Handbags are the new handbags

Bags with multiple uses, such as ones that are travel-sized or can be carried in different styles, are also good buys, especially as gifts for male graduates. Craig said that briefcases, messengers, or a hybrid of the two styles are the way to go.

“They’ll be able to use it more,” she said. “They can use it when they go on a job interview.”

Lindsi Lane, a personal shopper at Barneys New York, has sold Tumi luggage and Tod’s messenger bags to male graduates who want something suitable for careers after school. For a 21-year-old going into sports journalism, Lane suggested a Tod’s messenger bag because it had an option to be carried as a briefcase.

“He felt as though he got a two-for-one deal with the purchase of this great bag,” she said.

Girls who want to combine designer appeal with practicality may want a large leather bag, like the Balenciaga weekender bag, said Lane. She sold one to a 17-year-old high schooler who would be attending college out-of-state. Besides being large enough for books, the bag “will be beyond practical for her when travelling back and forth from home to school,” she said.

Even on a budget, Craig advises spending a little extra for leather, which at a brand like Coach may cost only a $100 more than a cloth counterpart. “Graduation gifts are gifts you want to last for a long time. Leather will wear better than nylon or fabric,” she said.

Along with the white leather Birkin for which she’ll need to be placed on a waiting list, Schlegel is also asking for black Van Cleef and Arpels earrings – “the classic ones” – she explained, that cost $2,000.

She considered asking for a getaway but decided the Birkin couldn’t wait until college graduation, but the trip could: “I would appreciate it more when I’m older.”

With a report from CP