Weekend bag's strap causes wear and tear

[codtrawler87]

I have a nice leather weekend bag with a shoulder strap. I'd like to carry it over my shoulder but I'm afraid the strap will cause the garment of my shirts and jackets to wear down really fast. Are there any solutions to this? Would it help to buy a strap with a strap cushion?

 

[BPL Esq]

Sure, a cushion might help. Also, if the bag isn't swinging such that the strap is sliding a lot and causing a lot of friction, I doubt you'd see much visible damage over any reasonable timeline, especially if you aren't always carrying the bag on the same shoulder of the same garment.

 

[johng70]

A decent shoulder strap should have a pad - even if there isn't any padding it distributes the weight over a larger area. How often are you carrying the bag though? If this is truly just a weekender bag and not an everyday briefcase, etc. you will be fine. I would only worry if you've got a particularly fine shirt (e.g silk) - then carry by handles instead of shoulder strap.

 

[dieworkwear]

If you plan to wear this with tailored clothing, I don't recommend using any strap, padded or not. Carrying a bag on your shoulders can ruin the shoulder line and possibly rub on the back of your coat -- even if the strap is padded. On a very fine worsted, you may damage the back of your coat.

If it's casualwear, I think the clothes should be sturdy enough to handle the strap even without a pad.

I personally find padded straps to be aesthetically unpleasing. Would prefer a strap without a pad. Filsons are made without a pad and I've never heard of anyone having a problem with carrying a bag on their shoulders, so long as they're in casualwear

 

[johng70]

Filsons are made without a pad and I've never heard of anyone having a problem with carrying a bag on their shoulders, so long as they're in casualwear

Most modern FIlson duffles have a pad on the shoulder strap:

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I have a nice leather weekend bag with a shoulder strap. I'd like to carry it over my shoulder but I'm afraid the strap will cause the garment of my shirts and jackets to wear down really fast. Are there any solutions to this? Would it help to buy a strap with a strap cushion?

The solution is to not carry it over your shoulder. If you are, avoid wearing a tailored jacket.