I don’t think the Margaux bag is ever a work bag for someone who actually works in a corporate job. You can’t take a bag like that on the subway, and you put a laptop in it, and it’s too heavy. It’s also the size of carry on luggage. Also, your colleagues would think you were insane - it doesn’t fit the vibe. You also don’t put kids stuff in a 6k bag - first it’s too heavy and do you really want to have a Margaux on the soccer field (it will be so weird).
A lady bag is wrong too for people who actually work in an office. You need one bag. The one bag needs to be nice but also not so fancy it screams rob me on the subway. Work bags get abused, so it needs to hold up, and It has to hold the laptop, lunch, sometimes shoes etc. two bags would make life more difficult.
The totes are not okay for laptops. You drop a tote with the laptop and it’s not ideal. Also you get stuck in rain and weather - the bag needs to offer some protection.
We need lady bags to go out to dinner.
On totes, when you need a tote it’s to carry around your kids crap and often it’s dirty (dirty balls, pickleball paddles etc). This is not much above muiji level. But also would be nice to highlight some totes for this, and also brands like feed that are cute totes but also help people. $400 matches totes are not needed.
(From someone in nyc who works in finance with a kid).
Wow, thank you all for sharing. I think the moral of yesterday's letter is that work totes are extremely personal and so specific. I think we should break this down in a future letter. <3
Related to this, I heard some chat about E Jean Carroll’s lawyer bringing files to court in an LL Bean Boat ‘n’ Tote (is that what they’re called? I’m in the UK where they’re less iconic) and what a power move that was.
I have the same tote as your Verdura but it had my kids' school name on it - there are a bunch of promotional companies that make that bag (kind of a knock-off of the Anya bag from many years ago). It is a good one.
I love a "lady bag" but honestly I don't get them anymore unless they have a crossbody strap included. I giant Margaux isn't practical if you live in nyc and walk places. That woman would look ridiculous wearing it in NYC unless she was just getting in and out of a car. Who wants to lug that thing? That said, a Margaux 10
and 12 both have crossbody straps that can be used (or not).
I just tend to use a small lady bag or crossbody bag and a tote...
I grappled with something similar to this recently! I no longer work in an office so didn't need a full workhorse, burner bag, but do meet with clients once or twice a week and wanted something that felt put together and timeless for those encounters, and that could still carry a notebook and my small Airbook on occasion, but that's core purpose is not laptops. I actually hate the multiple-bag look unless I'm going grocery shopping or to the gym. My non-laptop ladybag needs are larger than yours, though – I carry whatever book I'm reading on me at all times, as well as a notebook for scribbling down work and personal notes, and I have some ear problems that require me to use larger, over-the-ear headphones rather than in-ear buds. I ended up getting a vintage Celine trapeze bag and love it so! It fits the bill for all of my needs. Also not so eye-wateringly expensive that when I take it on the subway or do occasionally stick my laptop in it for a client meeting I have to worry. I also liked Proenza Schouler and Polene for similar alternatives (and may still get a Proenza Mercer tote for a work and travel-heavy summer).
(For context I'm in NYC and work in marketing and publishing.)
It sounds like, to me, that you really like the soigné look of the tote stuffed with all your things that define your life out of the house, a la the original schlepper, Jane Birkin, but a modern 2024 version, which is the Margaux. Of course we know that what Row was going for was the Margaux as a newer more modern and less heavily structured version of the Birkin and it is very appealing for now. This treatise on the lady bag is very nice, but I think it is just you trying to convince yourself not to buy the Margaux, which is very pricey, like everything The Row and is what you REALLY wanted in the first place. (Another question is- how have we numbed to the prices of The Row since it debuted at Barneys, and are now buying it without batting an eye??? Influencers schlepping around $5000-$10000 bags for the status? How are they affording these? But that is another question for another time) The Margaux bag I admit, it is very appealing, the way it is a little sloppy looking, like you just threw your stuff in and ran out the door, but you know everything you need is in there. I love that feeling, which is why I carry a larger bag. But, I have an answer for you which to me is not even a compromise and for at least half the price. And it has the same less structured vibe and wide base as the Margaux. It is the Secret tote by Serapian, and old Milanese brand that not many people are aware of. The origin of this bag was a customer who asked for a tote to be custom made but like us all needed compartments for her valuables. So after they made it for this person in Milan, they marketed it to the public as the "secret tote" and has been a best seller ever since. I had never heard of this brand until I saw it on Net-a-Porter when I was researching just this kind of bag for myself. I have been using top handle large bags but with cross body straps and I felt the "pull" last year for a tote. So here is a link to the bag that I think has very similar attributes to the Margaux, including its quiet luxury status, if that is important to you, at half the retail price. Here's a link to the Serapian site
But also they opened a store on Madison recently if you want to view before buying. it's also on Net-a-Porter.
