder straps making it a breeze to carry across campus. Several pockets will allow you to carry a notebook and any small, non-laptop items you need for class.

The bag you choose may not seem important now, but just see how important it is when you buy a bad bag! Your laptop bag will be with you throughout the day (and your school career!) so choosing a great one now will save hassle later. Choose any one of these top five laptop bags and you’re sure to be more than satisfied.

Jenny Masterson is a career consultant and expert on all things student-related, including fashion. She’s also a content contributor for a website featuring the best colleges and their ratings and reviews.  It also provides information on a multitude of specialty programs, such as online msw degrees.

Choosing the right handbag to accentuate your style is a lot like making the perfect ice cream sundae – nearly impossible. With some many varieties you have to decide on color, shape, size, fabric, print… the list goes on and on. You may as well be asking yourself if you want fruit toppings, nuts, m&ms, hot fudge, maybe a cherry…

So how do you find the handbag for you? Just like with crafting the perfect sundae, it all comes down to taste. Take a look around at your current wardrobe, your home décor, the art and music you’re interested in & allow your personal taste to guide you.

Classic – If you gravitate towards simple, timeless pieces, tailored looks and solid colors you likely have an eye for classic style. You prefer traditional, elegant pieces that withstand the test of time. To accentuate your style, look for handbags that maintain a simple elegance. Quilted fabrics, slender chain straps, animal prints and neutral colors will compliment a classic look. A structured satchel is perfect for daytime while a metallic clutch is the perfect addition to a classic evening look.

Bohemian – If your closet is filled with unique and vintage items, flowing pieces and vibrant prints you’re probably a bohemian fashionista. Your style is a modern take on the hippie look and you’re drawn to rich, warm colors. Rather than dressing boho from head-to-toe, blend your style with classic or casual pieces which allows your bold accessories and staple boho items to pop. When it comes to handbags, look for neutrals and jewel tones. To accentuate your free-spirited nature choose bags that are less structured in nature like a hobo handbag or messenger bag.

Casual – If comfort and ease is your cup of tea, you likely have a casual fashion style. You like to keep things simple and don’t want to be worn down with unnecessary layers and accessories. Your wardrobe is filled with classic pieces, solid colors, and casual wear like jeans and your favorite t-shirt. Keeping in line with your laid back style, look for bags in neutral colors that aren’t overwhelmed with details. A structured messenger bag or satchel will bring an added sharpness to your style. Add dimension to your outfit by choosing a handbag with a textured fabric.

Glamour – If you have an eye for the dramatics and love spicing up your outfit with bold colors and glitter, you can consider yourself a glamour girl. Your style is all about making a statement and standing out in a crowd. Your closet is full of eye-catching pieces so when choosing a handbag, pick one that accentuates those pieces rather than competes with them. Look for bags that come in black or metallic and feature just one or two glamorous details, like a chain link strap or jeweled broach.

Romantic – If you’re drawn towards soft and feminine details like lace or bows, and you have a tendency to stray from bold, dramatic colors you can consider yourself a romantic. Your style has a Victorian flair and you’re likely to find your closet filled with florals and pastels. Tie your look together by piecing a structured handbag with a soft sundress. Stick with neutral colored bags and keep an eye out for subtle prints or fabrics to add more dimension to an outfit.

Bio: Beth Smedinghoff is a writer and budding fashionista with an eye for fashion handbags. She’s a bargain hunter who loves uncovering hidden gems in vintage shops and has a weakness for hobo bags.

Bags are an important accessory. They can make or break your outfit. However finding just the right bag can seem futile at times. With so many bags to choose from how can you possibly make the right choice? Shopping for the right bag can be made easy. But you have to know exactly what you want. Here are a few things to consider in buying a bag.

Use. In shopping for a bag consider what you are going to use it for. After all you wouldn’t want to end up buying something that you won’t be able to use. If it is for a night out with friends then a small purse may suffice. If it is for office work then you might want to consider buying a bigger bag so you will be able to fit in all of your stuff. If it is for gym use then buy a bag suitable for holding sweats and gym clothes.

Color. What colors are you partial to? Also consider the clothes that you have. Will they go with your bag? If you don’t have too many bags then it would be better to buy something in monochromatic color such as black, white or beige. That way you will be able to pair it with almost anything.

Weight. Some bags are made of heavy material while others are more lightweight. Again this will depend on your preference. Test the weight first before you make your purchase.

Opening. What type of opening do you prefer? There are different kinds of openings: drawstring, zip, toggle, buckle, flap or magnetic closure.

Pockets. There are bags that have pockets both inside and outside. There are also bags that don’t have any pockets at all. If you are the type of person who likes everything organized then you might want to buy a bag with a lot of pockets.

Straps. Bags have different kinds of straps: thin, thick, rolled. If you are the kind of person who brings around a lot of stuff then buy a bag with thick straps. Thin straps have a tendency to dig into your shoulders.

Style. Does your bag fit your sense of style? The last thing you would want to happen is to buy a bag that just looks weird. Again, this will depend on your preference.

Fit. Does it complement you and fit your size? In choosing a bag make sure that its size is proportional to you’re built. If you are small in stature a bag that’s too huge can look overwhelming. Or if you are big boned a small bag might look off.

This checklist is not the end all and be all of bag shopping. It’s just to guide you on how to get started. Browsing and looking around is a great way to fine tune your bag shopping skills. It might seem like too much to think about at first but eventually you will become better at it and you’ll end up saving more time, money and effort.

