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10 March 2026

Carry Your Ambition with Chesray Dolpha

Chesray Dolpha is a storytelling strategist and Tony Award winning stage director who has built a career focusing on activism, storytelling and social justice. She is the founder and executive creative producer of Story Bridge Consultancy and has worked on Broadway, playing a pivotal role in production.

1. Today is International Women’s Day, a moment when we highlight women with great ambition and purpose. As part of this, we would love to showcase your story. Can you share with us a specific ambition or goal you’re currently pursuing, and how you’re taking steps toward it?

One of my specific ambitions or goals is to try and center and uplight queer stories in the storytelling theater industries in New York city and Cape Town. I started my own producing company about two years ago called Story Bridge and the goal is to create storytelling opportunities from queer people of colour who live in the margins or who have marginal experience. My pursuit is queer storytelling spaces that center joy and passion that queer communities bring, without showing the traumatic experiences of queer communities. The steps I am taking towards that is by founding my own company and self producing my pilot season where I’ll be producing a black queer musical, which would be a black queer adaptation of Tempest from Shakespeare through the lens of South African Drag. It was brought to Broadway this February and had a two week residency at Rattlestick theater off Broadway which was a huge accomplishment. I’m also producing a one woman show called Soft Belly which is about accepting bodies that we are born in and this show is accepted into the New York City French Festival. These are the steps I have taken and will continue to take in pursuit of centering queer stories.

2. We talk about “Carry Your Ambition” as a play on words. It is both a literal bag and a symbol of the weight of ambition. In your life, have you ever felt that ambition as a burden, something that drives you but also puts a lot of pressure on you, weighing you down and sometimes making you doubt yourself? If so, how do you navigate that tension?

I never felt like ambition was a burden for me. I’ve always felt that my circumstance and the level of poverty from my upbringing is what felt like a burden. I felt like I carried this weight and economic legacy of not having enough to survive which was not only a burden that was put onto me but I felt my mom and grandmother had to carry. Ambition always came easy to me because ambition was like a love language to my talents and passions. It made me feel like I have this fire burning in me and while I recognise I lived on the Cape Flats and I had all these circumstances, ambition was always a light and flame for me that allowed me to step into my body and talents. I would say poverty and circumstance felt more like a burden. The way I balance this pressure of ambition is I try to create and produce stories that I don’t need an award for because the award is getting to tell these stories in spaces that are non-traditional and in front of non-traditional audiences. I try to make my goals human centered and based in radical progressive storytelling politics. The way I push the tension of ambition is by telling stories that matter, stories of communities that need platforms and making sure I support the humanities of those communities. I also make sure I have safe rehearsal spaces for artists to create beautiful work which contributes to my way of pushing against the tension of ambition.

3. We’ve seen how icons like Margaret Thatcher used color in their outfits to stand out and project power, making a strong statement. In a similar way, how do you use color in your outfits to elevate your confidence, assert your presence, and help you rise above self-doubt as you pursue your ambitions?

I dress with a lot of colour but not as a way to elevate my confidence and to center my ambition but really as a form of expression of how I feel on the inside. I’m an artist and I see the world in colour. Colour makes my world better and brighter and so when I dress in colour it makes me feel more like myself . It makes me feel more Chesray and makes me come into my body clearly. It’s kind of grounded in pleasure activism by Adrienne Maree Brown which talks about reclaiming colour as a way to body queerness but also to help us support personhood and ourselves through this lens of colour. So colour really is just a way for me to not only assert my creativity but to give the world insight into how I feel as an artist and what it means to be an artist. It’s about expression and creating visual languages that people can see across all languages. I do it every day in the theater but even in my everyday life , I try to create this visual language that is progressive and liberal and that really supports my artistry.

Curious to meet the next bold woman in our mini-series Carry Your Ambition? See the full publishing schedule here.

9 March 2026

Carry Your Ambition with Anna Eliasson Lundquist

Anna Eliasson Lundquist is the founder of Kvinnokompetensen and works with leadership development and organizational transformation, supporting senior executives navigating complexity and structural transition. With a long career in executive search and leadership advisory, she helps leaders strengthen clarity, resilience, and responsible authority in high-stakes environments. She founded Scandinavia’s first executive search firm specialized in female leaders in 1987.

 

1. Today is International Women’s Day, a moment when we highlight women with great ambition and purpose. As part of this, we would love to showcase your story. Can you share with us a specific ambition or goal you’re currently pursuing, and how you’re taking steps toward it?

One ambition I am pursuing right now is to speak more openly about the ideas and insights I have developed through many years of working with leaders and organizations. For a long time my work grew mainly through practice, through real situations, complex decisions and lived experience. Now I feel a responsibility to put those insights into words and share them more publicly. My goal is to contribute to a broader conversation about leadership and how we can navigate change with greater clarity, responsibility and humanity.

