March 21, 2007

Bag of Tricks

Pretoria Castle Travel Bags

Travel via luxury steam ship: romantic and awe-inspiring (first two hours of Titanic) or horrifically frightening (third hour)? 

With Pretoria Castle, a new line of purses and travel bags named for a ’40s-era ocean liner, it’s definitely the former. 

Designed by local duo Lilliana Vazquez and Lauren Merlino, the durable bags are constructed from coated nylon (fares well on high seas) and pebbled leather trim. Styles ranging from smaller totes to larger duffels have nautical-themed accents like gold chain trim, hardware, and patches.

Our favorites are the purple bowling bag (leather trim and rolled leather handles), the slouchy hobo, and the duffle (gold chain detail, leather accents, and fleur-de-lis applique).

No matter what your travel plans involve, one thing’s certain.

These bags are definitely seeworthy.

Available at J. Karma, 60-62 North Third Street (215-627-9625). To see styles, go to pretoriacastle.com.