Needless to say, it was a match made in heaven! Straight off, the site stated that it was “created by a working woman for other working women who refuse to settle for anything less than fabulous business cases, laptop bags, handbagsand travel accessories”. To make a long story short, I contacted the working woman who owned Career Bags and Ellen Hart, aka bagguru, is the one of the most enthusiastic lovers of fashion and technology I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, she is president of CareerBags.com, the leading online e-tailer for laptop bags, luggage and handbags for women. With a personal goal to help every woman bring out her personal style in her business life, no wonder CareerBags Fall 2008 selection is just what I needed…here are my favorite pieces:

1. McKlein – Fratti Laptop Tote – Cherry Red: This fun and chic bag combines function and fashion with Euro-influenced design featuring a top zipper allowing easy access into the main compartment; compartments separated by a secured zipper pocket; a padded laptop compartment that fits and protects most laptops up to 15.4” in size; quick, accessible front pocket with magnetic claps for pens, business cards and small devices; and flat, leather straps.
2. Jack Georges – Andrea Small Dome Handbag: This cute little bag is handcrafted from Croco-embossed Italian calf skin. Features include fixed shoulder straps, three-way zip, closure nickel hardware, two inside zippered pockets, and a cell phone holder.
3. Mcklein – Serra Laptop Tote – Cherry Red: Another chic bag that features compartments separated by a secured zipper pocket, interior organizer for pens, business cards and small devices, interior zipper pocket for documents, front and side pocket for small miscellaneous items, padded laptop compartment fits, and flat, leather straps.
4. Clava – Rectangular Zip Shopper: I love anything with shopper in the name and this bag is no exception. It combines style and accessibility by including a zip closure and a full length exterior zip pocket. Comfort is a huge consideration in this bag, which has an interior that’s fully lined, zip pocket with cell phone pocket, and double sided shoulder straps with a 10″ drop.
5. McKlein – Buranco Duffel Bag – Chocolate: I love this bag! It combines function and fashion featuring, quick, accessible front pocket for pens, business cards and small devices, interior organizer for pens, business cards and small devices, main zipper compartment with a magnetic clap for additional security, main compartment featuring an interior zipper pocket for documents and storage space for personal items, and stylish, tubular arm straps all wrapped up in Italian Croco Leather.
6. ACME Made – Slim Cargo – Ecostripes: Be environmentally friendly with this fab bag made of 100% recycled materials. In order to provide for functionality and storage, the Cargo possesses a large outer cargo pocket that is roomy enough to carry most additional accessories and it’s lined with “cashmere-finish” micro-suede lining! This “green” bag features large outer “Cargo” pocket w/ multiple accessory pockets, removable, adjustable shoulder strap, closed cell foam padding on 5/6 sides, hi-impact plastic inserts on 5/6 sides, top grain leather handles, and quilted satin lining.

When I say I’ve just tipped the iceberg on the goodies on this site I mean it. But below is my favorite bag of all… what’s yours?

In lieu of those points, sometimes I jump for joy when I run across people who are finally getting the picture. Life! has launched a line of the cutest cases for your cameras and laptops that are stylish, cute, and will fit into any fashion style. The best part about the laptop totes is that each one has these little compartments to hold your iPods, keys, pens, and other things which allows me not to be forced to carry a laptop and a purse to a business meeting. But don’t just take my word; a representative from Life! explains the versatility of the designs:

“Our varied range of sophisticated bags enables women to make a fashion statement at work, while protecting their valuable possessions at the same time,” says Annique Rochecouste, national sales and marketing manager of AZDesignz, owner of the Life! brand. “The fact that major department stores such as Myer are showcasing our designer bags as fashion accessories is a strong endorsement of the high quality of our range.”

“As a global leader in the design and creation of innovative and remarkable lifestyle products, we designed the women’s laptop bags after identifying a gap in the market for bags specifically suited to businesswomen. Women no longer have to be stuck carrying around an ugly laptop bag. Now they can choose a bag that is both practical but which makes a great accessory to their outfit as well.”

I took a couple of looks around and after checking out their website, these are a few of my favorite designs:

Stud Le Clique

This cute studded design comes in black or pink with a lanyard and a belt loop for easy handling on the go.

The Ambrosia 15.4 Laptop Tote

Cute and stylish bag! I love it because the main compartment zips instead of using the same lame velcro or buckle like other bags. It’s also versatile enough to be used as a laptop tote/purse because of all the compartments. There is an internal zip pocket, dog clip for keys, a space for your phone, a space for you iPod, two pen slots, and three slots for your important cards (driver’s license, credit card, etc.).

Acacia 15.4 Laptop Sleeve

For those days that you don’t feel like replacing your D&B for a laptop bag, a laptop sleeve is a lightweight exception. It has a zip and buckle, it’s padded, and it has comfy straps… plus it’s really cute.

There are many more designs at the Life! website that can fit your personal style. But be warned… there are not a lot of summer designs or bright colors.

Happy shopping!

In this corner, we have the new Sony Vaio, which is kind of the supermodel of laptops. It’s undeniably gorgeous, wears that shiny red lacquer finish to devastating effect, and is right on trend with the patent leather craze. But it’s also a bit flimsy, and if you’re a frequent traveler, you could probably blow it over with a good puff (not unlike a supermodel).

For some reason, the Apple iBook G4 has also been a popular item in the past two weeks. Given that those went out of production in 2006, we’re going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you thought you were looking at a Macbook. After all, if you really wanted to go all retro and ironic, you’d have to go all the way back to an original Mac, which is practically a museum piece by now (my husband actually displays one in his office because he considers it art).

I digress. Take a look at our other contender, the MacBook. While not quite as stunning as its competitor, it nonetheless has a classic design…more of an investment piece. Like a classic handbag, it holds up to abuse while looking perennially stylish.

But in the end, utility trumps appearance, and looks aside, you’re either a Mac or a PC person. Which side of the digital divide do you come down on?