2. We talk about “Carry Your Ambition” as a play on words. It is both a literal bag and a symbol of the weight of ambition. In your life, have you ever felt that ambition as a burden, something that drives you but also puts a lot of pressure on you, weighing you down and sometimes making you doubt yourself? If so, how do you navigate that tension?

Yes, ambition can sometimes feel heavy. The key for me has been to never let willpower override the wisdom of the body. When pressure builds, I slow down and listen first to what my body is telling me. I believe in working in rhythm, much like in traditional agricultural life, where periods of effort are balanced with rest and reflection. Giving myself time to “sleep on things” and trusting my intuition helps transform ambition from pressure into something sustainable and grounded.

3. We’ve seen how icons like Margaret Thatcher used color in their outfits to stand out and project power, making a strong statement. In a similar way, how do you use color in your outfits to elevate your confidence, assert your presence, and help you rise above self-doubt as you pursue your ambitions?

My style is usually structured and quite understated, so color becomes a way to bring life and energy into that structure. A well-chosen color can lift the whole expression, adding warmth, presence and quiet vitality. For me it’s less about standing out and more about creating a balance between clarity, elegance and confidence.

Curious to meet the next bold woman in our mini-series Carry Your Ambition? See the full publishing schedule here.

8 March 2026

Carry Your Ambition with Cheryl Paarwater

Cheryl Paarwater is the owner and managing director of Enerlytics and Call Lab BPO, who strives to provide utility revenue management services while simultaneously making a positive change and creating job opportunities. She focuses on equipping South African youth with the necessary skills they need to succeed in the job market.

1. Today is International Women’s Day, a moment when we highlight women with great ambition and purpose. As part of this, we would love to showcase your story. Can you share with us a specific ambition or goal you’re currently pursuing, and how you’re taking steps toward it?

One of the ambitions I’m deeply committed to right now (and I honestly don’t know if this will ever change) is the creation of meaningful employment while building a world-class customer experience business.

In South Africa, unemployment, especially among young people, is one of our biggest challenges. It the reason for so many of our social ills such as our high crime rate. My goal is to prove that businesses can be both commercially successful and socially impactful. Through Call Lab, we focus on creating jobs, developing skills, and giving people access to opportunities they may not otherwise have had.

The steps toward that ambition are very practical: building strong international partnerships, investing in training and digital skills, and creating an environment where people can grow professionally and personally. A place where they feel cared for. For me, ambition isn’t only about scaling a company, it’s about changing lives in the process.

2. We talk about “Carry Your Ambition” as a play on words. It is both a literal bag and a symbol of the weight of ambition. In your life, have you ever felt that ambition as a burden, something that drives you but also puts a lot of pressure on you, weighing you down and sometimes making you doubt yourself? If so, how do you navigate that tension?

Absolutely. Ambition can be a powerful driver, but it also comes with pressure. When you care deeply about what you’re building and about the people who depend on it, the responsibility can feel heavy at times.

What helps me navigate that tension is grounding my ambition in purpose rather than ego. When the focus is on impact, creating jobs, supporting families, and building something meaningful, the pressure becomes more manageable because you know why you’re doing it.

There will always be difficult moments in business and leadership, but approaching challenges with the right mindset and surrounding yourself with good people makes a huge difference.

Ambition shouldn’t feel like something you carry alone, it becomes lighter when it’s shared with a team that believes in the same vision. Which I am grateful to have!

And I’m a very spiritual person and I believe that I can do all things through God who strengthens me, this knowledge is so powerful.

3. We’ve seen how icons like Margaret Thatcher used color in their outfits to stand out and project power, making a strong statement. In a similar way, how do you use color in your outfits to elevate your confidence, assert your presence, and help you rise above self-doubt as you pursue your ambitions?

For me, colour is about energy. When I wear bold colours, whether it’s bright pink, or a vibrant green, I feel extremely feminine and confident,  it reminds me to show up fully and unapologetically as myself.

However, I primarily wear black,  I think I do this to “fit in” in the male dominated world I move in.

I’ve challenged myself this year to show up more and make my presence felt more, colour is part of this challenge! Thank you for the reminder that this is a solid plan!

 

Curious to meet the next bold woman in our mini-series Carry Your Ambition? See the full publishing schedule here.

8 March 2026

Carry Your Ambition

As a tribute to International Women’s Day, we’re launching a mini-series that explores what it means to carry your ambition. On one hand, your &LessBag carries your ambition, literally speaking, your laptop, your essentials, everything you need. But, you also carry ambition in your mind, the weight of striving, facing pressures, and standing firm against doubters. Today, we celebrate six bold women who carry ambition both with pride and purpose.

In the coming days, we will feature these women, each answering the same three questions about what ambition they are pursuing right now, how they navigate the weight of ambition, and how they use style, including color, as a quiet or loud form of power. For now, meet the women we are honored to spotlight.

