Did we just say stewardess? We sure did – as 1963 was a time when flying was glam and “flight attendent” was not yet the PC term. What we love about the era is the cross between dressy style, like white gloves and pill box hats, crossed with funky designs, like the pan am orion bag that started it all. Check out the scenes in the show where you see the ladies carrying their pan am logo’d gear, including this bag. What we also spot are the not so short hemlines and always present hosiery.

You may not know that Pan Am was considered one of the most fashionable airlines. Designers like Edith Head created the stylish uniforms. The iconic Pan Am cabin bag was given to first class passengers as a reminder of their trip. (In today’s world, anyone is luck to be given a peanuts on a commercial flight!) The great news is that the brand has resurfaced even though the airline is now long gone. Stylish belts, accessories, and of course, bags, with the Pan Am brand are all available. And while laptops were not even science fiction in 1963, several of the bags are padded laptop bags, a needed update for the 21st century.

Plus, the industry is all over this outstanding brand. Lodis is featured in fashion publications such as, Us Weekly, Lucky, Accessories and (the bible) In Style! With items like the convertible bag, (a bag that will take you from a happy work day to happy hour) their lush leather iPad cases and smart phone cases, you will love what Lodis accessories are all about.

BJX bases their booming business on principals that should be in the fashion designer handbook (as if there was one…). Innovation, organization, efficiency, fashion and color are at their core. Their laptop cases, brief cases, camera cases and bags are chic enough for a savvy New Yorker and fashioned for the person on the go. Keeping true to the city that never sleeps, each BJX designer bag and accessory not only look the part but are fully equipped with all daily needs, cost efficient and light weight. Our favorite featrues include the specialty pockets that line the inside for metro cards, cellphones and most importantly lip gloss.

Another amazing aspect to this company is most of their goods feature Vegan “leather” as the preferred fabric to most of their awesome accessories. It doesn’t matter if you are uptown, downtown or all around, BJX is perfect for a day and night in the city. Available in a clean and crisp array of white, black and smoke, their styles fit any urban styled wardrobe. They are sophisticated enough for any adult, but contemporary enough that any college co-ed would be happy to have one on campus. No matter what city you are in, Los Angeles to Florida, coast to coast, BJX is on trend. From kindles to sunglasses, skateboards and cameras, BJX bags will seamlessly are about fitting as much of your lifestyle into one bag as possible.

Laptop bags are sold in a very diverse set materials, sizes and colors. For the working gal, the Knomo laptop bags are an ideal choice. The Knomo collection is stylish and sophisticated without being gaudy. Each of their bags has a unique design, but of course, each one includes a padded compartment made specifcally for a laptop or netbook computer. Knomo also has products for men… check out their dapper selection of brief cases and leather laptop bags that are unique enough to be considered a conversation piece.

For the teenagers on your shopping list, a laptop bag is probably the perfect gift because this is the Facebook generation. Teens are partial to the 60′s retro styles. The “peace sign” netbook and iPad case from Designer Sleeves is fun and colorful — perfect for an expressive teen. It is also an affordable gift at less than $50. And if the peace sign misses the mark, the Designer Sleeves laptop cases come in a wide array of designs, from leopard prints or camoflauge.

E-readers, especially iPads, are on the “it” list this season. A perfect complement to that new iPad is a case that adds style while protecting the screen from scuffs and scratches. There are literally dozens of iPad cases to choose from, and most are extremely affordable. Styles include ones that an iPad just slides into and then there are those like the one from Brenthaven, that has 5 different ways to hold/stand it.

Britto by Heys laptop case

There may be many modern ways that make getting from point A to point B easier.  However, the necessary travel restrictions that have come since security and airline budgets have tightened makes efficient packing even more important.  Staying within the bag size limit for carry-ons is critical for the business traveler or the budget traveler who does not want to pay to check bags in. But, those are not the only concerns.  Add to the list getting through security quickly, carrying gear for kids, keeping your tech gadgets safe from destruction, not exceeding the carry-on limit, and finding your luggage quickly at the carousel.  It’s not an easy task.  There are luggage and laptop bag choices that make travel easier. 

