My Longchamp Le Pliage Extra Large Travel Bag

In London, it’s hard to walk down any street without seeing one of Longchamp’s Le Pliage bags. In fact, their popularity is so intense in the capital that I’d be willing to bet that every woman that I know owns one.

Funnily enough, although I was aware of the brand’s existence, it wasn’t until relatively recently that I noticed their extreme popularity. It was around the time that I began commuting into central London (before I moved house) when I realized that Le Pliage bags had become the work-bags of the masses! Seriously, it’s actually a bit nuts – in one tube carriage alone it isn’t surprising to see 30-50% of female commuters donning one, and sometimes individuals even carry two. Longchamp are clearly producing durable and affordable everyday handbags that women are lapping up.

Longchamp began making handbags in 1971, but it wasn’t until 1993 that their CEO launched the Le Pliage – which means “folding”, in French.  The use of nylon for the body of Le Pliage bags was initially used by Longchamp to create revolutionarily lightweight luggage. The success of these early pieces led to the range extending into handbags, adorned with Russia leather handles; a particularly hard wearing, flexible and water-resistant leather finish. This marriage of nylon and leather has clearly proven to be an enduring favourite, with over 30 million Le Pliage handbags having been sold to date.

For a long time I resisted buying a Le Pliage bag, mainly because the handbag versions (especially the more-popular style with the longer shoulder strap) didn’t appeal to me. However, I do love the simple aesthetics of the Le Pliage bag, and the design certainly has its benefits! Having recently moved from a large house into a flat about half the size, space has become a serious luxury. The concept of handbags and luggage that can fold up into a fraction of their size is incredibly practical for modern city-living. This is what finally encouraged me to purchase Longchamp’s Extra-Large Le Pliage Travel Bag, which I can see myself using a lot during weekends away with my friends. The bag is really large with a big internal capacity. Although organisation might be an issue (as there are no internal dividers), this can be managed with the help of packing cubes – and if you don’t have those to hand then large ziplock bags would also work. 

 If you’re not looking to purchase a specific or classic colour, then I would definitely recommend purchasing these bags from department stores during their seasonal sales. When I bought mine there were four colours in the sale (blue, pink, burgundy and yellow), and in retrospect I should have also bought the Le Pliage Large Travel Size in another colour. I think that this slightly smaller size would be well suited for visits to the gym!

You can purchase Longchamp bags online from Harrods, 

including the Extra-Large Travel Bag for £75.00.