Garment weekender combo bag?

[QP3]

Hi,

new guy here.

I'm looking at leather weekender bags for shorter trips, both business and pleasure. Never really used one before, always took a small rollaboard, but am trying to go lighter/smaller.

Some of the bags I've seen offer a built-in garment bag by unzipping the weekender flat, putting one or two suits in, then zipping it back up, leaving room for the rest of one's clothes and toiletries.

Is this a gimmick or really useful? Won't the suit get wrinkled with all that other stuff lying on top of it inside the bag? It also ends up being a lot of zipper, and couldn't I just use a regular weekender and fold/roll my suit and lay it on top to avoid wrinkles?

I'm a business professional and like to look well put together, am considering bags from the likes of Hook&Albert, R.M. Williams, and Dell'Ga. Trying to stick with leather, high quality, but not excessively expensive (i.e. not a $4000 bag from Ralph Lauren or similar, rather something around $1000 or less, ideally full-grain leather).

Thanks!

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[bry2000]

The garment bag option sounds like a useless gimmick. If you fold your clothes (including sport coats, suit jackets, etc) properly and carefully, they will not come out any more wrinkled than if they were packed in a garment bag compartment.

I recommend using roller luggage for business travel and weekender bags for leisure travel.

 

[Thin White Duke]

I like that Hook and Albert one.
But consider humping the weight of suit(s), shoes, wash kit etc. with the additional weight of leather. Then consider that lovely leather getting abused by baggage handlers and flight attendants.

Esquire used to keep repeating this ridiculous mantra of ‘real men carry, they don’t pull’, but it’s a lot more comfortable, especially if you end up having to do the ‘airport sprint and obstacle course’ a la OJ Simpson, with a four wheel roller than a thirty pound tote slung across one shoulder.

I keep my leather tote for weekend road trips only when it sits on the back seat.

 

[QP3]

Thanks for the replies guys, I appreciate it.

As I mentioned in my post, I have a roll-aboard with 4 wheels that I use often (Travelpro), but would like a weekender for times when I don't need all that space, but might need to bring a suit, or extra pair of shoes, blazer, etc. Something I can just toss a few things into for a few days away and go. It needs a shoulder strap in addition to carrying handles, and the idea is to keep things light. It won't be touched by baggage handlers, that's the idea, it's carry on and will never, ever be checked.

The weight issue is a good one, and looking at the R.M. Williams one yesterday, it's built like a tank, but weighs an awful lot all on it's own, so I'm leaning away from it. Both Hook and Albert and Dell'Ga make one's without the garment bag part, I might check them out.

Good to know that the garment bag isn't really needed, if I fold my suit(s) carefully. I use the Hong Kong tailor method as seen on many sites, putting the trousers inside the folded jacket, all in a plastic bag with some air.

 

[QP3]

I checked out both Stephen Kenn and Killspencer bags recently while in LA, I really like them both. Very cool designs, quality materials, seem well made. Also Rodd & Gunn had one that was pretty sturdy, and Allen Edmonds had one that was surprisingly affordable.
I've pretty much ruled out the "built-in" garment bag feature, I don't see it as useful in practice.

 

[Viral]

JCrew currently has a nice garment bag/weekend combo...........and it won't break the bank at all!

 

[QP3]

Link..?

JCrew currently has a nice garment bag/weekend combo...........and it won't break the bank at all!