This Is the Sleek Adult Backpack You've Been Seeing All Over — Here's Why I Love It

When I was in elementary and middle school, back-to-school shopping was always one of my favorite things to do. I would pick out all the latest Baby Phat skirt, shirt, and jacket sets, all the Rocawear sets, and let's not forget the classic pair of K-Swiss sneakers on my list every single year. When it came to school supplies, I always had to have the newest mechanical pencils that ended up being terrible and a backpack that made a statement.

Once I graduated college, I retired backpacks and stuck with totes and oversize purses to carry all of my stuff. A few months ago, I came across the Dagne Dover gym bag, and it quickly became my go-to bag.

Then, I saw my coworkers and random people walking down the street with the Dagne Dover Dakota backpack, and naturally, I needed to know whether it was as comfortable, commute-friendly, and spacious as it seemed. When Dagne Dover launched its updated Dakota backpack with the luggage-handle sleeve and asked me if I wanted to test it out, I couldn't turn down the opportunity!

I've been rocking the Medium Dagne Dover Dakota Backpack ($175) for a month; it has made commuting so much easier, and it's safe to say I look a little cooler than I did when I was 10 years old. I can fit an entire outfit, shoes, a mini purse, my laptop, a jean jacket, and a makeup bag in it without the backpack looking bulky or any of the items busting through the zipper. I've definitely been the bag lady with a purse over my right shoulder and a tote on each arm, and it's not fun, especially on a hot, smelly, and crowded subway at 9 a.m.

I haven't traveled with this backpack yet, more reason to plan that much-needed vacation, but I'm pretty positive I'm going to love the new luggage sleeve since my DIY attempts at connecting my bag and suitcase always seem to fail. If you're looking for a cute bag to travel with or to carry to the gym and office, I definitely think this Dagne Dover backpack (and any of its other bags) is a great investment.

Check out pictures of the Dagne Dover Dakota Backpack ahead.

Disclaimer: Dagne Dover gifted me this backpack for the purpose of this story, but all opinions are my own.