Cheryl Paarwater

Owner and managing director at Enerlytics and Call Lab BPO

Cheryl Paarwater is the owner and managing director of Enerlytics and Call Lab BPO, who strives to provide utility revenue management services while simultaneously making a positive change and creating job opportunities. She focuses on equipping South African youth with the necessary skills they need to succeed in the job market.

Read her story here.

Cheryl Paarlwater

Anna Eliasson Lundquist

Founder, Kvinnokompetensen

Anna Eliasson Lundquist is the founder of Kvinnokompetensen(Female Competencies) and works with leadership development and organizational transformation, supporting senior executives navigating complexity and structural transition. With a long career in executive search and leadership advisory, she helps leaders strengthen clarity, resilience, and responsible authority in high-stakes environments.

Read her story here.

Anna Eliasson Lundquist

Chesray Dolpha

Storytelling strategist and Tony Award winning stage director

Chesray Dolpha is a storytelling strategist and Tony Award winning stage director who has built a career focusing on activism, storytelling and social justice. She is the founder and executive creative producer of Story Bridge Consultancy and has worked on Broadway, playing a pivotal role in production.

Read her story here.

Chesray Dolpha

Sara Hermansson

Senior Vice President, innovation podcast creator, and founder of a female leader award

Sara Hermansson is Senior Vice President and Head of Scania Power Solutions, the creator of a popular Swedish innovation podcast, and the founder of a female leader award. She was also named Female Engineer Leader of the Year in Sweden in 2015. She dresses with intention and confidence, her signature look is a full orange suit.

Read her story here. 

Sara Hermansson

Elin Eriksson

Co founder of Women in Tech Sweden and Hanami Circular Tech

Elin Eriksson is the co founder of Women in Tech Sweden and Hanami Circular Tech. A communications expert, she is passionate about showcasing role models and creating networks for women and non binary people in tech. She balances hands on problem solving with long term vision, with a drive to co create a tech industry where more people can thrive and use their full potential.

Read her story here. 

Elin Eriksson

Sandra Bourbon

CEO at E-Drop, podcast host and author

Sandra Bourbon is the CEO of E-Drop, a podcast host, and the author of Swedish Innovation: The Secrets to Successful Disruptive and Sustaining Innovation. With over 15 years of experience scaling companies and improving profitability, she combines analytical thinking with entrepreneurship, and thrives in complex environments where innovation and execution have to move together.

Read her story here. 

Sandra Bourbon

Ambition can be a spark, a strategy, a responsibility, and sometimes a weight. In this mini series, we want to honor the women who keep carrying it anyway, not quietly, not apologetically, but with presence and purpose.

If you would like to receive each story as it is released, subscribe to our newsletter and stay tuned for the next chapter of Carry Your Ambition.

6 March 2026

Inside the #WinBagByMe Contest

What happens when 100+ creative women design their dream workbag? At &LessBags, we decided to launch a design competition for anyone who dreams of a workbag that breaks free from the black and brown norm. We gave women the freedom to personalize their bag by choosing a Summer Tan or Black base, selecting gold or silver hardware, and customizing seven add-ons in over 20 colors, unlocking a staggering 5.2 billion combinations.

With so many possibilities, one thing amazed us immediately. Not a single design was duplicated.

Why We Created the #WinBagByMe Contest

At the heart of &LessBags is a belief that professional women should not be forced into a one size fits all bag. For too long, workbags have been a compromise. They are either purely functional but dull or stylish but impractical. With the BagByMe tool, we asked a simple question. What if women could design their bag to match their ambition every day, every meeting, every journey?

A Pre-Launch Experiment in Community and Choice

The #WinBagByMe contest was part of the &LessBags pre-launch. It was a way for us to test the market, discovering which colors truly resonate, gathering real feedback on the BagByMe customization tool, and most importantly building a community.

This was more than a contest. It was a space where women who refused to accept boxy masculine designs could come together, share their vision, and explore what becomes possible when personalization meets ambition.

The Diversity of Designs

Once the contest opened, we were blown away by the range of creativity. From sleek minimalist palettes in black, tan, and navy to vibrant expressive combinations in fuchsia, power orange, and plum, no two designs were the same.

This spectrum of styles confirmed something important. Women are not a single shade, and neither shall their bags be.

The Numbers Behind the Designs

When we analyzed the design choices, a powerful story unfolded. The race between black and Summer Tan was almost perfectly even. 51% chose black and 49% chose Summer Tan.

This confirmed that we were right to offer both options. Some women gravitate toward the timeless sophistication of a bold black base, while others prefer the softer and lighter impression of Summer Tan. The lighter leather also pairs beautifully with pastel tones and brighter add-on colors, creating a very different mood. The result clearly showed that women appreciate both aesthetics equally and that offering two base colors was the right decision.

The hardware choice revealed another important insight. 62% selected gold hardware while 38% chose silver.

For us, this was more than a preference. It was a strategic validation. Supporting both hardware finishes means that every base bag and every add-on must exist in two versions. This doubles the number of references we need to produce and stock. It is a significant effort for a young brand.

