Stylish Work Bags: Jean from Extra Petite Shares Her Favorites! - Golf Bag,Sports Bag,Outdoor Bag Manufacturer

On the hunt for stylish work bags? We’ve talked about the best work totes for women, the best work bags, best tote bags, and professional tote bags, bags for summer associates, interview totes, suitcases for overnight business trips, and how much we end up spending on them all. In today’s guest post, Jean from Extra Petite brings you a roundup of stylish work bags, straight from her own closet. In addition to petite-focused fashion, Jean’s blog features workwear and accessories reviews across various sizes. Jean was kind enough to contribute a great guest post on suiting alterations during my last maternity leave — welcome back, Jean! – Kat.

Hello Corporette readers! I’m stepping in for Kat today to chat about work-appropriate handbags that fit at least a laptop and some documents. I know we each have various needs and preferences on material, structure, and price range, so I’ve pulled a few from my own closet that cover a wide span of options!

Update! Our Latest Favorite Stylish Work Bags

Some of our latest favorites at Corporette include these great basic, stylish work bags:

collage of 6 totes, including 1) Street Level 2) Cuyana 3) Madewell Transport 4) Tory Burch Ella 5) Lo & Sons Seville and 6) Tory Burch leather tote

Above, some of the best work totes for women: one* / two* / three / four* / five / six* (not pictured but also Tumi and Dagne Dover!)
* try this highly-rated organizing insert with some of the less structured bags…

Jean’s Most Stylish Bags for Work

First up is my budget pick — the Sole Society reversible “Milan” tote. It comes in black faux leather that reverses to cream, or a navy faux leather that reverses to a canvas navy stripe, and has a detachable pouch for valuables. It’s the largest of the options today and can fit lunch, a laptop, change of shoes, and more. The material is very pliable and the only notable downside to me is exposed stitching seams on one side when inverted.

Retail price: $59.95 (coupons available around the net)

Sold at: Sole Society

See my related post.

Another value pick, this Ann Taylor “Gallery” tote is one of my all-time favorite handbags. Several women have asked if it’s Celine or another designer and are surprised to find out it’s not only AT but also faux leather. This season the bag comes in classic black, navy, or this dewy pink “morning fog.” The material has medium structure (stays standing up vs. slouches) and thickness, and the bag features an interior zip pocket and an outer slot pocket.

Retail price: $118 (look out for those frequent 30 to 40% off promos)

Sold at: Ann Taylor in-store and online

See my related post.

Edging into genuine leather and a higher price range, Mansur Gavriel is known for quality leather bags with minimalistic lines and a colorful surprise. Currently the totes come in a smooth, vegetable-tanned leather with either raw hide or smooth resin-coated color interiors. All totes have a removable zipper pouch which is also lined in a contrasting color. Please note that the shoulder drop of my small tote is a snug fit over winter coats — I’ve heard that they are modifying it to be longer for fall 2014 and adding new leather and color options.

Price: $485 (for small size) and up

Sold at: Net-A-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman, Jenny Kayne, select Theory stores

See my related post.

For those who like print bags (which in my opinion looks nice if you wear a lot of solid colors), Goyard totes feature the brand’s hand-painted chevron coated canvas with matching detachable pouch. It’s the most lightweight and pliable option compared to today’s other varieties, and is also the one I use the most frequently outside of work for running errands. They also make a more structured, boxier tote version which I am showing on the left photo for comparison.

Price: $1150 (for St. Louis PM / small in basic colors) and up

Sold at (in-store or phone orders only): Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Goyard San Francisco

See my related post.

At the splurge end of today’s range is the Prada Saffiano tote, which comes in a wide selection of sizes and styles (open top, double zip pockets, with or without detachable shoulder strap, etc.). The one I’m showing is the medium double-zip tote with shoulder strap, which is a very close fit for a 12″-across laptop. I’ve also tried the open top tote style which fits a laptop more easily. My favorite aspects are the structured shape and the Saffiano coated leather, which is a little more scratch/stain/water-resistant than regular leather.

Price: exact style shown is $2,350, but there are numerous smaller or larger options. Look for 10% email signup discounts on Saks or NM’s websites, or tiered gift card promos.

Sold at: Prada and most high-end department stores, including Neiman Marcus.

See my related post.