MOLI VIEW™

If you're a fan of useful, practical gifts, but you are allergic to the boring and predictable, you might consider giving a luggage upgrade to the ardent traveler in your life this holiday season. I travel a minimum of 10 days a month, so I know a thing or two about suitcases and carry-on bags and what makes them work. Following are some of my favorite fun and functional suitcases.

LeSportSac: You have more choice of shapes and patterns here than different lattes at Starbucks, but the LeSportsac is not only nostalgic (perhaps you had one in the '80s?); it's a great investment. These light but tough (pack an empty one if you're going someplace with amazing shopping, like Thailand or India) nylon bags last forever! My mom splurged on a set for me in 1992 and I still use one of them. You're likely to get bored with the bags before they wear out, but that is less likely to happen if you snatch up a Luna tokidoki bag ($210). Or if you can wait until spring, get one of the new Stella McCartney-designed bags (likely the only thing by her you can really afford).

Tumi: If you're a bit paranoid about your luggage being stolen, you'll like that each of Tumi's well-made bags comes with a bar-code plate and unique serial number. You register it with your details, and then it's traceable throughout most of the world, in case it's lost. These thoughtfully designed, durable cases range from serious black briefcases to funky orange messenger bags. There's one for for every stage of life, and every aesthetic. And they are fashionable without being trendy, so you can keep yours for decades.

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