• Wheeled luggage- Probably the oldest trick in the book, a wheeled luggage piece or laptop case makes running through airports easy and it gives a huge break to your back.   For checked luggage, Rimowa rolling luggage is a favorite of international travelers.  The polycarbonate is not only slick looking, it is lightweight and virtually indestructible.  There is the added bonus of TSA compliant locks, which keep your belongings safe in transport.  If a soft side is more your style, check out the Mandarina Duck luggage collection, that offers several shapes and colors. 
• Easy to stow – Restrictions on the number of carry-ons has tightened to one plus one personal item, so you better make your bag count.  For the ladies, we really like a laptop bag that has dual purpose as a handbag, such as the Gina B bella laptop bag.  This will fit under the seat in front of you and leave you allowance for one more bag in the overhead (translation – don’t check a bag if you do not have to).  Another bag that saves on storage space but packs a punch with what it fits is the Urban Junket eco-friendly laptop tote and backpack.  Offered in two sizes and multiple colors, a ton fits in this fashionable tote bag.
•   Easy to see -  When it’s your turn to pull your bag from the luggage carousel, you want to know that it is yours.  Since an overwhelming percentage of bags are black, an easy solution is to switch up the color.  You won’t miss a Britto by Heys luggage piece, since the shell is covered in the renowned artwork of artist Romero Britto.  If that is a little too far from black for you, try the Work collection from Mandarina Duck, which is offered in a mellow blue and a deep burgundy, both colorful but sophisticated.
• Fun for kids – Anyone who has traveled with kids knows that they have a short attention span.  Anything that you can do to make travel fun and also recruit their labor to help you carry everything through the airport will help.  The Disney by Heys kids luggage collection features a fun look with all of a kid’s favorite Disney characters.  The bags are small enough that children can pull them themselves, and the bright patterns make it easy to spot the bag (or the child) from afar.  Like Luggage has brightly patterned duffels and wheeled luggage that was designed by a teenager, so it has a younger appeal without being too juvenile. 
• TSA compliant – The most frequent of business travelers have getting through security at airports down to a science.  One of the secrets is choosing a TSA compliant laptop bag, which means the laptop can stay in the bag while it goes through the x-ray machine.  Since security requires most every article of clothing come off, each little step that one can save helps with timing.  This makes bags like the brenthaven stylus checkpoint friendly laptop case ideal.  They open flat with the laptop isolated in one compartment and everything else in the others.
• Gadget storage – Laptops are not the only gadgets that have to go through the x-ray.  Rather than pulling everything out separately or having different storage bags for each, we recommend a bag that has enough pockets to store everything.  The mcklein armitage laptop backpack with removable sleeve has pockets for a phone, iPad, and as the name implies, a removable laptop sleeve.  The headphone port allows headphones to stay in the bag and then for them to attach to a iPod without any extra effort.

Blogs and the tabloid news have been full of comments on Michelle Obama’s fashion sense. But, what can we say for the candidate Obama? We often hear presidential, but if you break that down to fashion terms, we think that translates to classic, conservative, and clean lined. Matching that look to a laptop bag isn’t too hard for us to do.

Skip the backpacks, messenger bags and other non-traditional silhouettes. Our style advice to Senator Obama is to stick with a classic laptop brief, like aaron irvin’s double gusset flap laptop case. While this comes in burnt sienna, we recommend that Senator Obama stick with black for a more presidential look. Another stunning selection suitable for Capitol Hill is mcklein’s harrison partners laptop briefcase. The more structured look is even sharper because of the full grain, oil tanned leather of which it is made. Perfect in Washington is the secure key lock to keep the wrong folks out when the Secret Service is not looking.

As a side note, take a look at the Runway to Change section of the Obama campaign store. You can’t say that he does not have some care for fashion, since his team has tagged the likes of designers Tory Burch, Vera Wang, Juicy Couture, and Diane von Furstenburg to create fashion for his campaign.

