INDIA, Dec. 9 -- At 15, I found my first true "carry everything" bag in the Longchamp Medium Le Pliage. It held my dance shoes for after-school rehearsal, overnight necessities for sleepovers, and even became my standardized testing survival kit filled with pencils, snacks, and water. Little did I know that this bag would follow me, in one form or another, for nearly a decade.

As I got older and grew into a need to carry more items wherever I go (a canon event), I upgraded to the Large Le Pliage, which quickly earned a permanent spot in my travel bag collection. It has hauled my laptop to and from work, doubled as a "fits-everything" personal item on countless flights, and even served as my trusty school bag for my semester abroad in Flo...