However, the results made the decision obvious. Almost forty percent of women chose silver. In reality, many silver lovers would never wear gold hardware, just as many gold lovers would never choose silver. If we had launched with gold only, we would have immediately excluded nearly forty percent of women.

For us, that was never an option.

These numbers confirmed something fundamental. Personal style matters. Every percentage reflects a woman choosing the details that feel right to her. And for &LessBags, supporting that freedom is worth the effort.

The Add On Color Trends

Beyond the base and the hardware, the most fascinating insights came from the add on color choices. With twenty colors available, participants had the freedom to express very different personalities through their designs.

Some patterns appeared quickly.

A first group clearly leaned toward timeless neutrals. Colors such as Summer Tan, Black, Chestnut, and Burgundy appeared frequently across the submissions. These combinations create elegant, versatile bags that transition easily from office meetings to travel days.

Another group preferred rich statement tones. Plum, Army Green, and Midnight Blue showed strong popularity, revealing that many women enjoy deeper colors that still feel refined and professional while adding personality.

Then there were the bold accents. Colors like Fuchsia, Power Orange, and Sunflower Yellow appeared less frequently but played an important role. Rather than dominating the bag, they were often used as highlights. A bright flap, a colorful handle, or a contrasting panel added energy without sacrificing elegance.

And this is where the &LessBags idea becomes more than a styling exercise. BagByMe is not only about personalizing your bag once. It is about being able to rethink it later.

The beauty of &LessBags is that they are not only customizable, they are re customisable. You can change your mind and switch an add on later. This was intentional from the beginning. Our founder wanted women to embrace their bold side without feeling trapped by the safe choice. Because when a product is permanent, many people choose the most neutral option simply to avoid the risk of regret.

In a contest like #WinBagByMe, that freedom matters. Knowing you can evolve your style later likely made it easier for participants to take creative risks. To step out of their comfort zone. To let personality show.

That is the difference between a bag you select once and live with forever, and a bag designed with interchangeable add ons that adapt with you.

And perhaps the most striking result remained this one. Not a single design was identical.

With 5.2 billion possible combinations, every participant created something uniquely her own.

The Jury

With more than 100 submissions and not a single duplicate, selecting finalists required more than quick opinions and personal taste. The jury combined three complementary perspectives, fashion instinct, leadership reality, and founder level intention.

Massimiliano Belik, Fashion Stylist

Massimiliano Belik is a fashion stylist and makeup artist who has spent his life in the fashion industry, collaborating with some of the biggest houses, including Chanel, Dior, and other prêt à porter brands. His journey began with studies in journalism and marketing before moving into fashion through trainings and internships, from press offices to Parisian photo studios, building his craft step by step until he was working with leading fashion houses.

He dresses purely for himself, always chic, always sharp, and much more of a trend setter than a trend follower.

For the #WinBagByMe contest, Massimiliano was naturally drawn to thoughtful color combinations that truly belong together. Palettes with intention, balance, and a little edge. Designs that stand out in a crowd and make people look twice.

Sara Hermansson, Senior Vice President

Sara Hermansson is a true power woman. She is Senior Vice President and Head of Scania Power Solutions. She is also the creator of a popular Swedish innovation podcast and the founder of a female leader award. In 2015 she was named Female Engineer Leader of the Year in Sweden.

She dresses with intention and confidence. Her signature look is a full orange suit, which directly inspired the Power Orange color option in the BagByMe design tool. Always carrying a laptop and always on the move, Sara represents exactly the kind of professional woman &LessBags is designed for.

For the #WinBagByMe contest, she looked for bold submissions where the designer stepped outside the comfort zone, took smart risks, and still created a versatile bag that works in the boardroom, on the move, and in everyday professional life.

Josefina Sonnerup, Founder and CEO of &LessBags

Driven by one clear idea that a work bag should adapt to you, not the other way around, Josefina Sonnerup built &LessBags with a sharp eye for design and real life practicality. She created a modular system where women can build their own look and continue evolving it over time as their style and life change.

After ten years in the tech industry, Josefina became an entrepreneur, but one thing never changed. She still needed a work bag that is functional, feminine, and fashionable.

For the #WinBagByMe contest, she looked for submissions that felt intentional and refined. Designs with a clear point of view, beautiful color harmony, and that unmistakable “I need this” energy. Versatile for daily life, but distinctive enough to be remembered.

From 100+ Designs to the Finalists

With more than 100 unique designs submitted to the #WinBagByMe contest, the next step was clear but not simple. The jury had to select the finalists.

Each design was reviewed carefully, looking at color harmony, personality, versatility, and how naturally the bag could fit into real everyday life. The goal was not only to reward creativity, but to identify designs that truly captured the spirit of &LessBags. Elegant, intentional, expressive, and practical.

At first, the plan was simple. Select a clean Top 5.

