Little Black Backpack

I've been in the new job for 2 full months now.  It's going really well.  Love where I work; really enjoy what I do; great co-workers; an easy, unoffensive commute; and to top it all off, the company looks great on resumes.  Work life is good these days.

My company is large and so is the campus where my office is located.  This means lots of co-workers and lots of diversity.  Awesome, cool, whatever.  I've never worked in an office of this size or one that required suits on men most days (which is hands-down a great look on most men).  Women wear typical business casual attire, although it's definitely a step up from what my friends and I wore in Austin on a regular basis (see just about any post on Capital Hill Style).  Anyway, so everyone rolls in looking nice every day.  But what absolutely KILLS the look is when a co-worker passes you in the lobby and you see that they are wearing A BACKPACK. 

Seriously??  You have a job.  You're not a teenager.  You're not on your way to class.  You're on your way to your office.  WHY DO YOU HAVE A BACKPACK?? 

My team has a new-hire this week.  (I get to train her.  Do not be jealous.  Seriously.)  She arrived looking very nice in a dress... and then immediately she looked less professional because she had a black Jansport backpack with her (that ended up all over the place... tangled under my feet multiple times, caught up in computer cables... it was ridiculous.  The lesson here is DON'T BRING A FREAKING BACKPACK TO WORK.)  I don't care that she's riding a shuttle from another nearby state.  That's no excuse. 

I'm not saying we need to wander down the garden path of brief cases.  I think brief cases are a thing of the past.  Relics of days gone by when laptops weren't around (I can remember my dad's briefcase from when he had a portable computer- not a laptop, but a portable computer.  There's a difference.  It was not awesome) and you had to carry paper files around.  There are plenty of totes out there now that will hold a massive amount of crap- everything from laptops to notepads to magazines to books.  You can even fit clothes and snacks in them if you pack them right.  Totes not your style?  WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF THE MESSENGER BAG.  Where totes tend to be more feminine, messenger bags can have a mass appeal due to a variety of styles that allow them to run the gamut from sporty to chic.  And if it's a change of clothes that you require, for, say, an extra-curricular workout, just bring your freaking gym bag!  Just make sure it's in good shape and clean. 

All this is to say that I simply don't understand how people put in so much effort to look nice for work but then kill it with the backpack.  So if you're one of these people, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a nice, new bag that looks professional.  You don't have to spend an arm and a leg.  Go to Target.  Go to Marshall's.  Hit up sales at any store.  Whatever.  Find something you like and make the purchase.  People will take you more seriously.  I promise.


Stepping off my soapbox now.  Thankyouverymuch.