Acceptable Business Briefcases

I am a student at Boston University and interview time is coming up. I figure that it is time for start investing in quality items for my wardrobe and business life.

What is your collective opinion on non-black briefcases for young employees?

I'm in love with the chestnut color of Saddleback's thin briefcase:

http://www.saddlebackleather.com/categories/104-Briefcase-Thin/products/2172-Leather-Briefcase-Thin-Chestnut

but would the black be more appropriate?

Thanks for the help.

Thank you. I will (if all goes well) be going into consulting or ibanking.

I do tend to match shoes to my belt, but only to not draw attention to them. As a student I cannot afford particularly nice shoes (read $60-80 on sale at Bass), but my hope has always been that if I am giving an interesting enough presentation people will not be staring at my shoes.

I also do feel that the black looks more business like, but with no real background to back this up I wanted to seek some other opinions before making a $600 investment in a briefcase and portfolio.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quadcammer 

the color is fine, but I don't find saddleback's stuff appropriate for conservative offices.

I think a brown briefcase in the following style is better. this one is nice:

http://www.forzieri.com/usa/product_view.asp?l=usa&c=usa&dept_id=19&sku=cg14118-014-00

Thanks for the suggestion. For whatever reason that briefcase doesn't appeal to me. I have a military background and I think partly what draws me to the saddleback briefcase is the fact that it does look more masculine to me. Are there elements that make the briefcase too busy? Also I've been told by people in the industry that if I end up as a junior consultant I can expect to be walking a lot through all conditions and many miles, so it has to hold up.

To clear up about the shoes I always make sure to match my shoes and belt, but don't go beyond that. My rational for the briefcase over the shoes is this: if I buy expensive shoes now they will be taking boston abuse that involves me walking about ten miles a day through all conditions (this is boston, so snow, rain, snow, rain and then hail). $60 shoes are perfect for this because no one in business school is that picky that I would suffer grade wise and only so much is expected for inward facing summer interns. On the other hand it should be much easier to maintain the look of the briefcase until I enter a full time position.

Thoughts? I maybe relying on false assumptions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Brody 




Well you might want to consider upgrading the shoes before going for the $600 briefcase.

Should also mention that I would be very excited if you could show me some nice shoe options.

I was thinking these: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/johnston-murphy-melton-oxford/2787956?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_ite=johnston_&_murphy_%27melton%27_oxford:S08432&cm_pla=shoes:men:oxfords&cm_ven=Google_Product_Ads&mr:adType=pla&mr:referralID=NA&mr:trackingCode=1B1A3168-1968-DF11-9DA0-002219319097&origin=pla#BVRRWidgetID

However, my hesitation is that they cannot take the abuse of student life and still maintain their looks. After all I live in a tiny box with another student.

My posts have been waiting for hours in moderation now?