But once the jury began reviewing the submissions, it quickly became clear that narrowing the selection would not be easy. There were simply too many strong designs.

Another surprise appeared during the discussions. The jury members had very different personal favorites. Some designs impressed with bold color contrasts, others stood out with refined palettes and subtle elegance.

In the end, the jury could not agree on one shared Top 5. Instead, each jury member selected two designs they personally loved.

That is how the finalist group became a Top 6.

The Finalists

The six designs that moved forward to the final round were:

  1. Deep Autumn by Katharina Gerlach
  2. Power of Me by Agnieszka Szpura
  3. Sable Céleste by Lilia Ben
  4. Love is the Answer by Anna Semenova
  5. Harlequin by Borja Baillés Bailles
  6. Beach Sunset by Christina Crafoord

With the finalists selected, the final decision was no longer in the hands of the jury.

It was time for the community to decide.

The Public Vote

Voting opened on andlessbags.com, allowing the public to support their favorite design.

Each participant could vote once per email address, ensuring a fair and transparent process. The vote remained open until the final winner announcement on March 1.

From bold color statements to elegant everyday combinations, each finalist represented a different interpretation of what a modern work bag could be. Now the question remained. Which design would capture the most votes and become the winner of the #WinBagByMe contest?

And the Winner Is…

After seven days of voting, sharing, and rallying support across the community, the public vote finally closed. The results were verified and the public vote podium of the #WinBagByMe contest was revealed.

And the winner is:

Harlequin by Borja Baillés

With 47% of the public votes, Harlequin captured a clear lead and quickly became a favorite among the community.

Harlequin is a showstopper. The kind of design that is impossible not to notice and even harder to forget. This catwalk piece demands confidence, that is for sure.

The design stands out with its bold and playful color composition. Strong contrasts meet careful balance, creating a bag that feels vibrant yet harmonious. It is expressive, modern, and instantly recognizable.

Massimiliano Belik, fashion stylist and jury member, originally nominated the design for the finalists and shared the following motivation:

“I was particularly drawn to this design, which I find both original and bold. The colors are vibrant and beautifully controlled. The combination of blue and red creates a harmonious contrast that feels strong and high quality. The touch of yellow adds extra brightness, a sense of sunshine and lightness. The overall look evokes candy like colors, which perfectly matches the name Harlequin. The composition is balanced and dynamic, making the bag both modern and appealing.”

One detail made this win even more interesting. Borja is a man.

&LessBags was originally created to answer a very specific frustration experienced by women in business. Work bags were too often boxy, neutral, and designed with someone else in mind. Yet this contest took an unexpected and exciting turn, because the design that won the public vote was created by a man who clearly shares the same desire: a work bag that is functional, fashionable, and full of personality.

It reminded us that the need for a refined work bag with real color options is not limited to women. It speaks to anyone who refuses to carry something boring just because it is practical.

The Public Vote Podium

Celebrating Creativity: The Prizes

The #WinBagByMe contest was not only about selecting a winner. It was about celebrating creativity across the entire community of designers who participated.

In total, the prize pool represented €6,500 in rewards.

And because voting is support, not just a click, we also wanted to thank the community behind the designers. Every voter received a €35 voucher as a thank you for taking part.

What Comes Next

The #WinBagByMe contest started as a simple idea. Give people the freedom to design their own work bag and see what happens.

What followed was more than a competition. It became a community experiment that revealed how much creativity appears when people are given the tools to express their own style. From bold statement pieces to refined everyday combinations, every design confirmed the same thing: the traditional work bag no longer has to be boring.

Because #WinBagByMe was part of the pre launch of &LessBags, it also gave us something else. Proof that this brand is meeting a real desire, and a community that is ready for what comes next. It made us even more excited for the official launch, which will be announced shortly.

Did you love the concept but missed the contest?

You can still try the BagByMe design tool yourself and create your own version of the &LessBag. Build your color combination, choose your hardware finish, and make it feel like you.

Try it now. Once the store is officially open, you will be able to order your design directly online.

If you enjoyed discovering the designs and the story behind the contest, you can follow &LessBags to see what comes next. New creations, community projects, and future BagByMe stories are just getting started.

Follow us on social media:
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/andlessbags/?viewAsMember=true

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/andlessbags/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/andlessbags

Or sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about the launch, new releases, design stories, and future community projects.

12 February 2026

Does Your Office-Issued Backpack Undo Your Whole Look?

You know that moment. You actually tried. Outfit planned, coat sitting right, shoes doing their job, the whole look feels intentional. Then you grab the company-issued laptop backpack, put it on, and it is like someone turned the volume down on your style.

It is “practical.” It fits the laptop. It has pockets. It is also the fastest way to make a polished outfit look accidental. One black nylon block on your back, and suddenly the tailored coat you loved becomes background scenery.

