How to choose a bag you will keep

Most bags are bought for a version of your life that lasts six weeks. The rest of the time the bag sits on a chair. The people who keep one for a decade all ask themselves the same three questions before they pay.

First, what will you carry on a normal Tuesday? Not on a trip, not to a wedding. Write the list down and measure it against the bag you are looking at. The most common mistake is buying for the exception.

Second, what shape does it take when it is half empty? A bag spends most of its life half full. A structured bag looks the same in year five as in week one. A slouchy bag is more comfortable and less predictable.

Third, what happens when it breaks? If the hardware cannot be unscrewed and the handle is stitched from two pieces, a single failure retires the whole bag. Buy the construction, not the season.