This article is taken from the March 2026 issue of The Critic. To get the full magazine why not subscribe? Get five issues for just £25.
Travel, they say, broadens the mind. It can also empty the pockets, particularly of those that prefer to turn left at the door when boarding their flight.
For these latter-day inheritors of the Port Out Starboard Home spirit — shall we call them “lefties”? — the price of comfort is worth plundering the wallet. But why do so many leave half the job undone?
In the days of the POSH steamship, when everyone went with their luggage on long sea voyages, the best travellers took the best ships, and took with them their best luggage. Louis Vuitton trunks jostled with Moynat portmanteau cases for the attention of admiring eyes.
Admittedly such leatherbound leviathans, wheeled aboard by handsomely-dressed and even more handsomely-tipped porters to be deposited in elegant staterooms, are not so easily carted onto an aircraft. But their modern successors, more modestly sized, do exist. It is a pity that all too many of today’s lefties, whilst they are prepared to pay for sophistication and comfort close to the cockpit, neglect to carry equivalent kit with them.
Take for example the Odyssey cabin suitcase made by Bottega Veneta of Milan. This alta società outfit has been producing grand travel accessories since 1966 and so knows a thing or two about looking good a mile high. The Odyssey range, with a 38-litre volume, yet compact enough to fit into an overhead locker, is designed with an ornate intrecciato pattern in homage to its signature Sixties woven leather technique, and comes in understated seaweed green. The Odyssey’s polycarbonate exterior meanwhile stands stalwart against scratches and scrapes.
On the other side of the Alps, in equally fashion-conscious France, Maison Goyard has been building luggage for the haute bourgeoisie since long before the steamship won many a Blue Riband to match the speed of the luxury liners in which their clients travelled. Goyard offers almost endless choice in styles, stitching and shades but, for my money, their neatest design for aeroplane dunnage is the Barrel 40 sports bag.
Lightweight and in soft calfskin, the Barrel 40 comes in eleven various and vivid colours, all of which brilliantly illuminate the brand’s chevron motif. There are many great French houses whose fashions the world loves. The creations of Goyard, tasteful and timeless, are amongst the most chic.
But Britain too can pack a punch where impedimenta are concerned. Aspinall’s Mount Street travel bag is a perfect accessory for that purposeful stride to the gate then up the aircraft steps — the style runway before the tarmac one.
Packed full of practical compartments perfect for clothes, sponge bags and personal tech, the Mount Street is handcrafted from the finest full-grain leather and presented in either black or tan. For those seeking to turn the heads of fellow travellers, Aspinall provides the kind of carry-on equipage with which to carry it off.
Of course, for longer journeys or more extensive travel, some luggage must of necessity be stowed in the hold. And we all know how gentle and considerate international baggage handlers are bred to be. So, sturdy gear is required if it is to be subjected to their tender mercies.
Globe-Trotter’s Orient check-in case is the perfect example of classic design meeting contemporary need. The Orient’s burgundy leather casing with Urushi lacquered finish means it stands out on the carousel and stands up to airport rough handling and the rigours of the hold.
The corners, edged with sewn leather patches for extra protection and the interior, made of suede-like chamel, further insulate cherished possessions from the trials of a long journey.
In his monumental work The Captive, Marcel Proust observed that “the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes”. He might be right. But if wrong, turning left whilst carrying the best hand luggage should soften the blow.
