Aer hit the ground running after a crowdfunding campaign in 2014. Since then, the bag brand has earned numerous accolades for its minimalist-styled, fully-featured duffles, backpacks and other bags.

Dropping big bucks on "it" bags is so 2007. Especially, if you've been eyeing summer totes and your bank balance tells you such a purchase is a no-go. To the rescue comes Jodi Kahn, author of "Simply ...