Photos: Leather Backpack: vintage Kenneth Cole / Earrings: John Hardy / Dress: Gap / Lipstick: c/o Dolce & Gabbana “Gentle Monica” / Bracelets: Tory Burch & c/o Twisted Silver / Nail Polish: Chanel Paparazzi / Boots: Prada Leather backpacks.

This was a huge trend from the mid-1990’s which eventually evolved into the “mini-backpack” trend of the mid to late 1990’s. If you lived in San Francisco at the time, mini-backpacks could be spotted on almost every 20-something on Union Street and the Triangle area. This time around, mini-backpacks are scarce (let’s hope it stays that way) and medium sized, luxurious leather backpacks are everywhere.

The leather backpack, while spotted on the fall/winter 2013/2014 runways, was not a dominant trend from designers. Consumers picked up on the style and took off with it, making the leather backpack a street style trend for fall 2013.

Leather backpacks are being shown in medium sizes made from soft and slouchy leather. The leather backpack is being shown in neutral, classic hues of black, charcoal and shades of brown. This is not a trend to wear in seasonal colors, bright colors, or any colors other than black, charcoal or light to dark brown.

If you wore leather backpacks for school, work or fun back in the 1990’s and kept your backpack in storage, you are in luck! Bring it out from the back of your closet and use it for casual days this fall as an alternative to a shopper tote. If not, this is the perfect time to invest in a leather backpack. Although trendy, leather backpacks are great for traveling and make the perfect carry-on for airplane rides when they are not considered trendy. Is it classic? Yes! Investment worthy? Yes! Great alternative to a bulky shopper tote for fall? Yes yes yes!

I found a few fabulous leather backpacks around the web and assembled them into the shopping widget below. I hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous