As we enter a new year, it only seems right to be excited and motivated for what’s to come—both personally and professionally. But for many of us, once the thrill of said year has faded, and real life (with all of its work, deadlines, and stress) sets in, finding ways to keep that same momentum you felt just a few weeks ago slowly becomes a serious challenge.
No matter what day of the year it is, I usually feel my best when I push myself to be completely put together. What I mean by that is making sure the laundry is done, the house is clean, the fridge is stocked, and any other item on my to-do list is on its way to being crossed out. I know—those are definitely some lofty goals. As my love for designer wear (specifically bags) has grown, I’ve realized there’s something else that gets my motivation up almost as high: Using a gorgeous, multi-functional, workhorse-type bag. One that fits all my essentials, as well as my laptop, water bottle, and maybe even a small lunch.
Trust me, I know the last thing we need is another excuse to splurge on a bag we’ve been eyeing. But hear me out: If you’re not in the mood to go into the office, or you’re completely dreading that afternoon meeting you’ve planned for weeks, sporting a stylish bag is bound to boost your momentum and make you feel like a certified boss.
For me, it’s hard not to feel confident and successful when I’ve got a Prada Galleria or a Fendi 2Jours in hand. And honestly, sometimes I don’t feel as put together as I look, but by the end of the day, I’m on my way to feeling (or at least looking) like I can accomplish anything. Hey, that counts for something, right? #FakeItTillYouMakeIt
There is one caveat here: If you’re looking for a true bag that’ll help you feel chic and professional, it has to be equal parts stylish, functional, and durable. Remember, it’s always important to get your money’s worth when buying a new one. (See ya, mini bags and fanny packs.) I’m talking large totes and top handles in grained leather or nylon. Depending on your daily to-dos, you may be able to get away with a lighter and more delicate pastel-colored bag, or maybe even one that’s slightly smaller to just fit a tablet and other essentials. Either way, any bag you choose should look great… even if it’s stuffed with papers, placed on a restaurant floor, or thrown in your car. If you ask me, I’m eyeing Prada’s Studded Tote and Louis Vuitton’s Twist Tote. 2019 bag goals, maybe?
Prada Studded Tote
Saint Laurent Monogram Uptown Medium Raffia & Leather Satchel
Stella McCartney Shaggy Deer Reversible Faux Leather Tote
Mulberry Small Zip Bayswater Classic Leather Tote
Chloé Medium Milo Calfskin Leather Tote
Mansur Gavriel Calf Sun Bag
Louis Vuitton Twist Tote
Fendi Vetrificato Logo Canvas Shopper
Valentino Garavani Rockstud Leather Tote
Bottega Veneta Leather Tote
Gucci Medium Ophidia GG Supreme Canvas Satchel
Burberry Small Crest-Embossed Tote
Love this article concept as well as your inclusion of more inspired pieces that aren’t just the standard black briefcase-like work bag!
The Louis Vuitton tote is beautiful. That’s saying a lot from me because I’m not an LV fan.
Ugh—I had just vowed to not buy any more totes, since I have so many, but now I’m tempted again! Love the Valentino.
The LV is really eye-catching which is saying something as i am not a LV fan. I also like the Valentino – it’s clearly Valentino without being too much and still works for a workplace.
I have the Chloé Milo. It’s a great bag. I’m also excited they made the LV Twist into a tote. The shoulder bag version is just too small for me.
This is something ive been trying to figure out for 2 years now. Im not a fan of totes (think neverfull, tory burch etc) but for my files and laptop i need a designer bag that is 14 inches wide and 10 inches high. So far im eyeing the givenchy antigona medium black but on the preloved market because while i get my chanels from the boutique, i dont want to pay full price for a bag i want just to pass through the wringer. I would love more bag suggestions from amyone please!
The best bag is the one from Bottega Veneta, by far.
I had been carrying around my Neverfull for awhile, but am going to be traveling a bit more internationally for work, so I wanted a non-descript, non-logo tote. I looked at a ton of high-end options, but couldn’t find anything that worked for me, no matter how expensive they were. Ultimately, I ended up going for an Angela Roi Cher tote. It’s a nice, structured tote but doesn’t look boxy, it’s vegan leather but is nice and supple like real leather, and it has enough compartments to keep my stuff organized. (I actually stay away from most vegan bags because the “leather” looks super fake, but this is a good imitation of the real thing.) And it’s only $240 (so with the money that I saved by not going the Chanel/LV route, I can go ahead and buy another Chanel/LV when I’m in Europe next month)!
I agree with your tote comment and a work bag for me must have a secure top zip, love the antigona, have you considered YSL, for example, one of the larger sized sac de jour? My current work bag is a YSL muse, prior to that a fabulous Dolce&Gabbana doctors bag, my next work bag will again be YSL.
Well, the biggest issue for me is that it has to fit my macbook pro, so that automatically gets rid of a lot of the higher end options (the Antigona, the Sac de jour, etc.). I also couldn’t get something that was already pretty heavy to begin with, because it would just be a disaster lugging that around all day!
I have a lot of polished looking bags that I carry around with me on a daily basis to work, such as the LV Capucines, Chanel Jumbo, etc., but it was just much harder finding a good travel tote that would fit the laptop!
For work travel I use a padded laptop sleeve and suffer the inconvenience of moving it out and into my hand luggage for security / to work during the flight rather than, as you say, add weight to my actual handbag, and also I don’t want to pull the leather out of shape due to too much weight. I am quite strict in not spending more than say £1500-ish on a work bag and I only ever have one work bag at a time (and possibly a back up if I get keen) but am hopefully getting to the point where my current work bag has enough wear to justify a new one which will be YSL, either a Sac or a Jane, yay! Unfortunately for my bank balance I have no such restrictions on non-work bags haha! I have some great canvas totes (Burberry, Chanel, etc.) that I have used when lugging my laptop between home and the office in a pinch but I am more inclined to use an actual laptop bag as these are designed to fit, protect and have useful sections specifically for notebooks and pens which I leave packed and can therefore grab and go if I am in a hurry.
I’d carry the Chloé or Fendi, if I were more of a free lancer/small business owner. The YSL Uptown, the Mansur & Gucci all say you’re a highly organized & successful Professional! Nice choices!
I have the LV twist tote in Red. It is definitely my most complimented bag. I do wear it to the office periodically, but it is much smaller than it appears in terms of space. You can stretch it out a bit, but definitely could not get a larger iPad/laptop in the bag.