Clockwise from top left, The Grande Bateau from Clare V., Cuyana’s customizable tote, a quintessential back-to-work bag from Silver & Riley and DeMellier’s elegant briefcase-like tote.
By Janet Kelly
YOU KNOW those raffia and straw handbags that looked so right at the beginning of summer? Well, they now seem a little sad to me, as do stretchy T-shirt dresses and flimsy flip-flops. Blame it on the end of August and that back-to-school, back-to-work habit but I’m yearning for more substance.
It has been a while since I splurged on a quality tote. I work from home but when I travel I want a bag that can accommodate my laptop, Kindle and associated power plugs, along with a notepad, glasses, my wallet, phone and a small makeup case.
See below the nine candidates that caught my eye:
Anthropologie’s soft-sided Slouchy Bag (14″h, 15″w, 4″d) can fit a laptop, comes in 10 colors and has a small zippered pouch for essentials and extras. It sells for $98.
Also softly structured, Cuyana’s pebbled leather System 16-inch tote (11” h x 19” w x 5.5” d) ups the functional with interior snaps that you can add on or remove, such as a laptop sleeve and pouches to hold makeup or fill in for a clutch. It’s $348.
I love the look of the soft, lived-in leather on this Clare V. Grande Bateau Tote (12” h x 14 3/4” w [at base], 22 1/2” w [at opening] x 7” d), plus it has plenty of room for my laptop. I’d prefer a coated lining because I’m prone to spilling stuff, but the chambray interior is a nice touch.
I wouldn’t be afraid to schlep this Filson Open Tote (14” h x 14” w x 5.5” d) on airplanes or trains for fear I may damage it. (It’s made of industrial-strength twill that’s waxed to be water-repellent.) It’s also relatively lightweight at 1 pound, 9 ounces.
Another versatile option, made of tough, water-resistant neoprene, is this woven St. Barths Tote (12.5” h x 22” w x 8” d) from Naghedi. It wins points for good looks, certainly more than the industrial-looking plain neoprene. The matching zippered pouch inside is a bonus. My only beef with this and the Filson bag above is the open top.
Fréja New York’s structured Lafayette Tote (11” h x 5.5” w x 19” [top] and 13” [base] l)—made of vegan leather with a vegan microsuede lining—has enough room for a 16-inch laptop and four big pockets for the rest of your stuff.
Thanks to its long top handles and gold-plated hardware, a traditional briefcase with multiple compartments gets an update with a feminine vibe. The DeMellier London Maxi Montreal (10.6” h x10.4” [top width], 15.5” [base width] x 5.9” d) is a pricey $795 and a heavyweight at 3.5 pounds.
This Silver & Riley Convertible Executive bag (10”h x 15.5″w x 5.5″d) looks sleek and compact but packs a lot— an inner pocket that snaps in a 15-inch laptop, another one for folders, and still another for a phone and wallet. I’d carry it by its top handle, but with a detachable strap it also can be worn as a crossbody and a backpack. What I like most: its metal feet for protecting the calfskin leather.
I just bought a new one for my September business trip, I don’t like hardware as it may not match my jewelry, silly? And I bought a hobo gray/ silver one that will hold my laptop and folders (and my cords ) and enough pockets for assorted extras that I will forget to pack.
Sounds good, Carol!