I just got the feeling that you would never be happy using a lady bag, even if you are just picking up your kids. You really just want a substantial bag because the bag telegraphs that you have a substantial life, as we all do. I think that if I were breezing into La Cote Basque for lunch today, (& I do go out for lunch with my friends) I would be toting a bag such as this, not a lady bag.
Hi from an older member of the group! We are all going to have shoulder issues if we buy these ginormous totes and fill them with even more weight. I speak from experience, sadly! I can’t justify a big pricey bag due to price, weight and concern re crime. I spend some time in SF and this is, sadly, a thing. And a bummer for a native who grew up not even locking our doors. 😳My current solution is a Rothy’s tote and several small pouches inside. Not ideal but currently what I am doing. Ugh the search continues! I LOVE the lady bag vibe way more than the giant schlepper shopper tote vibe, FWIW. And lastly, is no one concerned with scale here? If one is petite, a giant bag overpowers. I think about it in relation to bags. My fave lady-ish bag is a Mulberry from 10 or so years ago that is gently worn.
Becky, is the Vedura tote a collab with Anya Hindmarch? I'm getting "I'm not a plastic bag" vibes from the shape and rope handles.
As someone who sells handbags for a living, I do beg women to not shove their laptop into a handbag in an attempt to avoid looking corporate. I had a woman asking dimensions of a Madewell bucket bag for her laptop until I pointed out the straps weren't mean t to hold that weight. Luckily, she agreed.
My only issue with this approach is that I really don’t like carrying two bags; I think it makes me look a little disorganized, and it enhances the risk that I will leave my laptop in a taxi! I tend to carry a little wallet-on-chain situation (worn crossbody so that it’s impossible to lose it) so that I don’t need to carry the huge tote to lunch, plus a tote (or men’s fashion backpack; I have a Prada from TRR) that can hold the laptop. But on non-laptop days, it is lady bag all the way! **Please** do a post on the Capote/Swans influence to come . . .
I just bought my very first fancy lady bag and I love it. It’s a gently worn Prada bag I found on The RealReal and it was a steal. I feel all grown up now and can’t wait to wear it in even more.
This is a tough topic, along with bags for travel which I think would be a good topic for another day! Carrying two bags is just not what I want to do. Right now I have a small crossbody inside a backpack because I need to carry a laptop with me every day, I use public transportation, and a tote is just really bad ergonomically so a backpack it must be.
I’m a little biased but I worked in finance for over 20 years and I wish I had a bag like this back then - one that sat in the boy/girl category. I had plenty of briefcases but not like this. Also, the Soft Margaux (canvas lined) is not heavy and fits a MacBook. I think it’s an excellent office bag and I have a few friends who carry it to work and love it. And the size 17 goes over the shoulder. ;)
Love this! I am a huge fan of the canvas tote with a chic lady bag... just needed someone to remind me its okay to not sport the huge fancy bag (too heavy anyway!)
I do love a tote + cute bag moment myself, I don’t mind the two bags and I appreciate the balance it brings to an outfit. However, during winter in Sweden it’s not the most practical because of the puffiness of jackets and the excessive amount of other necessary accessories… For these months I have this one from ATP Atelier which fits my computer, uni books and lunch box perfectly:
I’d like to introduce the Proenza Schouler Chelsea Tote to the conversation. I am looking to purchase it in a wool felt. It’s a great tote and it can be worn many ways and at a fraction of the Margaux bag.
I don’t think the Margaux bag is ever a work bag for someone who actually works in a corporate job. You can’t take a bag like that on the subway, and you put a laptop in it, and it’s too heavy. It’s also the size of carry on luggage. Also, your colleagues would think you were insane - it doesn’t fit the vibe. You also don’t put kids stuff in a 6k bag - first it’s too heavy and do you really want to have a Margaux on the soccer field (it will be so weird).
