Published on February 4th, 2013 | by Celina
0Classic Design, Modern Functionality: Herschel’s Little America
Backpacks offer many benefits for all types of city dwellers, including the ability to painlessly tote all your belongings to work, class and back home again. Like many New Yorkers, I carry everything I might need, and a lot of things I probably won’t. With a full-time job, a part-time course load, and an hour commute to each, I need a bag that will keep up with me. While carrying a backpack outside of my high –school hallways has never been a particularly pleasant thought for me, the ability to store my laptop, books, and my abundance of winter layers without breaking my back is a newly compelling idea. And with the addition of several easy-on-the-eye options to the marketplace, carrying a backpack doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice style.
The Cormack family has been in the business of toting heavy items since the early 1900s when they moved from Scotland to the small town of Herschel. Herschel Supply Co. was founded in 2009 by brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack, who adopted the name of the small town where three generations of their family grew up. Having mastered the design of cool, functional bags, the Canadian label mixes vintage, outdoorsy canvas mountaineering style with modern-day electronic compartments to create quality backpacks, bags and travel goods.
Whether you’re traveling via bike over the Brooklyn Bridge or just hopping on the subway to get to work, the Herschel Little America backpack is a stellar choice for the busy urbanite. Offering a 17-inch laptop sleeve in the interior compartment and a zippered cargo pocket with internal key fob in the front pocket, this bag has a place for everything. In addition, the cushioned back is coated in mesh panels to allow your back to breathe. Adjustable ergonomic padded shoulder straps are an unexpected perk as well, allowing you to carry a stuffed bag over long distances.
We did find that while the exterior faux-leather straps gave the backpack a vintage feel, they did not stand up as well to wear and tear as the fabric did. The interior lining, which is adorable and provides just the perfect accent of color and whimsy, is a bit fragile so be careful when carrying any sharp or rough objects. But the durable material, and great padded straps and back panel were well worth the higher price tag. Available online and at Madewell stores for $85, this bag will turn heads, in any of the many colors- ours was black, but there are blue, tan, and grey versions as well.
Tags: backpack, bag, review
About the Author
Celina Celina Kelly is passionate about New York, scarves, and puppies. She also loves writing about herself in the third-person. She graduated from Barnard College having double majored in English & German Literature. While a student, she worked with The New Yorker as part of the editorial department for ‘Goings On About Town’. Since she was not busy enough, she added a concentration of creative writing, completing her thesis project in the form of a yet-unpublished novel under the guidance of a bestselling author. Celina operates a retail store on the Upper West Side, where she spends most of her time. She enjoys being able to design, order and merchandise a new collection twice a year with the help of a talented staff of minions. She is also currently pursuing a certificate in Millinery at the Fashion Institute of Technology. If you ask her nicely, she might make you a hat!
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