Why the Corporate Backpack Ruins a Work Outfit

It changes your silhouette instantly

Most office-issued backpacks are boxy and overbuilt. Thick straps and a puffed shape round your back, hide your waist, and break the clean lines of a blazer, trench, or structured coat. Instead of supporting your outfit, the bag becomes the loudest thing you are wearing.

It clashes with women’s workwear

A lot of women’s work outfits rely on structure and proportion. Clean shoulders, sharp lines, a silhouette that feels put together. The typical corporate backpack is sporty by default, so it fights that structure. The contrast makes your outfit feel less elevated, not because your clothes are wrong, but because the bag was never designed to belong with them.

It turns you into a walking brand board

Many corporate backpacks come with a visible logo. That small detail changes the whole vibe. You are no longer choosing how you present yourself, you are carrying a company identity on your back. If you care about style, that can feel like wearing a uniform you did not pick.

Why Laptop Bags for Women Feel Like a Daily Compromise

Most of us are not asking for a magical bag that carries our entire life. We are asking for the basics done well: a laptop bag that protects what it should protect, carries comfortably, and does not undo the look we chose on purpose. The problem is that the “practical” options tend to look corporate and generic, and the stylish options often look good but are not designed with real work use in mind.

So the compromise becomes visual. You either carry the office-issued backpack and watch your outfit get muted, or you choose something prettier and spend the day forcing it to behave like a work bag. Either way, you end up adapting your style to the bag instead of the bag fitting your style.

Function wins, style loses

You keep the backpack because it works. Then you start avoiding certain coats because the straps ruin the shoulder line. You stop wearing outfits that feel sharp because they do not “match” the backpack. Your wardrobe becomes a workaround.

Style wins, comfort loses

You switch to a tote that looks better. Then your shoulder pays for it. The bag gets heavy fast, everything shifts around, and you spend the day digging for essentials. It looks right, but it does not feel right.

The “sleek work bag” trap

You finally find something marketed as “functional and stylish for women.” The problem is that “sleek” often just means “safe.” Same stiff, boxy silhouette as the classic briefcase, basically a copy paste of the men’s section with softened corners. It technically works, but it does not feel fashionable, and it rarely feels personal.

Most of these bags come in the same predictable colors, black, beige, maybe tan if the brand is feeling adventurous. Hardware is fixed, details are fixed, everything is fixed. So even when you upgrade from the corporate backpack, you still end up carrying a bag that looks like everyone else’s, and your outfit is still doing all the personality work on its own.

The two-bag workaround

And when none of the options feel right, the most common “solution” appears: two bags. One bag for your style, and a second bag for everything else. A cute handbag plus a backpack. A polished tote plus a laptop sleeve and a shopping bag. It works, but it is annoying, and it is exactly how so many women end up living the two-bag problem without even naming it.

If this sounds familiar, you’ll probably relate to the previous article, Why Women Carry Two Bags: The Real Story Behind the Two-Bag Problem: https://andlessbags.com/test-why-women-carry-two-bags-the-real-story-behind-the-two-bag-problem/

A modern laptop bag does not need to reinvent the laws of physics. It just needs to stop acting like style and function cannot coexist.

What a Better Laptop Bag Should Do

A modern laptop bag does not need to reinvent the laws of physics. It just needs to stop acting like style and function cannot coexist. You should be able to carry your laptop properly and still look like yourself.

It should carry like a real laptop bag

Your laptop should feel secure. The bag should sit well on your body. The weight should be balanced. You should not feel like you are carrying a brick in a soft container. A work bag can be elegant, but it still needs to behave like a work bag.

It should look like part of your outfit

A laptop bag is one of the most visible items you wear on a workday. It should complement your silhouette, not interrupt it. Clean shape, intentional proportions, and materials that match a polished wardrobe should be the baseline, not the exception.

It should let you personalize your look

This is where things get tricky. Most brands hear “personalization” and respond with one choice at checkout. Pick a model, pick a color, and that is it. Everything else stays fixed, and your “one perfect bag” is now supposed to match every version of your life.

Which is great until real life happens and your very non-one-style wardrobe shows up. The bag that felt perfect in black with your winter coat suddenly feels too heavy with a light spring look. The beige that seemed elegant online can look bland next to certain outfits. Unless you wear the same thing every day…

The &LessBags Idea: One Laptop Bag, Many Versions of You

&LessBags keeps the functionality you actually need in a laptop bag, and upgrades the part that never evolved: the fact that your style changes, your mood changes, your occasions change, and your bag should be able to change with you.

Instead of buying multiple bags to match different outfits, &LessBags is designed to be re-configurable. You start with a base bag, then you swap the interchangeable add-ons to refresh the look whenever you want. Minimal today, colorful tomorrow. Neutral for the office, more expressive for after work. It is the same practical laptop bag, but it gives you more than one “version” of it.

