Ever since I got a laptop, I've been looking for something cool to put it in while I jaunt from cafe to cafe, pretending to be an urbanite. A while back I stumbled upon this nifty bag from Tarqus, but for those of you looking for something a little more upscale, let me introduce you to Zegari.

Founded in 2004 after the owners fled corporate life for a European "design tour," the company set out to create bags based on "simple, clean design with attention to detail and constructed with an eye-catching blend of leather and other rich, innovative materials."

I'd say they were successful.

The Barcelona Bag (pictured at right) is the bolder of the two, with a striking line of color that pops out from the otherwise uniformly sleek exterior. The company also offers The Minimalist, which seems perfect for the well-heeled, but more subdued among you. In addition to their good looks, both appear to be highly functional, featuring protected laptop compartments, along with an assortment of hidden pockets and zips for all your smaller bits of techno-related gadgetry.

Classy.

Several months ago, I made a list of laptop bags that went beyond the boring black ballistic nylon that blends in with everyone else. One of the bags was from Plastic People, a line of bags designed by Shannon South, who uses vintage vinyl. Her bags are absolutely adorable, and totally appropriate today, the day of all think pink and heart. I mean really, how do you not talk about bags that are called "Supreme Love Story" today?

Plastic People is actually giving away one of the laptop bags to a random winner. My favorite, naturally, is the pink bag with white trim and heart, but don't worry, not all of Plastic People's bags are pink. Just head over to this contest page, to find out how to enter and win one of the bags, which is valued at about $175.

These bags by Haul are super cool because not only are they stylish one-of-a-kind designs, but the bags are also eco-aware. They're called "billboard bags" because they are made from PVC vinyl billboards that have been recycled into bags. The bags are lined with a second layer of billboard to make them sturdy enough to protect your laptop, and are coated with some sort of UV protectant. Because they are made from actual billboards, they have small scuffs, fades, wrinkles, and no two bags look the same. They cost $195 AUD, which is about $146 US.

[via: saltimbaca at ThisNext]

With just about everything you own reflecting your personal style these days -- from what color and kind of iPod you have to the accessories you do or don't have for your cell phone - why on earth would you go with a standard-issue black bag fabricated from ballistic nylon, or worse yet, pleather, laptop bag? I looked around, and instead of trying to cover every type of from backpacks to wheeled cases in different colors and styles, I decided to hone in on my favorite color: pink. Here are my seven picks for pink laptop bags, one for every day of the week. Don't worry, we will cover laptop bags again, and they won't all be pink, I promise.

If Marc Jacobs ever made a laptop bag, it would probably look a lot like the Luscious Leather line from La La (pictured above), whose tagline is "Fashionably late to work." I am a compartment freak, so I love that the bag has lots of little pockets for a wallet, cell phone, and other necessities.

The always affordable Target has an Isaac Mizrahi bag that has the designer's name in black splashed all over the white leather, but the cutest part is the pink trim and handles. The bag is $34.99. If Mizrahi isn't quite your style, Target has a lot of great laptop bags from which to choose, many of which are also pink.






Tweed fits right in with this season, and in bubblegum pink, it's totally feminine. The Tweedy-Pie Tote, which also comes in two other colors, is from Melissa Beth Designs, which also has a number of other bags (like a more traditional bag-style called "Pocket Full of 'Puter.") The Tweedy-Pie Tote is normally $250, but is on sale for 50% off.

Designer Shannon L. South's line is called Plastic People. Because her bags are made from vintage vinyl (hence, the name "plastic"), they are limited editions, so once she sells out of a design, she's done. Her past designs have included bright floral prints, but I love this simple pink with white trim. However, the heart is what sold me. ($165 for standard size, $10 more for larger bag.)

Acme makes laptop bags only, and most of their designs are sleek, with prints that remind me a lot of Kate Spade. Their Designer Slim bag is almost a sleeve, holding nothing but your laptop. It's ultra-minimal design allows you to put your laptop in another bag, but it also comes with a shoulder strap for you to carry by itself. ($149.99 - $174.99 based on size and fabric.)

The Croc look is always uber-Exec, but this Milano bag from Mobile Edge ignores boring black and brown for pink. The bag looks much less like a laptop carrying case and more like a handbag. It comes in bright pink in honor of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, so 10% of sales from this bag benefit a cause. Like any designer of laptop bags for ladies knows, there's also a small matching detachable wristlet for cosmetics. ($129.99)







Mango Tango's line of bags is as cute as the name. While they do have a few bags that are all-over pink, this canvas bag has a less obtrusive stripe down the center. ($39..99 from Mango Tango's site, on sale at eBags for 20% off.)

We've covered all sorts of accessories for our tech-ish lifestyles, and we've cetainly given love to those things that help us stylishly carry our laptops. However, if you're a MacBook carrying Apple lover, then you might not want to hide your baby in a bag. Case-Mate makes these cool little things called Handle-It that attach to either a MacBook or a PowerBook, allowing you to carry just your laptop and show off the sleekness of the machine of itself.

The Handle-It also "doubles as a passive heat sink with fins, promoting better airflow," and allowing "your laptop to run cooler, maximizing it's performance." When you're not carrying your laptop around, the handle converts into a stand. When the laptop sits on the desktop, the Handle-It folds under and converts into an ergonomic stand.

Case-Mate also has other leather accessories for laptops, PDAs, and iPods.

Back when I was hauling my laptop from city to city, I did what probably would have given my company's IT director the equivalent of a network coronary - I would literally throw my laptop into an oversized purse, completely unprotected. I just didn't want to carry those horribly plain black nylon laptop bags that were also just begging to be mixed up with another person's.

I don't have to carry the laptop from place to place anymore, but if I did, I'd love to carry one of these laptop bags from Abbi New York. Because it's a laptop bag, it's lightweight but strong, and protects your computer (unlike allowing the poor thing to jostle around in my oversized handbag with my wallet, makeup, and other purse goodies). There are three collections: "Prints" that are printed silk brocade like the Jade pictured, "Classics" that includes leather and faux leather, and "Sequined." The bags range in price from $90 for the silk prints up to $250 for the white leather Valerie bag that is my personal favorite.

You can buy the bags from the Abbi New York website, but I've also seen the bags on sites like eBags.

You know you hate it, so why don't you just do yourself a favorite and get rid of it? No, I'm not talking about your manager's tie or the mail guy's bad pick-up lines. I'm talking about that drab laptop case you bought way back before the dot.com bubble burst.

Now that we're in Web 2.0 (what does this mean by the way?), you should consider getting yourself a laptop bag 2.0 to match.

And trust me, nothing says "New Media" like the Supremelove story laptop bag. In fun punchy colors, the Standard Sally bag will make toting your notebook that much more bearable. Of course, like all other It-bags, the Supremelove story laptop tote comes with a 6-week waiting list. So queue up, ladies.