MUST I have a Designer Bag?
Reader J has a great question about designer bags… MUST you wear a designer bag if you're a woman professional like a lawyer or businesswoman?
I'm going back to full-time lawyer work (public sector) after being home w/my two children for a few years. I know designer bags are big among my stay-at-home mom friends, but I've never been that interested. I'm wondering — how essential is that Coach or Dooney & Burke (etc) bag for a lawyer/professional women today? I've already picked up a selection of nice pantsuits, high-quality shoes & scarves and just don't know if I have to spring for this too!
There are a few different components here. In an ideal world, I would say that your bag should be in good shape — no threads, no scuffs, certainly no rips or stains on the outside of the bag. Because of that need for durability and presentability, yes, most women do go for leather bags, and yes, well-made ones at that.
The other thing here is the need for “street cred” — and this requires you to know a bit about your colleagues. If you're working with women who have very high-end, recognizable bags, I would advise against carrying a knock-off or a cheaper “interpretation” of the bag (particularly if logos are involved).
If, however, you just choose a simple, basic black or brown bag and carry it without pretense — then you may not get “points” for being a fashionista, but you won't get dinged for trying too hard, either.
Readers, what are your thoughts on designer bags? Must you have one? If you had to choose ONE designer bag to get (or at least to “start” a collection with), which would it be? Which are the best basic, no-fuss, high-quality bags for work?
Some Of Our Latest Favorite Work Totes (In General)
Some of the best work bags for women as of 2024 include great totes from Cuyana (with a zipper), Tumi, Tory Burch, Lo & Sons, and Madewell (north/south). Also try this highly-rated organizing insert or these clever pouches with some of the less structured bags! If you're looking for a budget tote (or one in a specific color) check this Amazon seller (22K+ good reviews) or this Amazon seller (60K+ good reviews).
(Looking for a luxury work bag? Here's our latest roundup…)
Some Of Our Latest Favorite Luxury Work Bags
As of 2024, some of our latest favorite luxury work bags (large enough to hold papers and a laptop!) include Bottega Veneta, Mulberry, Saint Laurent, Kaai, and DeMellier. Of course, note that a lot of our readers who are in big jobs note that they love their (more affordable) Lo & Sons bags, as well as their Tumi.
Looking for work backpacks to splurge on? Montblanc, MCM, Songmont, and Senreve (also!) are great, and readers are always huge fans of all things Tumi. Some of our favorites…
Updated images via Stencil. Originally pictured: Purses, originally uploaded to Flickr by j o s h.)
I received this bag as a graduation present:
http://www.clarkandmayfield.com/laptop-totes-for-women/stafford.html
I also work in the public sector, and honestly, if I came in with a thousand dollar bag, it would be out of place.
Did anyone else notice the $9-15K “pre-loved” Hermes purses that sold out in the first half hour on ruelala today? Beautiful bags but I cannot fathom shelling out $15k on a used purse sight unseen.
It is a sick world we live in if we’re actually judged based on the brand, or lack thereof, of our handbags.
I agree with everything that has been said about carrying a bag that just plain looks nice. About designer bags: for a while I really wanted one for the sake of the status symbol. I’m convinced, however, that it no longer matters. Why? I see every jane doe in sweats and a dumpy t-shirt walking around with a Coach or LV bag. It makes me think that the brands have been so diluted that it’s not worth it to spend $700 when a sloppy law student is carrying the same thing (or a decent-looking knockoff).
“sloppy law student” ouch! I do not understand this perspective and, until this post, never realized people thought law students are incapable of style and are too poor to afford nice things. Not all law students are 22 year old idiots. I did very well in my pre-law school career and have a very successful husband. Moreover, I enjoy reading fashion blogs and always notice what attorneys wear to court. I have style and some money, although not a lot, to afford to dress nicely.
Yeah, it’s too bad those status symbol brands don’t perform comprehensive audits prior to purchase to make sure the common people aren’t buying their stuff. :-(
This is quite funny if you think about it. You wanted to buy a bag to make you feel special but the bags didn’t make you feel special enough because anyone can buy one and the people who buy the bags aren’t special enough. So you wanted to buy a bag to recognize your innate specialness. How do you know that you would make the “cut” if, let’s say, your favorite handbag designer decided to interview prospective purchasers?
My ideal work bag would be: (1) well-made/durable; (2) made of either leather or high-quality nylon (depending on how much weight I feel like carrying); (3) elegant (no logos on the outside, discreet detailing, and a neutral color); and (4) large enough to fit everything I carry on a day-to-day basis. I don’t think classic, elegant, and well-made ever goes out of fashion, especially in the legal profession, but this is also my personal style.
It’s sad when grown adults feel peer pressured to purchase from particular brands. As a twenty-something, when I see a truly stylish and put-together older professional woman, I don’t focus in on her bag or contemplate what brands she is wearing. She exudes confidence, because while she might be aware of the accessories that her co-workers purchase, she ultimately buys only what works with her own sense of style. I look up to that.
To answer your question, I would look inward rather than outward. If you simply want to blend in, you could purchase a designer bag plastered with a logo or feature commonly sported by every 5th woman in the city. Hopefully, you will focus on purchasing the right bag for your needs: your daily routine, your style, your price range, etc. It’s ridiculous to think that every new “it” bag will work for every woman.
