Finally! A Good-Looking Travel Tote With One Crucial Feature

For the Baggage Claim series, seasoned travelers unpack their devotion to a favorite piece of luggage or travel accessory.

IN MY QUEST for a chic, travel-friendly tote, I found countless options, all clearly competing to thwart me: too stiff, too small, too big, too boring. I wasn’t averse to spending, but gorgeous pieces from YSL and Loewe all disqualified themselves by inexplicably lacking…a zipper. Only more-utilitarian, less-elegant bags zipped. Only these dowdy numbers, it seemed, would keep my prized possessions from spilling out onto the floor of some distant airport terminal. Endless, unsatisfying scrolling finally paid off, leading me to Cuyana’s affordable, sealable Small Easy Zipper Tote, so I popped into the brand’s New York store and bought one in a cheery coral shade.