“Amy C. is an interior decoration aficionado and online marketer.  She also likes testing and trying new home and office decorating themes.  In addition to being an interior decoration hobbyist, she enjoys designing calming solar fountains and glass art.  Amy invites you to browse her delightful collection of glass vases”

With the Presidential race finally in full swing it’s not surprising that both candidates from the two major parties are doing everything they can to catch up to one another wherever they themselves are lacking.  Obama to make up for his lack of experience chose Biden as a running mate; whereas McCain to make up for his fiery temper, age, and lack of support among women chose Palin as his running mate.  McCain didn’t stop there with his attempts to catch up with Barack Obama’s lead; he has taken the battle to all fronts by letting his campaign produce a series of paraphernalia geared towards competing with Obama’s fashion lines.  One of the most interesting pieces of McCain’s campaign and marketing strategy is the “Go Green McCain” canvas tote bag which features a play on the McCain campaign logo by using a recycling symbol as the ornamentation just above the capital ‘C’.  This tote bag signifies two things about the McCain campaign:

1. McCain is finally acknowledging that ‘going green’ is a trendy way to advertise and to gain a larger fan base to support his environmental policies
2. McCain is finally getting the point that ‘old school’ marketing to shell up votes won’t work in today’s world.  He (at least his campaign) has realized that new marketing tricks are needed.

In this specific case “go green” canvas tote bags serve as a testament to McCain’s foray into new strategies to garner votes and assure him an easier ride towards the Presidency.

I had come across this article ages ago (since I’m a city dweller ages ago happens to translate to ‘a month’ ago) which discussed how Obama had won the graphic t-shirt race. I was slightly confused as to whether or not fashion had anything to do with politics; moreover, the presidential race. Here is a short quip from what I read:

“…another thing that Obama has going for him is that the graphic t-shirts depicting him are still rather exclusive diverse and some are hard to find. New York clothing stores have not yet embraced these graphic t shirts and therefore, leave intact the feeling of wearing something original when one finds an unusual political message t shirt that support that candidate. What Obama has achieved is an online marketing campaign that runs itself through its young supporters and graphic tee designers, something that McCain may have to pay for dearly later down the road. “Al Keser

Aside from being well written, it’s extremely on point. Clothing has become an integral part of the grassroots support for Barack Obama and it seems a little too late for the other candidates to catch up to him. This notion of t shirts, Obama, and support were merely reinforced in my mind by an article I found in yesterday’s edition of “The Cut”, an editorial fashion blog by Amy Odell who works for New York Magazine. The Obama campaign seems to have picked up on the fact that people are making t-shirts by the boatload on his behalf without him ever having to raise a finger. The smart marketing team (which is sounding a lot like a group of twenty year olds with bright futures) decided to launch an official Obama clothing campaign. Here are the details from The Cut:

“Barack Obama’s campaign has arranged for twenty fashion designers to create clothing and tote bags to sell on the campaign’s Website next month.

Well look at that, not only is Coach letting the public design their canvas tote bags, but so is the Obama Campaign. Is anyone noticing a trend in user generated content? I am. It’s nice to see that Obama, or at least the people that works under him are smart enough to keep abreast of the trends like web 2.0 and user-generated content. I suppose that this makes it clear who has a better understand of major internet issues such as net-neutrality. The use of home made graphic t shirts in order to raise support for a candidate might seem silly to you; but many would be surprised to find out how much of what they own, do, think, and act are influenced by what others are wearing and doing.

I had taken an interest in sustainable design long before it was trendy, hip, and commercial, and found that many ethical designers were returning to products made out of reusable and environmentally material. These materials ranged from recycled plastic bottles to canvas cloth which there is always a cheap plethora of. It was during this time of sustainable exploration that fashion design was becoming stagnant and overrun with luxury goods that were expensive, flashy, and exclusive. In an attempt to keep abreast of the times, the fashion world was quick to embrace environmentally safe design as their newest fad; high quality clothes were out and cheap design was in. The most notable changes came from the accessories and product portions of the fashion world, and the canvas tote bag is the best way to illustrate the changes in the fashion world.

Now you might be saying to yourself: Canvas Tote Bags in High Fashion? Ludicrous. Well I will have to respectfully disagree, with evidence of course. Coach fashion has recently launched a competition entitled “Design a Coach Tote”. Below is an excerpt from the contest details:

“We’re looking for a truly inspired and unique design to feature on our next Coach tote. Start from scratch or include any of our iconic elements. You can win a Coach shopping spree, party, or see your design as a limited edition item in select Coach stores”

There are two things going on here with Coach’s competition that you fashionistas, designers, and trendsetters should take note of. The first is that Coach is following the web 2.0 inspired, community content idea. This idea revolves around the notion that people will naturally come together and create great things; this goes against most luxury branding ideology which essentially says that only a few and privileged can dictate what to wear, how to think, and how to act. Coach is also making using of the canvas tote bags popularity in mainstream society. The keyword in the previous sentence being ‘mainstream’; this is one of the first and most recent examples of luxury brands thrusting themselves into the mainstream design world with ‘low’ fashion in order to bolster sales. The trade off of course, is the loss of respect for a high quality brand name and it is very much a double edged sword. With canvas tote bags now being sponsored by companies such as Coach, what’s next? Gucci recycled backpacks? Dolce graphic t shirts? Feel free to send in your thoughts, questions, opinions, and answers.