It seems simple enough: how do you measure a laptop computer to see if it fits in a specific laptop bag? It doesn’t make sense when you see that 14″ or 17″ size and then neither the length nor the width is equal to that number. Still scratching your head? Here’s how it works.

The measurement that all laptop manufacturers use is the diagonal of the screen. Check out the above image. The diagonal is the measurement that goes from the upper corner to the opposite lower corner. Now that you’ve revisited high school geometry, how does that relate to knowing if your laptop fits in a specific laptop bag?

Here’s the big news: it is a guide, but every laptop in a specific size has different dimensions because of the design of the plastic and screen dimensions. So, if you want to know if your laptop will really fit in that laptop sleeve, you need to measure the length, the width and the depth, just like a box, and then compare those measurements to the size of the bag. Maybe now it makes sense why a 15.4″ Mac fits different bags than a 15.4″ Dell or a 15.4″ Toshiba.

Made from 100% certified post-consumer PET bottles — and ultra lightweight — you get a top quality laptop bag made from one of the world’s most durable fabrics AND you get to save the planet at the same time. Finally, eco-friendly fashion that doesn’t compromise on style or function.

The Shoreline Greensmart laptop jacket is slim enough to be used with another laptop case for extra protection, or extend the handles and use as a stand-alone laptop case. With zippered exterior and port pockets, an adjustable shoulder strap, satiny interior lining, and no need to remove your laptop from the protective sleeve to use it, you can — at long last — have a chic life while still being green. Available in toasted almond, black, and powder blue and two sizes: smaller size fits 15.4-inch screens and larger size fits 17-inch screens.

No need for a full jacket? Then just as clever and lightweight (at a mere half pound) is the Shoreline Greensmart laptop sleeve. Made from the same post-consumer PET bottles, the sleeve offers an extra level of protection for backpacks, purses, or briefcases that were not designed to carry a laptop. An easy pull zipper allows for easy access. And you? Why you look very, very smart.Available in toasted almond, black, and powder blue in two sizes: The smaller size fits 13.3-inch screens and the larger fits 15.4-inch screens.

For the overnight traveler — or the significant other that always seems to bring half the house with her to work — take a closer look at the Georgia wheeled laptop case by Kipling. Constructed with Kipling’s signature lightweight, water-resistant crinkle nylon, the laptop case features a retractable pull handle and durable skate wheels, providing her with effortless glide around the international terminal. Ample interior and exterior pockets store up to a 15.4-inch laptop, cell phone, PDA, MP3 player, a change of clothes, and of course, you.

She uses a calendar, a date book, and a PDA. She knows just when your mother’s birthday is and bought the gift last month. She’s a 21st century Wonder Woman. Make her smile this Valentine’s Day with a laptop tote that applauds her organizational skills. The McKlein Winnetka leather ladies laptop tote, in smooth white Italian leather with rolled handles and nickel hardware, duly organizes her work life and home life — and keeps her looking as smart as she is. Also available in powder-blue, blush, cranberry, persimmon, pistachio, and black. Fits screens up to 15.4 inches.

Is he dashing, debonair, and always groomed to the nines? May we present, Irvin. Aaron Irvin. For the gallant I-take-my-martini-shaken-not-stirred man in your life, Aaron Irvin’s large microfiber computer bag is refined, slick, and made with the finest black microfiber nylon and outfitted with nickel hardware and Swiss made zippers on all four sides. Rolled, supple, calf leather handles give way to a detachable ergonomic shoulder strap. A bevy of internal compartments make extracting the dossier for his next mission a cinch. This laptop bag fits screens up to 17 inches.

Urban grey water-resistant nylon with bold orange interior and accents make Tucano’s Cobra Horizontal Limit messenger bag, a smart choice for inclement winter weather — and navigating city streets. The lightweight unisex messenger bag features a cushioned shoulder strap, a fully padded drawstring closure laptop compartment, a zippered interior front panel for camera cases, iPods, and peripherals, and a Velcro front flap to keep it all safely tucked in. Now if only your life were this structured. Fits laptop screens up to 15.4 inches.