Hello there!
For today’s review, we thought we would do something more personalised, so we went around kapok-ing our colleagues’ workbags from all over the office. We also interviewed them about their bag choices in life and what they look out for in a good, formal, office workbag.
Everybody’s wholly and entirely different – which we love, because embrace the diversity – in terms of style and purposes, so it was rather interesting to interview them about their choices in bags (as well as fashion and personal style).
We’ll be going at the review from the cheapest (that’s me, hurhur) to the most expensive (Milly, that’s you!) and we’re going to be covering a whole range of different brands – from the more commonplace and accessible brands such as Charles and Keith, to luxurious brands such as Valentino’s. These bags are pretty much loved and are part of our style, so they should be pretty old and might not be carried in-stores anymore.
We’ll be splitting this formal bag series into two, as I have way to many things to gush about. I love bags, and the lengthiness of this post is probably testament to that.
So, the only thing our bags have in common with each other is that they’re all black, to be honest with you. All of us are pretty basic here, which is the point, because you don’t want to be too flashy when it comes to formal workbags.
Let’s get on with it, shall we?
Charles and Keith – Handbag
Job Designation: Consultant
Personal Style: Chic, comfortable, dressy
This bag is my own and was a gift from a family member of mine. I was eyeing it for quite some time but held back because of the cost (S$80) and the size of it. I wasn’t sure if it could fit all my stuff. And then one day, it landed in my lap from someone who saw me byo-ing (eyeing) it in Charles and Keith and decided to get it for me.
My criteria for a good bag would be whether it’s large enough to fit all my items and clearly – from the size of the bag – this bag doesn’t quite make the cut. However, I still love it dearly, and don’t mind changing out my wallet for a smaller one so that I can actually carry this bag.
What can this bag fit? It fits my small wallet, handphone, a full pouch, my hand sanitiser and tissues, keys, a small tube of lipstick and ez-link card. Essentially, it fits all my… essentials. But not my water bottle, which is sad, because I do drink quite a fair bit of water.
I love the sturdiness and structuredness of this bag – it sits comfortably in my lap while I’m in the MRT and sits perfectly in the bag nook of my car whenever I drive. I received it late last year and have used it quite frequently since then. This is my ideal go-to bag for dates and I have brought this bag out for meetings with clients. Just that if I go for meetings with this bag, I will have to tote an extra canvas tote to bring all my documents with me. Worth it, because this bag is adorable.
The twilly scarf adds an additional oomph to the otherwise plain bag, hence why I dare to actually pair this bag with an all-black outfit that is a reflection of my dead, dead soul. I don’t think Charles and Keith carry this specific bag with this specific twilly anymore, but they do have the following. You can check it out at this link here.
Would I say that this bag fits my personal style?
Yes, it does. My clothes come only in neutral block colours. I avoid prints and usually like my bags to be black so that I can pair it with everything in my wardrobe. This bag goes great with anything. For example, if I have a slightly more dressed-up meeting, I’ll pair this bag with a formal dress and a black pair of heels or boots. If I have a casual outing, but still want to look slightly more dressed-up, I’ll pair this with a pair of sneakers (Nike Air Force 1s or Adidas Superstars) and a t-shirt dress. Does it look awkward in any of the two situations? Absolutely not. This bag is extremely versatile and much like a chameleon, blends in any situation perfectly.
Charles and Keith – Shoulder Tote
Job Designation: Designer Personal Style: Simple, comfortable, casual
Next up is this shoulder bag from Chelle, who is a designer. Like my bag, this was a gift from her friend and cost around S$90. But get this. Her bag is over 2 years old. It’s sturdy and durable as heck and is lasting longer with her than my ex-boyfriend did with me. Good job, Charles and Keith!
Her criteria for a good bag include functionality – it must be able to fit all her items properly. But her standards for items are drastically different from mine because her essentials include her laptop, folders, and sketchbooks in addition to her wallet and other items. She requires her items to be easily accessible in her bag (we were joking about how we all liked to lucky draw for our items; meaning that we would be desperately fishing around for items in the bag) and says that compartments are not a must for her to purchase a bag.
Chelle likes her bags to be simple and to suit her style, which is casual because she doesn’t usually have to meet clients. She loves her tote bags and would usually pair them with her usual shorts and shirt combo. She did mention that this bag’s shoulder straps were kind of thin, and given the amount of stuff she stuffs inside, it gets painful on the shoulders. “Without the items though,” she quips, looking over my shoulder at this article. “This bag is kind of light.” She would consider this bag formal enough for a workplace, which I agree with. Even when meeting clients, I would probably bring this bag out as well (if I had one).
Because this bag is more than two years old, I couldn’t find it online at Charles and Keith anymore. However, they do have something similar, which can be found here.
Chelle usually purchases her bags from Charles and Keith and Muji – like me, she doesn’t look at brands for bags, but would usually subconsciously find herself wandering around the same few shops.
Guess – Satchel Bag
Job Designation: Consultant Personal Style: Dressy, comfortable, formal
The bags only get more expensive from here on out. I mean… it’s Guess we’re talking about (still not the most expensive bag on this list – my colleagues are loaded). Kiki purchased this bag several years ago and got this Guess bag for cheap, roughly S$100. She purchased it because she was in need of a good work-bag when she was still starting out. Her criteria for a good bag include sturdiness (“How do you define sturdiness?”, I asked. “If it can stand on its own, lorh.”), durability, and whether it can fit her wallet and her essential items.
Given that this bag is already several years old, I would say right-on. This bag is indeed sturdy. Maybe the price is pretty worth it, given how many years she’s used it for. It’s quite heavy, even when empty, but I suppose that’s because the make and quality of the bag contributes to its heaviness and sturdiness. She considers it a formal bag, as she doesn’t use it outside of work for casual meetings with friends. There’s some fraying and rough wear and tear, but I suppose that’s what happens when you love a bag so much you carry it to death for work.
I couldn’t find the exact same bag because this bag is lasting her super-duper long, but found something similar on Zalora here.
Does it suit her style? Yes, it does, as it’s simple yet dressy enough for her. Kiki prefers using the shoulder-strap for this bag and says that it’s actually comfortable enough to lug about even when it’s heavy. She also loves that there is an extra compartment in the bag, primarily for her phone.
Conclusion
And that rounds off our first post on the formal bag series! We’ll be back soon with part 2, so stay tuned!
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