Must-have backpacks: 17 of the best bets for this season’s throwback style

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No longer just for high schoolers, the backpack has undergone full fashion resurgence over the past few seasons. Its appeal is quite simple: it leaves you hands-free and perfectly in-line with fashion’s ongoing nineties fascination. Whether you need to schlep around your groceries or double fist two coffees, the backpack is a must-have for gals and guys on the go.

This season, everyone from Proenza Schouler to 3.1 Phillip Lim have created luxe versions of the style. And while the backpack has been making runway appearances since 2011 (lest we forget The Row’s alligator skin $34,000 take), some skeptics still deem it too junior. Haters would be directed to Chanel’s Spring 2014 collection, which featured a graffiti style canvas number already holding a waitlist demand.