Good question...my designer bag collection is split in 2 categories : bags for everyday use and special items for...well obviously special occasions.
I travel regularly and try to travel light, so I fly with any of my "everyday" designer bags since they are practical and usually easily replaceable classics and covered by my travel insurance, meaning I won't completely lose my mind if (God forbid) the unspeakable happened.
My go to travel bag is an LV Speedy 40, for me it's a perfect sized flight handbag since it sits nicely on top of my cabin case as I wheel it around and it's a safe place to keep my wallet / passport / travel documents - I actually
lock it to keep thieving fingers out (yep that padlock ain't just for show). Also if my checked in luggage is overweight (like always
) I just remove a few pairs of shoes and put them at the bottom of my Speedy which normally gets me through the luggage drop without paying excess fees! My ID & travel docs are kept inside a matching Mono LV clutch detached from my Neverfull, and this little wonder also doubles up as my evening bag/ day clutch while I'm away.
This trusty duo covers me for all eventualities.
At the end of the day, use what you feel comfortable with.
In my opinion it is blatantly obvious when someone is carrying a designer bag in a "
look @ me I have a designer bag" fashion, and those types will probably attract more undesirable attention than someone who is using a nice bag in a low key manner, i.e not strutting like a peacock.