All-purpose gear to get you from A-Z

Ebony, Oct, 2008 by Elaine Welteroth

[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

An all-purpose bag is a lifestyle essential for women--and men. We've harvested the season's best on-the-go bags to carry fashion functionally from the gym to work to play, and back again. With attention to on-trend detailing in addition to durability and ergonomic design, these gym bags double as statement-making pieces that will take a load off while complementing your personal style.

Choose a classic staple for your everyday wardrobe:

1. Porter Tanker duffel in sage green nylon satin, $390, available at Opening Ceremony stores (NYC: 212/219-2688 and L.A.: 310/652-1120)

2. Tumi Villa boarding tote in black, $475, tumi.com

3. Adidas Santiago small duffel in navy/silver, $25, available all Kohl's stores, kohls.com

4. Quiksilver Strange Days II backpack in chocolate plaid, $49, quiksilver.com

5. Victorinox Mobilizer NXT 4.0 trooper in khaki, $199.99, macys.com

6. Crumpler Mahour Bar Messenger Backpack in dark brown/oatmeal, $125, crumplerbags.com

7. Manhattan Portage Ballistic Duffel in olive, $120, available at Urban Outfitters and manhattanportage.com