From Pan Am Glamour to Modern Runways: The Story of Travel Style and the Scarlett & Co. Suitcase

There was a time when travel wasn’t just about getting from point A to point B. It was a ritual. A performance. A chance to arrive in style — with every detail thoughtfully curated, from your tailored outfit down to the suitcase you carried.

That era of glamour, elegance, and purposeful design lives on in our imagination. It was a world shaped by icons like Pan American World Airways — better known simply as Pan Am — and the rise of jet travel in the mid-20th century. Cruising at 30,000 feet wasn’t just a technological marvel; it was an expression of culture, of aspiration, of refined sensibility.

At Scarlett & Co., we’ve always been fascinated by that time — not just for its romance, but for the way it married function with style. It’s why we’re honored to bring a piece of that legacy back into the world with our new Scarlett & Co. Suitcase.

Imagine stepping into an airport lounge in 1955. The lounge is polished chrome and rich leather. Men wear tailored suits and fedora hats. Women glide through in silk dresses and gloves. Flight attendants, clad in impeccable uniforms, serve champagne with courtesy and grace.

Travel wasn’t commonplace. It was a privilege. And how you traveled — what you wore, what you carried — signified who you were.

At the heart of that experience was the suitcase.

Not just a container for clothes. Not a forgotten necessity. But a statement of personal identity.

These suitcases weren’t molded from cheap plastic with logo stickers stuck on. They were crafted from leather, canvas, brass hardware, and rich materials — each detail purposeful, each stitch intentional. People treasured them like heirlooms.

In many ways, that period laid the template for what travelers subconsciously expect from quality travel gear: durability, organization, and style. But over the decades, practicality overtook refinement. We got rolling wheels, expandable compartments, and lightweight synthetics — but somewhere along the way, a little bit of soul got lost.

At Scarlett & Co., we believe some parts of that heritage deserve to be rediscovered.

Why the Suitcase Still Matters

Today, travel is faster, easier, and more ubiquitous than ever before. We fly for work. For family. For weekend getaways. For experiences that matter.

The suitcase matters because it carries more than clothes. It carries intention.

It carries memories.
It carries confidence.
It carries a little bit of who we are into the world.

When you open a well-made suitcase, there’s a moment of satisfaction that transcends utility. The fabric doesn’t dump everywhere. Your clothes lie flat. Your items are where you expected them to be. That sense of order — the tactile experience — connects you to the art of travel in a way a messy zipper-top backpack never does.

We missed that.

So we built something that reimagines purposeful design with a modern sensibility, grounded in the legacy of travel’s golden age.

Scarlett & Co.’s Suitcase: A Bridge Between Eras

As we began designing the Scarlett & Co. suitcase, we didn’t start with trends. We started with questions:

• What made travel feel meaningful in the past?
  
• How did design support both function and aesthetics?
  
• What would a piece of luggage look like if it were made today — but with soul?
  

We studied vintage luggage lines, archival photos, and the way Pan Am stewardesses walked through gleaming terminals with effortless style. You can still see echoes of that heritage today in classic films and old travel posters: confidence, purpose, and an understated elegance that felt intuitive rather than forced.

There’s a lesson in that.

Modern travel gear can be efficient without being uninspired. It can be engineered without losing emotion. And it can serve a function while also making a subtle style statement.

That’s the philosophy behind the Scarlett & Co. suitcase.

Designed for the Air Traveler of Today

But let’s be clear: this isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake.

We didn’t set out to create a vintage replica or museum piece. We set out to fuse heritage craftsmanship with contemporary needs.

The modern traveler — especially the female aviator — demands adaptability. Tight cockpits, weekend trips, cross-country flights, and multi-modal travel (that could include small aircraft, commercial flights, or even the occasional road trip) call for a suitcase that performs across environments.

That means the suitcase needed to be:

• Functional and organized, with thoughtful compartments
• Durable against real use, without fragile embellishments
• Easy to handle, pack, and store
• Elegant without being ostentatious

In our research and conversations with pilots, travelers, and designers, one thing became clear: women want travel gear that feels intentional for her body, her routines, and her mindset — not a one-size-fits-all design that assumes a neutral form.

So our suitcase design honors the past — without ignoring the realities of today.

OshKosh: Where History Meets the Future of Travel Gear

If you’re unfamiliar, OshKosh is not just an event — it’s a pilgrimage. Every year, aviation enthusiasts from around the world gather in Wisconsin for one week of flight demonstrations, aircraft showcases, and community. From vintage warbirds to experimental homebuilt aircraft, OshKosh celebrates the heart and soul of flight.

The event’s spirit — honoring the history of aviation while celebrating innovation — aligns perfectly with our suitcase’s ethos.

There’s little more fitting for the official debut of the Scarlett & Co. suitcase than AirVenture OshKosh. We hope to bring our suitcase to the event in 2026.

The Emotional Architecture of Travel

Many people think of luggage as something you check at the airport counter — purely utilitarian. But for those who travel with intent, there’s an emotional architecture to it.

The suitcase becomes:

• The first thing you pack
• The thing you pull through terminals with rhythm
• The part of your journey that physically carries your choices — outfits, documents, memories
• The object that stands beside you in hotel rooms, train stations, and hangars

In a way, it’s a silent partner in your story.

And when it’s designed well — when each zipper, panel, and compartment is purposeful — it supports more than just your belongings. It supports your experience.

That’s what made travel in the Pan Am era feel so meaningful. The world was larger then. Airports were thresholds, not conveyor zones. And baggage was an extension of identity — not just an accessory or an afterthought.

A Tribute to Travelers of All Kinds

The Scarlett & Co. suitcase isn’t a replica. It’s a tribute — to the women who walked through airport lounges with dreams bigger than their itineraries. To the pilots who charted courses across unseen horizons. To the modern aviatrix balancing adventure, career, and lifestyle with grace.

When you travel, your suitcase travels with you.

It remembers your route.
It bears your wear.
It carries your intention.

And if it’s designed with care — as a suitcase should be — it becomes more than luggage. It becomes a legacy.

What’s Next

In the coming months, we’ll be sharing more about the design journey, the materials, and the stories behind our suitcase. But for now, we invite you to imagine travel not just as movement — but as an expressive beginning, a narrative you step into with purpose.

Stay tuned.