When Health moved offices in November, my commute went from a reasonable half hour to a borderline ridiculous hour and 5 minutes each way. That means I now have a total of five fewer hours per week to take care of my life outside of work—including exercising. As an editor who covers health, fitness, and wellness, I knew that scaling back my sweat sessions would mean a serious decline in my physical and mental wellbeing. My solution: I switched gyms, and now belong to the Equinox that's in our building so I can sneak in workouts before work and during lunch.
Here's something I didn't expect to need when I made this change: a stylish, spacious bag that could transition from gym to work to a night out. The first few weeks, I carried my gear in my old Dakine backpack, which while functional was nothing close to fashionable or office-appropriate. Plus, it's embarrassing to walk into a bar for happy hour wearing a neon backpack.
I set out to find a new bag, and did a ton of research. I wanted one that would be large enough to fit a change of clothes, my makeup pouch, a pair of shoes, my laptop, and my hair products. I also wanted it to be simultaneously durable and lightweight—and to look nothing like a gym bag. And as it turns out, it's ridiculously hard to find a tote that meets all those requirements. Everything was either too small, too heavy, or too sporty-looking for my taste.
Then I came across the MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($225; saksfifthavenue.com). Large enough to carry all my stuff? Check. Lightweight? Check. Cute? Check! At $225, it was more than I wanted to spend, but I made it the only item on my Christmas list and hoped my husband would get the hint.
gym-bag.jpg as it does with a shift dress or sweater and jeans.
So, see ya, neon backpack—you've been retired for good.