Why is it that discussions on designer bags bring out the worst in posters here? I carry a designer bag, bery common where I live, paid for it myself (not that I judge people for receiving gifts).
Just make sure it’s good quality, non logo and goes with most of your wardrobe. Enough said.
Though I cannot help wondering now if my US based colleagues “judge” me negatively behind my back for carrying my posh bag:)
that should be ‘very’.
I work in public sector and I do not carry a designer bag. The most I have ever paid for a bag is $140. This has to do with the nature of my job and my compensation. I spend a great amount of time doing work that requires me to get my shoes dirty and cannot picture myself in those situations with a designer bag in tow. Everybody should ease up on Lyssa. With my organizations decision to mandate furlough days, along with many other cost saving measures, the morale level in ky office has taken a nosedive. Many are acknowledging thr our public sector jobs are not real jobs by hanging the following kind of signs around the office.
“This job is a test . . . It is only a test . . . Had this been a real job . . . it would have come with raises, promotions and other signs of appreciation!!!”
Try Brahmin. Great, classic looking bags, mid-priced, and the bags hold up very well.
Oooh, good one! I forgot about Brahmin.
They’re a little stiff in my experience, but elegant and certainly good for a public section position.
http://www.brahmin.com/handbags?category=6
http://www.brahmin.com/handbags?category=14
I’d never heard of the brand before; these are beautiful! Are the totes big enough to hold a laptop?
The large tote for $245 is big enough. I agree with Rachel that they are a bit stiff but I think they are versatile.
I used to carry only designer bags, and then it got kind of silly – every woman around the table had a coach bag. Now I buy bags at Marshall’s for under $25.00. They are always neat, CLEAN (nost important) and stylish. I can toss them out whenever I wish.
Well. looks like I missed the all important bag discussion.
*sad face*
Any recommendations for a petite, newly admitted attorney looking for a chic briefcase? Thanks!
As an attorney in the public sector, I can’t imagine that any of your colleagues will be carrying a designer bag. If so, it would beg the question: how do they afford it?
Short answer: No, you don’t need one. A plain, professional bag in good condition that doesn’t look out of place with a suit is fine.
Longer answer: I would not personally carry a recognizably high-end designer bag in the public sector. I would especially avoid it if I were working for a left-leaning NGO or a public defender’s office. It may give people the impression that (1) you’re superficial and (2) you don’t need the income because you obviously have money coming from somewhere else. This varies a lot by city and organization, obviously, but I’ve run into quite a bit of reverse-snobbery among lefty lawyers.
I also would not carry a “logo” bag (the kind with the brand’s initials or symbol all over it, whether real or fake) to work at all, public sector or private. I associate them too strongly with teenage girls. Probably a function of where I grew up.
What about briefcases on wheels? Do they look cumbersome or are they acceptable? Cambria Cove has what appears to be a beautiful leather one.
Target. Black. $19.
I’m in the office so early, and out before others, that no one ever sees my bag. I’d love a big, soft leather satchel, but Baggalini is just far more practical for me. Money’s not my issue – well, it is in that I have better places to use it.
Good post! I have to agree with the comment at the top from M, why would you want to carry the same bags as 90% of the women? I have a giant list of tacky “things to never wear” that includes: Juicy tracksuits, Tiffany bracelets, Coach with giant logo or a Louis Vuitton speedy or Neverfull , acrylic nails, tons of lip gloss! I love when you see someone put together and elegant and you can’t tell what brands they’re wearing! I think everyone agrees logos are tacky even if they are Louis Vuitton! they used to paint canvas on trunks for when people cross the Atlantic on a ship so their luggage doesn’t get lost, there’s no reason to be a walking advertisement for any company that makes bags.
How can you people honestly write three paragraphs about purses.
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“If, however, you just choose a simple, basic black or brown bag and carry it without pretense — then you may not get “points” for being a fashionista, but you won’t get dinged for trying too hard, either.”
THIS IS SUCH GOOD ADVICE.
+1 on that.
Here’s the thing… The OP said she has “never been that interested” in designer handbags. She also noted that she’s going into the public sector, where most of her colleagues probably aren’t raking in enough money to splurge on high-end leather accessories.
Me? I LOVE designer shoes and handbags, and would stuff my closet to “can-only-manage-t0-close-the-door-if-three-people-lean-against-it” fullness with them if I could. But then again, I’m a single woman, and I do what I want.
I would never drop a significant amount of cash on something I didn’t really care about unless it was an absolute necessity. And, as much as professional woman like to tell ourselves that we “need” designer accessories, the truth us… we don’t need them. We want them.
Here, the OP doesn’t want them. She’s just concerned about how she’ll be perceived if she doesn’t succumb to peer pressure to carry a more expensive handbag than she cares to own.
I’m with Corporette. If you don’t care about being the office fashionista, then OWN THAT. Find a good quality leather tote where you can stash all of your purse necessities, your devices and even some files if needed. You’ve got your bases covered, and you can spend the money you saved on something you REALLY want… like happy hour cocktails.