A lady bag is wrong too for people who actually work in an office. You need one bag. The one bag needs to be nice but also not so fancy it screams rob me on the subway. Work bags get abused, so it needs to hold up, and It has to hold the laptop, lunch, sometimes shoes etc. two bags would make life more difficult.
The totes are not okay for laptops. You drop a tote with the laptop and it’s not ideal. Also you get stuck in rain and weather - the bag needs to offer some protection.
We need lady bags to go out to dinner.
On totes, when you need a tote it’s to carry around your kids crap and often it’s dirty (dirty balls, pickleball paddles etc). This is not much above muiji level. But also would be nice to highlight some totes for this, and also brands like feed that are cute totes but also help people. $400 matches totes are not needed.
(From someone in nyc who works in finance with a kid).
Wow, thank you all for sharing. I think the moral of yesterday's letter is that work totes are extremely personal and so specific. I think we should break this down in a future letter. <3
Related to this, I heard some chat about E Jean Carroll’s lawyer bringing files to court in an LL Bean Boat ‘n’ Tote (is that what they’re called? I’m in the UK where they’re less iconic) and what a power move that was.
I have the same tote as your Verdura but it had my kids' school name on it - there are a bunch of promotional companies that make that bag (kind of a knock-off of the Anya bag from many years ago). It is a good one.
I love a "lady bag" but honestly I don't get them anymore unless they have a crossbody strap included. I giant Margaux isn't practical if you live in nyc and walk places. That woman would look ridiculous wearing it in NYC unless she was just getting in and out of a car. Who wants to lug that thing? That said, a Margaux 10
and 12 both have crossbody straps that can be used (or not).
I just tend to use a small lady bag or crossbody bag and a tote...
I grappled with something similar to this recently! I no longer work in an office so didn't need a full workhorse, burner bag, but do meet with clients once or twice a week and wanted something that felt put together and timeless for those encounters, and that could still carry a notebook and my small Airbook on occasion, but that's core purpose is not laptops. I actually hate the multiple-bag look unless I'm going grocery shopping or to the gym. My non-laptop ladybag needs are larger than yours, though – I carry whatever book I'm reading on me at all times, as well as a notebook for scribbling down work and personal notes, and I have some ear problems that require me to use larger, over-the-ear headphones rather than in-ear buds. I ended up getting a vintage Celine trapeze bag and love it so! It fits the bill for all of my needs. Also not so eye-wateringly expensive that when I take it on the subway or do occasionally stick my laptop in it for a client meeting I have to worry. I also liked Proenza Schouler and Polene for similar alternatives (and may still get a Proenza Mercer tote for a work and travel-heavy summer).
(For context I'm in NYC and work in marketing and publishing.)
It sounds like, to me, that you really like the soigné look of the tote stuffed with all your things that define your life out of the house, a la the original schlepper, Jane Birkin, but a modern 2024 version, which is the Margaux. Of course we know that what Row was going for was the Margaux as a newer more modern and less heavily structured version of the Birkin and it is very appealing for now. This treatise on the lady bag is very nice, but I think it is just you trying to convince yourself not to buy the Margaux, which is very pricey, like everything The Row and is what you REALLY wanted in the first place. (Another question is- how have we numbed to the prices of The Row since it debuted at Barneys, and are now buying it without batting an eye??? Influencers schlepping around $5000-$10000 bags for the status? How are they affording these? But that is another question for another time) The Margaux bag I admit, it is very appealing, the way it is a little sloppy looking, like you just threw your stuff in and ran out the door, but you know everything you need is in there. I love that feeling, which is why I carry a larger bag. But, I have an answer for you which to me is not even a compromise and for at least half the price. And it has the same less structured vibe and wide base as the Margaux. It is the Secret tote by Serapian, and old Milanese brand that not many people are aware of. The origin of this bag was a customer who asked for a tote to be custom made but like us all needed compartments for her valuables. So after they made it for this person in Milan, they marketed it to the public as the "secret tote" and has been a best seller ever since. I had never heard of this brand until I saw it on Net-a-Porter when I was researching just this kind of bag for myself. I have been using top handle large bags but with cross body straps and I felt the "pull" last year for a tote. So here is a link to the bag that I think has very similar attributes to the Margaux, including its quiet luxury status, if that is important to you, at half the retail price. Here's a link to the Serapian site
https://www.serapian.com/products/_secret_tote_bag_in_rugiada_leather_black_srrugwll684542c001?_pos=30&_sid=231d6008b&_ss=r.
