Splurge Monday’s TPS Report: Dooney & Bourke’s Alto Medium Ashley Bag
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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
We're loving the sharp, sleek look of Dooney & Bourke's “Alto” line of bags. No crazy logos, no quacking ducks — just simple, well-made bags with a timeless elegance. The medium Ashley bag is a great example — 15″x 6″x 12.5″ inches, it's more than big enough for papers; we love the cell phone pocket inside and the feet on the outside. Lovely. Available at Dooney.com in black, brown, red, and natural for $425. Dooney & Bourke Alto Medium Ashley Bag
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Sales of note for 6/4/25:
- Nordstrom – The Half-Yearly Sale has begun! See our full roundup here. Lots of markdowns on AGL (50%!), Weitzman, Tumi, Frank & Eileen, Zella, Natori, Cole Haan, Boss, Theory, Reiss (coats), Vince, Eileen Fisher, Spanx, and Frame (denim and silk blouses)
- Nordstrom Rack – Refurbished Dyson hairdryers down to $199-$240 (instead of $400+) + Father's Day gifts up to 60% off
- Ann Taylor – 50% off dresses, jackets & shoes + extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 25% off
- Boden – 15% off new womenswear styles
- Eloquii – $19+ up select styles
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off women's dresses + up to extra 50% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 50-60% off summer styles + up to 60% off everything + extra 60% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Rothy's – Up to 50% off last-chance styles
- Spanx – Free shipping on everything
- Talbots – BOGO 50% off everything, includes all markdowns
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- what should I pick for our company-branded conference swag?
- what non-sneaker shoes can you walk a mile in?
- I'm 31 and feel like my life is too stagnant…
- which emojis fill you with rage?
- how can I make house guests more comfortable?
- my friend is at her wit's end with her SAHP
- when is it time to quit therapy?
- why is it so hard to stay on top of school communications for my teen?
- what hobbies or skills do you wish you'd picked up during the pandemic?
- how can I better enjoy domestic business travel?
- older parents: what actually mattered and what didn't with your kids?
- am I being petty by wanting to delete all of my how-to-do-this-job guides before I quit?
Wow. Gorgeous and classy.
What is it with buckles on the outside of bags lately. They just stick out and snag things while doing not a lot (imho) to the look of the bag.
Dislike D & B on principle because their lower-end, logo-covered bags are so tacky. But this is a nice-lo0king bag.
There are a lot of promising-looking bags in this line – I wonder how stiff the leather is.
I have something similar and while I love the way it looks, the leather plus a laptop can get VERY heavy on my commute.
I really love this bag, but it’s out of my price range. I’ve been looking for a new bag lately, though and was wondering what people thought about using a dark red or even chocolate brown. Specifically, do you think either could be used every day regardless of one’s outfit. I’m a little worried about the look of a chocolate brown bag with a black or gray suit, but not sure if red (even a dark red) is too flashy. The bag I’m strongly considering is the Coakley Contemporary Classic™ Everyday Tote. Thoughts?
dark red is not too flashy, but for that kind of money you can get a nice leather bag. for example, kate spade’s tarrytown tote is nice & simple and you can get it on ebay for about $200.
M: Don’t fear the wine-colored bags! :) I have a wine-colored briefcase and I love it. Maybe this is more in your price range:
http://www.ebags.com/jack_georges/milano_double_gusset_top_zip_brief/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=9238&productid=31014
I know it’s more expensive than the Coakley, but the Jack Georges bag was one of the best purchases I have made in terms of my professional wardrobe. I went with wine because I wear a lot of black/brown/gray and I really did not like the idea of having a briefcase that did not match those colors exactly. Knowing that the black in my briefcase didn’t match the black in my suit/shoes/purse/etc. would drive me crazy! :)
(FYI, to my eyes the briefcase looks much less red and much more merlot/wine in real life — the picture on the website isn’t great.)
The Coakley bag looks roomy and practical, but it wouldn’t have worked for me — I was definitely looking for a briefcase, not a hold-everything handbag/purse, and to me the Coakley doesn’t fit the bill. (For a purse I have a small black leather Prada barrel bag — big, big investment but perfect for court. It’s pretty small, and it does take effort to fit what I need in there, but it’s simple, practical, inconspicuous and keeps my personal items away from my laptop/court docs — important when I’ve got a partner standing over me asking for one of said docs!).
I LOVE Jack Georges! My current work bag is a darker royal blue leather with cream leather contrast piping by Jack Georges, and I got it at Marshalls for only $59.00! M, I would strongly recommend scouting places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls if you want an expensive bag for a reasonable price. I also rather like the briefbags by Levenger and Barney’s New York label, both of which you can get for around one hundred dollars on sale.
I actually just bought one of the bags from this line — the medium rectangular shopper in cordovan– at Marshalls for $199.00 (probably my best Marshalls find to-date). It is a great bag, large enough for my legal pads and some case law and transcripts along with my usual stuff. I have been getting lots of compliments on it. I highly recommend the cordovan (although I think that color has been discontinued, the dark red is fairly close). It goes with brown, black, and grey, and is very rich-looking. I’ve also noticed that the leather is wearing very nicely after carrying around files for a few weeks. I personally think it’s neater to just have one bag that doubles as a briefcase (and on the weekends, a diaper bag! ah, the life of the working mom) and a purse. Marshalls often has high-quality leather bags like this- you just have to hunt a little.
Not usually a Dooney fan, but I purchased the large alto Zip Zip satchel (the older design which is a little taller than the current) in the “natural” leather color, and it is very luxe. The leather darkens and ages beautifully and the bag looks like it cost much more than it did ($525 when I got mine). I liked my Zip Zip satchel so much that I purchased the large alto Ashley bag for work (I love big bags) and I love it! I can fit legal files and a lap top inside with more than enough room to spare. The craftsmanship of the bag is really impressive. I also hear that Dooney has a great repair service, though I doubt if you’ll need it. My two alto bags are very well made and sturdy. They fit right in with my LV, Chloe, Gucci, and other “higher end” designer bags, and I’ve gotten a TON of compliments on both. I would definitely recommend the Dooney alto line (specifically the Zip Zip and Ashley in the “natural” color) to the discriminating professional woman who fancies high quality craftsmanship; clean, non-fussy, classic silhouettes; and doesn’t care to have designer logos all over her bags. Very nice, Dooney.