Kipling Bags - stylish handbags, shoulder bags, duffle bags, backpacks, wallets and purses

The Kipling brand was founded in 1987, by three people in a small flat in Antwerp, Belgium. The ethos behind the brand was that of fun and adventure and is where the Kilping name comes from; after Rudyard Kipling, authour of The Jungle Book. The name Kipling was also chosen for it's universal nature, everyone can pronounce it and it has no hidden connotations in different parts of the world.

The Jungle Book theme is continued by the cute plush monkey keyrings attached to each bag. Every collection has it's own monkey who is named after one of Kiplings employees from around the globe. The monkey keyrings are collectors items in their own right.

A few limited edition collections have been brought out with golden coins, plastic or metal monkeys attached. Though it is the plush monkey keyring that is always associated with Kipling bags.

Kipling bags are now owned by over 40 million people, spread across 55 countries. Globally, 23 bags are sold per minute.

I own Kipling bags, my first one being bought in 1999. It has travelled extensively with me and it still looks as good today as when I bought it. These bags are of the highest quality and I wouldn't travel with anything else.

These bags are excellent travel companions, though they aren't limited just to travel uses. Kipling started out making backpacks, which are excellent bags for school or college. They also make shoulder bags, and smaller more compact designs which are surprisingly roomy. I have a huge collection of bags, but when I bought one of the small shoulder bags I stopped using anything else. It's amazing just how much you can fit into them. I've had that particular Kipling bag for nearly three years, and I swear, it looks exactly the same as it did back then.

• The name tag on the monkey is always sewn under it's left arm on a real Kipling. If it isn't in this place or is missing altogether, it's a fake.
• The rubber patch logo on a real Kiplin is usually always the same colour as the fabric (this won't always be the case on patterned bags however). Check the quality of the logo, it could give a lot away.
• The end of the zips on a fake will probably be metal, real Kipling bags have plastic stoppers.
• A fake will have ugly stitching.
• Fake Kipling's are usually 3-4 times heavier than the real thing. This is due to the cheaper material used.