How To Choose The Perfect Briefcase For Your Career

Firstly, it is important to consider which of the many briefcase styles will best suit your workplace environment. Often we are required to follow a certain dresscode and your briefcase is no different. The three main categories of briefcases, that is to say attaché, soft and messenger, each suit different kinds of work places and as such, you must primarily explore which of these options is best for you.

The Attaché Case

An attaché briefcase is a classic hard briefcase which is reminiscent of those used in the hallowed halls of government. They are best suited therefore to a very formal workplace environment. Worn with a suit an attache case adds an effortless sophistication, fitting for only the most traditional of careers. This style of briefcase is particularly suited to transporting important paperwork and your other essentials. It is the perfect style for you if you require the utmost timeless aesthetic.

The Soft Briefcase

A soft style briefcase is more suited to the average office. The Calvino, for instance, suits both formal attire and a dress-down Friday which exemplifies why this style is the most versatile of options. Such a briefcase can adapt to any surrounding meaning that it is a good investment for a lifelong career, wherever that may take you. It may seem a more modern option than the attaché but, a soft briefcase nevertheless maintains a classic style which will always be admired within the workplace.

The Messenger

If you work in a relaxed environment then perhaps a messenger bag is the best alternative to a briefcase. In order to suit a business-casual environment a messenger bag, such as the Ravenna, does manage to maintain a smart look due to the butter-soft leather. Thus, such a style is appropriate if your work uniform centres more heavily around chinos and a shirt than a full suit. There appears to be a growing trend towards relaxing workplace rules regarding uniform and so, it may be useful to invest in an option which can traverse these changing tides.

The next crucial aspect of the perfect briefcase for your career to consider is the size that you require.

What do you need to bring with you to work everyday? If the answer is a substantial amount then a briefcase with multiple sections and pockets such as the Tomacelli3 (which has three spacious sections) is key. It is easy to ruin a briefcase, however good the quality may be, by overfilling it. So, if you know that you will need to transport more than just the bare necessities everyday then it is best to size up. It is also important to think about laptop suitability if you are also planning on using your briefcase to carry a laptop. Each of our briefcase descriptions includes the size of laptop that can comfortably fit within but if you want a better idea of what will fit within our work bags our videos demonstrate how each can be packed.

On the other hand, if you only need to transport the necessities to and from the office, a smaller briefcase will work perfectly for your work life. If you cycle to work then the Micheli briefcase backpack will surely fit all of your requirements. But, more generally, the Lorenzo is a slim briefcase which will hold your everyday essentials. It still includes an organisational panel in order to ensure that your pens, cards and phone are properly sorted whilst only having one main interior section. Its sleek design means that it will adapt well to any work environment as well. Sometimes the small are mighty. 

Why choose leather?

Leather is of course the classic material choice for your briefcase. However, it is important to understand the quality and handling of leather in order to ensure that this durable material is formed into a briefcase which will last a lifetime. The best genuine full grain leather after all only improves with age, creating a beautiful patina over time. The material then moulds to your life, year after year. Maxwell – Scott aims to source only the best vegetable-tanned Italian leather which is then hand-crafted by our artisans with decades of experience. In a family run factory, which is an unending source of knowledge in regards to the leather industry, each briefcase is crafted to exacting standards from only the best cowhide. This is a truly important factor to consider when investing in your future everyday work bag. Each of our briefcases is available in three timeless colours. They fulfill different requirements and so, choosing the correct colour is crucial to your perfect briefcase.

Night Black

If your career is more traditional and you are required to wear a suit daily then our deep black vegetable-tanned leather is the correct choice. Black is always the sleek option and will suit your more formal attire.

Dark Chocolate Brown

If you need your briefcase to be more versatile, then our dark chocolate brown leather is the best choice. It can be dressed up with a navy or grey suit or worn with more relaxed attire. Its rich brown tones will lend the briefcase to a wider range of workplaces making it a good compromise to suit the longevity and variety of your career.

Chestnut Tan

Our chestnut tan leather is very popular due to the relaxed look that it has. This colourway is able to fit well again with a suit but looks best with chinos and a shirt, in fact it even looks smart with a pair of dark jeans and a blazer. A youthful colour too, our chestnut tan is the perfect choice of leather if you are purchasing a gift for a recent graduate about to embark on their career.

If you have a distinct career path then there are specific traditional briefcases that are crafted with your role in mind. These briefcases have stood the test of time and are, therefore, a trusted choice.

Lawyer

Law is a very exacting career and therefore it has specific requirements regarding the right briefcase. At Maxwell – Scott we handcraft the Basilio in order to truly cater for this. It is designed for solicitors and lawyers. There are two internal leather-lined compartments which are ideal for segmenting important files and documents. To further organise your belongings, there are detachable utility slots for a phone, business cards and pens. The exterior is effortlessly sleek with a secure lockable catch closure as a finishing touch. This sophisticated lawyers briefcase will become a daily companion that will remain looking smart for many years to come.

Doctor

The doctors bag is an icon. The Donnini Small mimics this classic style with its structured exterior and spacious interior. It can easily accommodate all of your daily medical essentials. In fact, the larger version even has a zipped base which reveals a compartment that is ideal for carrying your stethoscope. As a result, the Donnini leather doctor bag is a functional companion for discerning medical professionals and is the perfect complement to workplace attire.

Finding the perfect briefcase for your career is therefore significantly based on a combination of two crucial factors: career and personal choice. Following these rules it is easy to decide which is the right briefcase for your career however you must also remember that this investment piece must fit your own personal aesthetic. It needs to be treasured for decades.