How the modular system works

&LessBags is built around interchangeable add-ons that let you refresh your bag without replacing the whole thing. There are seven add-ons you can mix and match depending on your style and what your day looks like. The point is not extra capacity, it is freedom. Your bag stays functional, but the design becomes yours.

Why this solves the corporate backpack problem

The corporate backpack is practical, but it erases your look. A “sleek” work bag is functional, but often boring and still fixed. &LessBags keeps the laptop-bag function and fixes the missing part: style that can evolve with you, not against you. You do not need to carry two bags just to feel like yourself. You can carry one bag that adapts.

Why &LessBags

If you are tired of the corporate backpack killing your outfit, and tired of choosing between practical and personal, &LessBags was made for you. It is a functional laptop bag, re-imagined as a design experience. You choose how much color you want, how minimal or bold you feel, and you can switch it up whenever your outfit, mood, or occasion changes.

Endless styles &LessBags

#CorporateBackpack #LaptopBagsForWomen #WorkOutfitProblems #FashionMistakes

12 January 2026

Why Women Carry Two Bags: The Real Story Behind the Two-Bag Problem

If you stand in any financial district at eight in the morning, you can spot it instantly. A laptop bag on one shoulder, a smaller handbag on the other. One for work, one for everything else. Most women do not think of it as a statement. It is simply how they survive the day.

Yet this habit now has a name: the two bag problem. It is the daily proof that laptop function and personal style still rarely fit into one object. Women have quietly accepted this for years, but fashion media has finally caught up and turned it into a talking point, even a trend.

In this article, we will look at why the two bag habit exists, how it became fashionable, and what it would take for one workbag to genuinely replace two.

What Is The Two-Bag Shuffle?

The story usually begins at home. The laptop, charger and documents go into the practical bag that can handle the weight. Keys, wallet, lipstick, headphones and everything else you actually touch ten times a day go into the handbag that matches your outfit.

Once you step outside, the choreography begins. Straps slip off shoulders. One bag swings into the other. You move them from hand to hand on the metro, shift them to the other side when your shoulder starts to ache, and perform small acrobatics every time you need to pay, answer a message or take a call.

This is what many women describe in our interviews as “feeling like a packhorse in a blazer”. It is not clumsiness. It is a design problem.

That is why the Two-Bag Shuffle is such a persistent problem. It exists not because women are demanding, but because design has not caught up with what they actually do.

Why One Bag Rarely Feels Like Enough

Laptop Protection Versus Personal Style

A serious work bag is expected to do real work. It needs structure for a laptop, a stable base that will not collapse under weight, space for notebooks and tech, and a layout that keeps everything findable. When magazines review workbags for professional women, they usually talk about capacity, durability and whether the bag looks appropriate in an office or on a business trip.

Fashion handbags are built with a different priority. Their primary job is to complete a look. Handles are often slim, interiors are simplified and proportions are driven by style more than by physics. They are perfect with a tailored coat, less perfect once you add a laptop and a power supply.

So the compromise appears. The laptop moves into the practical bag. The style moves into the smaller bag. The shoulders manage both.

A Day With Too Many Modes

A modern workday is rarely just “home to office and back”.

You might start with a commute, spend the morning in a glass meeting room, take a train to another city, stop for a coffee with a client, then go straight to dinner. At each of these moments, you have a different idea of what “the right bag” would look and feel like.

The laptop tote that looks acceptable in a corporate lobby often feels out of place at a restaurant table. The small, elegant handbag that works for dinner cannot carry a laptop safely on a crowded metro. A backpack is comfortable but may not respect the level of polish you expect from your work image.

Carrying two bags becomes an informal workaround for a design category that has not quite caught up with how women actually live.

When The Two-Bag Shuffle Becomes A “Trend”

For years, women have been doing this as a practical necessity. Recently, fashion media has started treating double bagging as an aesthetic choice.

Vogue ran a piece explaining how runway shows and street style have embraced the double bag look. The article described models and showgoers carrying a large tote together with a smaller bag as a way to signal full, layered lives that do not fit into a single container.

Another Vogue feature on fashion week guests highlighted how editors and influencers layered a structured bag with a mini bag or clutch. It called the look a clever way to carry more while making it clear that you have “a lot going on”.

The Wall Street Journal went further with a feature titled “This Season’s ‘It’ Bag Is…Two Bags?” and noted that designers, celebrities and influencers have all adopted double bagging, turning it into a visible statement rather than an invisible compromise.

ELLE has also highlighted the double bag look, especially on luxury runways where models were sent out with two bags in hand as “a new way to tote your stuff”. It framed the trend as both playful and practical, a reflection of lives that no longer fit into a single neat container.

For women who carry laptops every day, this can feel slightly ironic. Fashion is discovering the Two-Bag Shuffle as styling. Women in business have been experiencing it as logistics for a very long time.

How Clothing Design Makes The Shuffle Worse

The Two-Bag Shuffle does not exist in isolation. Clothing design quietly amplifies it.

