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Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
We’ve rounded up totes, backpacks, laptop totes, and more — but it’s been a loooong time since we last rounded up purses and handbags. Which are your favorite purses of the moment, readers? Which older ones are you still wearing (either because you love them or think they’re classic), and which looks do you think are “peak 2025”?
{related: The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women}
Also in the past: we’ve pondered whether totes or backpacks for work are the best, talked about how to organize your bags, shared silly thoughts about what your tote bag says about you, and asked the readers how many bags they bring to work. We’ve also rounded up the best bags for interviews, the best stylish work bags for petites, and the best bags for law students!
Regarding designer bags, we’ve rounded up the best luxury work bags, answered questions from readers wondering if businesswomen MUST have a designer bag, as well as questions from a young lawyer who wondered if she could buy a $2700 bag even though she was just starting out, and the intern with the $9000 bag (our first viral post, aw!).
The Best Purses and Handbags
Portland Leather
There are a lot of budget-friendly brands that come up, but one that is frequently mentioned by the readers is Portland Leather. People swear by the brand for luxurious, quality leather, but minimal branding and at a really affordable price.
For example, this shoulder bag (in a trendy crescent style) is usually $132, but is $99 today on sale. It’s available in 15 colors, some suede, some calf leather. (If you’re looking for a saturated, bright color this is one of the few places you can reliably find it.)
Polène
Readers have been loving Polène purses for a long time now, although there have been some concerns about declining quality. IMHO, I would look to them for their more unusual shaped bags versus some of the more common styles, especially if you’re ordering online.
The numero neuf, pictured, is a good example – it’s an interesting shape but has a beautiful, classy look. This “chalk” color is available for preorder for $610.
Strathberry
Strathberry has a lot of great structured bags with linear details like the clasp, above
Demellier
We’ve featured a lot of DeMellier tote bags in our luxury work bag roundups, but their crossbodies and other purses come up often if readers are discussing the best handbag brands. I’ve always been partial to the prominent vertical lines on their Vancouver crossbody bags, which range in price from $465-$585.
Mansur Gavriel
Mansur Gavriel’s clean lines and minimalist details are always lovely. I’ve always been partial to the Lady Bag, but their Candy hobo (pictured above) is one of their newer bestsellers. The bag comes in a variety of sizes, from $445 to $895.
Mulberry
Mulberry bags have been a reader favorite for years at this point, and we’ve featured a ton of them over the years, from the classic Bayswater totes to the luxurious Amberley crossbody, above. They are definitely on the pricier side, but I love the color range and the smaller details.
The Amberley, pictured above, is $1295.
Chloé
Readers have mentioned a lot of great, splurgeworthy bags over the years (Bottega! Loewe!) but one of the ones mentioned most often is Chloé — particularly the Marcie line. The crossbody, starting at $1450, is a bestseller.
Readers, which are your favorite purses, handbags, and other bags? What styles are you liking at the moment? What bags do you think are classics?
Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!
