Cheryl Shops

I have a girl-crush on one of my coworkers, whom I'll call C. She always manages to look completely natural in what she's wearing, usually a perfect mix of relaxed but chic pieces with interesting details and statement-making accessories. She's super-stylish, but she never looks too trendy, a feat that's tricky to execute. I'm not the only one who appreciates how she dresses; her name has become shorthand in my department for the type of customer we want to target (e.g. "She's young, thin, and hip--you know, like C."). A few weeks ago, C started carrying a bright green bag, and ever since, I've noticed it popping up on street-style blogs and Pinterest. And while C clearly didn't start this trend, it just goes to show how plugged in she is to fashion. The bag is a Cambridge Satchel, a company that makes a very basic, classic leather messenger bags originally intended for British schoolchildren. The bags are handmade in Great Britain, a rarity in these days of Third World factories, and while they still adhere to tradition, they've also collaborated with the likes of Comme des Garcons and thus embraced their budding fashion-insider status. The satchels are obviously sturdy and well made, from good leather, but the fun is that you can get a Cambridge Satchel in nearly every color in the rainbow (and then some), from basic brown and black to bright yellow and candy pink; style bloggers have particularly embraced the fluorescent series. What's really impressive, however, is the prices: basic-colored 11-inch satchels start at $120, with the 15-inch neon styles topping out at $190. (Let me reiterate: These are real leather bags, handmade in Great Britain.) Stick on another $16-$32 and you can have your initials embossed in silver, gold, black, or blind lettering (take that, Goyard!). These bags looks like they can live forever, so one must choose a color wisely. The traditionalist in me wants red, but my trend-slave likes the fluorescent pink. I may not look as effortlessly cool as C, but I'll look like me, and that's what really counts, right?