Writers and researchers have pointed out for years that women’s pockets are often shorter, narrower and placed more awkwardly than men’s. One analysis comparing pocket sizes across popular brands found that women’s front pockets can be more than 40 percent smaller, sometimes too short to fit a phone securely at all.

Fashion editors have joined this conversation too. ELLE, for example, has written about the appeal of cargo and utility styles by pointing out how women rarely get truly functional pockets in everyday clothes, describing traditional womenswear pockets as “either symbolic or nonexistent”.

If clothing does not carry, the bag must. Once you add keys, wallet, phone, make-up, headphones, snacks, badge, glasses, notebook and all the other small items that keep a day running, there is already a lot to manage. Add a laptop and charger on top and the two bag solution starts to feel almost inevitable.

The Real Costs Of The Two-Bag Shuffle

Physical Strain

Health experts and physiotherapists have raised concerns about heavy shoulder bags for years. Studies and interviews in mainstream outlets describe how consistently carrying weight on one side can contribute to muscle strain, back pain and tension in the neck and shoulders.

Two bags may spread the load across both arms, but often in an unbalanced, shifting way. You tilt slightly to one side, readjust as you walk and absorb the impact with your spine. The effect is subtle, but over time it adds up, especially if you are also sitting at a desk or on a plane for long stretches.

Cognitive Load And Lost Time

Two bags mean two systems. Essentials drift from one to the other. Before leaving home or the office, there is always a small mental checklist. Passport, phone, badge, keys, AirPods. Which bag did I use yesterday. Where did I put the charger after the last flight.

Individually, these are small questions. Together, they become one more tab open in a brain that is already running work projects, family logistics and travel plans.

A Split Between Role And Identity

There is also something more symbolic at work.

The functional laptop bag is often neutral, anonymous and designed around a generic business user. The smaller handbag is where your taste appears: colour, hardware, texture, the small details that feel like you.

One bag for function. One bag for self. Many women no longer accept this split in how they lead, work or dress, yet the Two-Bag Shuffle quietly repeats it every morning.

Can One Bag Realistically Replace Two?

If double bagging is this entrenched, the obvious question is whether a single bag can realistically replace it.

The honest answer is that it can, but only if the bag is designed around the Two-Bag Shuffle from the start, not treated as an afterthought.

A workbag that genuinely replaces two needs to offer:

A structured, padded place for a laptop that does not crush or stretch the rest of the bag
Enough capacity for daily essentials without becoming oversized or shapeless
An organised interior, so you are not tipping everything out to find a card or a key
A silhouette that looks refined in a meeting room and still feels appropriate for dinner
Carrying options that respect your shoulders and your movements through a city or airport

Many “work totes” solve only one side. Some are beautiful but fold under weight. Others are practical but look like standard office equipment. Shopping editors who test workbags often note that finding one that balances engineering and elegance is still surprisingly difficult.

That is why the Two-Bag Shuffle is such a persistent problem. It exists not because women are demanding, but because design has not caught up with what they actually do.

How &LessBags Looks At The Two-Bag Shuffle

The founder of &LessBags lived this problem for years. She worked in engineering and product design, travelled with a laptop and wanted a workbag that was as expressive as her clothes. The market showed her the same options again and again. Functional laptop bags in black or brown that felt designed for someone else. Fashionable totes in bright colours with no structure or laptop protection.

Instead of choosing between the two, she decided to design a third path.

The &LessBag is built around a stable leather base with a structured interior for daily work life. Around that base, interchangeable add-ons such as panels, flaps, handles, a laptop sleeve and a clutch let the owner adapt the look and the level of formality without buying a new bag each time. The same piece can be an open, spacious tote one day and a more protected, refined laptop bag the next.

This approach does not magically remove the weight of a laptop, but it does remove the need for a second handbag. Instead of two separate objects fighting for your shoulders, you have one workbag that already looks like part of your outfit.

Every &LessBag is made with Italian grained leather chosen for its balance of structure, durability and texture, so it can handle everyday work life while still looking refined after years of use.

For women who want to shape every detail, the BagByMe experience lets you personalize your &LessBag. You can select the base shade, choose the colours of the front and back panels, play with flaps and handles and decide between gold or silver hardware, so the bag that replaces your Two-Bag Shuffle feels genuinely your own.

The Two-Bag Shuffle Is Only One Symptom

The Two-Bag Shuffle is only one of many problems linked to today’s bag options for modern business women.

There is the corporate backpack that undoes a carefully built look, the workbag that forces you back to black when you crave colour, the tote that never quite works for both airport and evening. Together, they point to a simple truth. The market has focused on selling “more bags” instead of designing the one bag that truly works for the life you lead.

At &LessBags, we will keep unpacking these issues one by one, always with the same question in mind: how can a single intelligent workbag do better for women who expect both function and elegance.

If you want to follow this journey and receive future insights and stories on the modern workbag, you can sign up for our newsletter to stay tuned.

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