Enfilade

For those of you interested in issues of fashion and what a well-dressed academic looks like these days, you might click on over to Academichic, a blog edited by a “consortium of feminist academics.” I was apparently long overdue for a visit — recent pregnancy posts from E. and S. nicely round out the usual challenges and opportunities for looking smart and professional within a reasonable budget.

There are also details for entering your name for a Tom Bihn carry-on giveaway; the contest ends at midnight Central Time, Sunday, 10 July 2011. To judge from E.’s recent review, I’m envious of the lucky winner — the bag does look amazing. -CH.

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. . . For short trips — particularly short trips when you need to hit the ground running off to a museum, archive, or auditorium — this bag is a great blend of briefcase and suitcase, small enough to fit easily in a locker but spacious enough to accomodate more than enough clothes and whatnot for a few days. Take, for example, my recent research trip to New York City. I needed to go directly from the airport to a museum archive. This meant bringing my luggage with me on a bus, train, and a brief walk to a building with not-generously sized lockers. Besides clothes and toiletries, I also needed to bring my laptop, some reading material, note-taking material, and folders to house my piles (we hope!) of research findings. . . .

Are these the most aesthetically stylish bags on the market? No. But it’s incredibly well-made, sturdy, smart, and worth the initial output of cash. And I like that in a bag. Oh, and, for you international travelers, the Tri-Star meets carry-on requirements for Europe and Australia as well, since it’s smaller than the Aeronaut. . . .

The full review, along with inspiring packing photos, is available here»