The backpack wants to be a fashion accessory. Team Bazaar India has thoughts

There are few accessories quite as polarising as the backpack. Once synonymous with school corridors, pencil cases, and a childhood spent carrying far more than you actually needed, the humble backpack has had quite the glow-up. Luxury houses have reworked it in quilted leather, logo hardware, and the kind of craftsmanship that makes a schoolbag feel decidedly less school-like. Yet, for all its practical appeal, the question remains: does the backpack belong in our grown-up wardrobes?

At Bazaar India, opinions are, unsurprisingly, divided. For me, as someone who is deeply invested in fashion but equally committed to comfort and personal style, the answer is a complicated one. If you can make a Kånken work with olive-green capris, a bandana, and Havaianas, I am fully on board. There is something very cool about styling a backpack in a way that feels intentional rather than just practical. But ask me to carry one instead of my Longchamp work tote, complete with its bag charms, and I will have to decline. Even when I am travelling, I instinctively reach for a tote. It feels more grown-up, more like me, and, frankly, more stylish.

Perhaps that is because my own backpack history is firmly rooted in childhood. Growing up, I carried a tiny pink, dual-tone Nike backpack, while my brother had the same one in blue. It was practical, compact, and very much a product of its time. Today, I am not sure I would bring it back into rotation. That said, the luxury backpack has made a compelling case for itself. A Chanel Gabrielle quilted backpack or a Miu Miu leather iteration? Those are harder to dismiss. The backpack may have shed its schoolyard associations, but I am still more likely to reach for a tote that can carry everything, or a tiny shoulder bag that sits neatly under my arm.

But perhaps the backpack’s biggest argument is not that it is fashionable, but that it answers a very modern need: how do we carry our entire lives without sacrificing our hands, shoulders, or style? For commuters, travellers and anyone whose day involves more than one destination, its practicality is difficult to beat. And with designers increasingly blurring the line between utility and luxury, the backpack is no longer simply a functional object. It is a styling choice.

Here’s where the Bazaar India team stands.

"Backpacks over handbags, any day! I spend a lot of time commuting, so having both my hands free makes life so much easier. I can comfortably carry everything I need without worrying about where I am putting my bag or whether the handle is going to give up on me. There’s also just so much more room to fit my entire world in. A good backpack is practical, comfortable, and makes getting through a busy day a lot easier."

- Sagarika Choudary, Features Writer (Entertainment)

"I have always been a backpack girl, a teen, and now a woman. I can carry my world in a backpack and keep my hands free to deal with the excess that comes with being the oldest daughter or the bustle of a metropolitan like Mumbai. Jane Birkin tortured her shoulders even if her mess was the inspiration behind an iconic tote. I am not interested in aggravating scoliosis that comes with today's desk jobs. As far as cool styling goes, if my mini utility store on the move can fit into a Prada Re-Nylon backpack or a Bottega Veneta Intrecciato 1975, why would I opt for an Andiamo or a Goyard Saint Louis?

- Rucha Sharma, Digital Managing Editor

"Backpacks are cool, and more so, very convenient. You can basically pack and carry your entire life in style, and for me, that’s a win-win. I don’t think I’ve taken a flight without one—it’s been a non-negotiable while travelling, especially when I was a student living abroad. And as a social media girl, anything that keeps my hands free to shoot content while I’m on the move is always a plus!"

- Eesha Jaiin, Social Media Executive

"I still love backpacks for when I'm travelling because they’re just so convenient, especially if you have a lot to carry and just need to be hands-free. But for everyday life and work, I don’t really reach for them. I’m more of a tote bag girl. I just feel like they work better with my everyday outfits and are a little more my style."

- Schenelle Dsouza, Junior Features Editor 

"Are you talking about those chic tiny ones that can hold a lip gloss at the most? Even then, I’ve got my doubts. And if not, then no, I don’t think backpacks are cool. They’re practical, sure, but kind of on the opposite side of the style spectrum."

- Shreya Shah, Digital Assistant Editor

"It really depends on the context. I like bags that can carry everything I need, especially this season when I need to fit in rain gear, but I do feel like backpacks can make you look a bit childish. Practical for train commutes, weekend trips, and hiking? Yes. But I’d skip them for work, dinners, brunches, events, and anywhere I need to look stylish and put together. That being said, convertible tote-to-backpack bags are one of my favourite formats, simply because my plans tend to change and I like having a bag that can adapt to them."

- Eden Noronha, Digital Features Editor

And perhaps that is the real appeal of the backpack: it no longer has to be one thing. It can be sporty or polished, utilitarian or luxurious, nostalgic or surprisingly grown-up. The right one can slot seamlessly into a wardrobe, while the wrong one can still feel like a reminder of school assembly.

Ultimately, fashion is personal, and so is the way we carry our lives. For some of us, that means a backpack strapped firmly to both shoulders. For others, there is simply no replacing a good tote.

Image credits: Getty Images 

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