Thanks guys. I looked at Philosophy and Arkel before purchasing from Lane. Philosophy is nice but not the aesthetic that works for my workplace. I can't wear that into a law firm. I would wear it if my workplace was more flexible on my fashion choices though. Its pretty funky cool.
I know Arkel is a venerated maker of panniers but honestly, those are beyond hideous. Just awful ugly. I've seen riders with the commuter and briefcase models and they are even uglier in person. Big shiny yellow Ortlieb roll tops look more professional than those. Also, their website images are all scratchy and the site design is just... gross. I should note here I'm a lady. Maybe male aesthetics are different. I know that none of my male colleagues would ever wear one of those. It may seem women professionals have more flexibility than men in the workplace, and we do, but never looking cheap is the cardinal rule. And, those look cheap.
I'd rather invest in something that ages with grace. The nylon on Arkels just feels cheap. Lane had a whole section on how their bike panniers are made with full-grain leather
here. That was definitely a selling point.
I don't get why the American cycling commuting is relegated to nylon and spandex. I spent a couple summers in Amsterdam and cycling is elegant. Maybe its because they don't really look at it as a sport activity. I'll stick with my gorgeous leather. Thanks for the input guys. Hopefully, other people who end up here will have all the options available and decide for themselves.