But also they opened a store on Madison recently if you want to view before buying. it's also on Net-a-Porter.
I just got the feeling that you would never be happy using a lady bag, even if you are just picking up your kids. You really just want a substantial bag because the bag telegraphs that you have a substantial life, as we all do. I think that if I were breezing into La Cote Basque for lunch today, (& I do go out for lunch with my friends) I would be toting a bag such as this, not a lady bag.
Hi from an older member of the group! We are all going to have shoulder issues if we buy these ginormous totes and fill them with even more weight. I speak from experience, sadly! I can’t justify a big pricey bag due to price, weight and concern re crime. I spend some time in SF and this is, sadly, a thing. And a bummer for a native who grew up not even locking our doors. 😳My current solution is a Rothy’s tote and several small pouches inside. Not ideal but currently what I am doing. Ugh the search continues! I LOVE the lady bag vibe way more than the giant schlepper shopper tote vibe, FWIW. And lastly, is no one concerned with scale here? If one is petite, a giant bag overpowers. I think about it in relation to bags. My fave lady-ish bag is a Mulberry from 10 or so years ago that is gently worn.
Becky, is the Vedura tote a collab with Anya Hindmarch? I'm getting "I'm not a plastic bag" vibes from the shape and rope handles.
As someone who sells handbags for a living, I do beg women to not shove their laptop into a handbag in an attempt to avoid looking corporate. I had a woman asking dimensions of a Madewell bucket bag for her laptop until I pointed out the straps weren't mean t to hold that weight. Luckily, she agreed.
My only issue with this approach is that I really don’t like carrying two bags; I think it makes me look a little disorganized, and it enhances the risk that I will leave my laptop in a taxi! I tend to carry a little wallet-on-chain situation (worn crossbody so that it’s impossible to lose it) so that I don’t need to carry the huge tote to lunch, plus a tote (or men’s fashion backpack; I have a Prada from TRR) that can hold the laptop. But on non-laptop days, it is lady bag all the way! **Please** do a post on the Capote/Swans influence to come . . .
I just bought my very first fancy lady bag and I love it. It’s a gently worn Prada bag I found on The RealReal and it was a steal. I feel all grown up now and can’t wait to wear it in even more.
Oo. A jil sander goji?
This is a tough topic, along with bags for travel which I think would be a good topic for another day! Carrying two bags is just not what I want to do. Right now I have a small crossbody inside a backpack because I need to carry a laptop with me every day, I use public transportation, and a tote is just really bad ergonomically so a backpack it must be.
Thanks for the shout-out! :)
I’m a little biased but I worked in finance for over 20 years and I wish I had a bag like this back then - one that sat in the boy/girl category. I had plenty of briefcases but not like this. Also, the Soft Margaux (canvas lined) is not heavy and fits a MacBook. I think it’s an excellent office bag and I have a few friends who carry it to work and love it. And the size 17 goes over the shoulder. ;)
Love this! I am a huge fan of the canvas tote with a chic lady bag... just needed someone to remind me its okay to not sport the huge fancy bag (too heavy anyway!)
I do love a tote + cute bag moment myself, I don’t mind the two bags and I appreciate the balance it brings to an outfit. However, during winter in Sweden it’s not the most practical because of the puffiness of jackets and the excessive amount of other necessary accessories… For these months I have this one from ATP Atelier which fits my computer, uni books and lunch box perfectly:
https://atpatelier.com/sv/products/pienza-nocciola-linen-leather-large-tote-bag
I am dreaming avout this one though:
https://www.littleliffner.com/collections/shoulder-bags/products/tall-sprout-tote-army-suede
💚💚
I’d like to introduce the Proenza Schouler Chelsea Tote to the conversation. I am looking to purchase it in a wool felt. It’s a great tote and it can be worn many ways and at a fraction of the Margaux bag.
https://www.proenzaschouler.com/products/large-chelsea-tote-hb234029-c521p-218