Why is Rimowa So Expensive costs what it does because of materials, low production volume and the margin a name carries. Only the first two show up in the product. Cost per wear is the only figure that matters, and it favours the plain expensive thing over the interesting cheap one. Price splits into materials, labour, volume and brand margin, and only the first two are visible in the product. A strap drop under 22cm will not clear a winter coat. The groups below run from the decision that matters most to the ones you make afterwards.

What decides this is capacity, closure and strap drop. Everything else is preference. Two from the first group show the range: Ann Demeulemeester's Marilyn Medium Knot Bag at $594, and A.P.C.'s Drummer Bag at $795. The first is the easy entry point; the second is where the money goes. Unlined canvas is lighter but shows every mark; treat it before first use. Leather darkens where your hand sits, which is not damage; it is the bag settling. A higher price mostly buys materials and finishing, and occasionally it buys nothing at all.

Match the bag to the day, not the outfit. One structured bag does more work than three soft ones. From the second group, Ann Demeulemeester's Rutt Large Tote Bag ($774) is the one that earns its place, because it works in more than one context without being restyled. The third group is smaller, and it is there for the decisions you make after the main one. None of this needs the whole group. One piece from each is usually enough.

There are 20 pieces here from 13 brands, $215 to $2500, all in stock when this was written. We would not buy all of them, and neither should you. CALPAK's Evry Carry-On Luggage at $215 is the low-risk way in, and La Garçonne's Georgica Raffia Tote at $2500 only makes sense if this is a category you already use constantly. Read as a set, they get you close to Why is Rimowa So Expensive without any single purchase being compulsory. Nothing here is included because it is famous, and price is not used as a proxy for quality anywhere on this page. If you take one thing away: pay for the thing that touches your body and economise on the thing that sits on top of it.