Though I've been remarkably quiet about it, the "great travel bag search" is still taking place. In part my silence has been thanks to the lack of bags that met my criteria but also, I have to admit, due to the fact that it's slightly demoralizing to have this big of a problem tracking down a bag that can a) be used for carry-on, b) doesn't have wheels protruding from it, and c) isn't hideously ugly.

The latest "I could have been a contender" is this rather snazzy dress Stewart plaid bag...courtesy of Yuketen and their Japanese take on traditional Americana...a view of America which explains the company's Western boots and native American fringed varieties but fails to align plaid and America in my mind (unless you count the tartan trews beloved by golf playing Americans who visit the UK).

However, overlooking this slight anomaly, the mix of tartan and leather in a duffle bag is enticing. The only voice of dissension coming from my practical inner voice which questions the sanity of even considering a woolen bag which would act like a sponge when it came into contact with rain, snow, or any of the other liquid substances encountered when moving between points A and B.