IF YOUR computer is so vital that you must bring it on holidays, it probably deserves to go first class.
It may be time to abandon that utilitarian black holdall, the one with the sticking zip and stuffed pockets, and consider hauling something that you won't be tempted to hide should you be upgraded.
It would be a shame to stuff some of these women's laptop bags in the overhead locker: the Erin briefcase from Abbi NY (€97, www.careerbags.com) will swallow a 15in laptop and look pretty good in the process.
The Golla Jive bag is a messenger bag (a flat satchel with a wide strap) with a stylised flower, and the Carrie from JoJo fits a 15in machine and has interior compartments (both available via www.careerbags.com for about €64).
In an example of how money can't buy style, Louis Vuitton, in my opinion, has ruined what would have been a nice Damier Geant Yack canvas and calf-leather women's laptop bag with a huge "Louis Vuitton Paris" stencil across the side (above, €700 from Brown Thomas, www.louis vuitton.com). Why not just stamp it on your forehead?
On the other hand, the soft leather of the Boyy Gus bag (below, €250, www.tobi.com), doesn't have ostentatious branding but sacrifices a bit of functionality for form - it's a clutch, really, without a shoulder strap, and it would be a pain to carry all day. I have my doubts about how the soft leather will cope with a laptop. Still, it'll look good sitting beside you on a barstool.
Samsonite's Verona leather computer tote (€97, www.luggagepoint.com, www.luggage.com and www.ebags.com) is a better-made version of your basic computer-store bag. It doesn't look great, but it might survive more knocks than the Louis Vuitton.