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The romance of luggage history is what sets trunks apart from other luggage cases. Illustration: Salini Perera
In the desperate rush to resume international travel in the summer of 2022, travel became synonymous with chaos. Flights were canceled, hotels were short-staffed, and luggage went missing for weeks or even months. Travelers turned to carry-ons to ensure that at least their suitcases would arrive at their destinations at the same time.
Just two years later, the world has slowed down. Airport lines are returning to pre-pandemic traffic, booking rushes are subsiding, and travelers are seeking a more leisurely pace while traveling. The Mastercard Economics Institute's 2024 Travel Trends Report found that vacationers are booking trips that are, on average, one to two days longer than they were in 2019.
New travel patterns will inevitably impact your luggage choices: longer trips and a slower pace offer more opportunities to express yourself through your clothing – even when your luggage is full.
Sarah Greaves Gabadon, a Miami-based travel journalist who typically travels three weeks a month, rented a Briggs & Riley suitcase to try out on an Antarctic cruise after her regular checked-in suitcase broke, and she quickly became a fan.
“Even the most professional traveler sometimes can't fit everything into their carry-on luggage,” she says. “The trunk is a new silhouette that I wanted to try, and I'm pleased with how practical it is. I love the clamshell design, which allows the two sections to be packed separately.”
Greaves-Gabadon, who documents her fashion choices on her travels on her Instagram account @jetsetshops, usually packs with a statement. She says that trunks make it easy to organize your holiday clothes. “For example, you might decide to only pack soft clothes depending on the weather or in the larger side of the case,” she says. “Save the smaller side of the case for shoes, toiletries and accessories.” That way, everything is easy to find at any time.
Trunks became a travel staple in the late 1800s because of their practicality. Michael Warwick, co-owner and partner at Toronto leather goods and luggage store B. Hemmings & Co., describes this period as the golden age of travel, when brands like Moreau, Louis Vuitton and Goyard made trunks for a newly mobile middle class that traveled by horse-drawn carriage and train.
The original trunks were a marriage of fashion and function: they were visually appealing, but their main selling point was their durability, something that remains true today as bags are transported between airports, planes, and other modes of transportation.
“I think we're experiencing a second Golden Age,” Warwick says of today's state of travel and the resurgence of suitcase trunks. He adds that travelers are becoming more aware of the opportunity to use their luggage as a means of self-expression. “Luggage has become a lot more fashionable. It used to be that luggage was a box on wheels. I think people's perspective has changed,” Warwick says.
For many, the beauty of a trunk lies in its simple construction. Upon opening it, a traveler is presented with a blank canvas onto which they can pack whatever they like. There are no pockets or dividers to take up space inside. The exterior is made of leather or other materials, while the inside of the trunk is lined with cotton or silk.
Warwick cites trunks from Globe-Trotter, a British luggage brand that has been making cases by hand since 1897, as an example of a modern trunk that maintains traditional manufacturing techniques. “Some of the machinery they use dates back to the Victorian era,” Warwick says. The trunks are light yet durable, functional yet stylish, with striking leather straps and handles.
Inspired by this tradition and traveler demand, emerging suitcase makers like Monos are adding trunk cases to their collections. “Walking through crowds at the airport can be a struggle, especially if you have a very wide, heavy suitcase that doesn't have 360-degree rotating wheels,” says Kathleen Westerhout, the Vancouver brand's senior director of product. “The Hybrid Trunk was designed to improve this experience. Its overall footprint is much smaller than a traditional check-in case, making travel easier, especially on longer trips.”
The versatility of the trunk's blank canvas makes it useful for any occasion, whether you're traveling with the family, packing for a special appointment, or taking an extended trip. But what sets this luggage apart from other cases on the luggage carousel is the romance of its history.
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