Hello there! We’re back today with part 2 of the Formal Bags post. Without further ado, let’s get right into it, shall we?
Tocco Toscano – Duffel Bag
Job Designation: Manager Personal Style: Simple, comfortable, chic
Ahh yes, this is the bag that started the entire conversation and debate over what makes a good formal bag. This is Lynn’s bag, and she absolutely loves it. It cost her S$170 and she bought it roughly two months ago for the express purpose of work from Tocco Toscano.
Lynn likes her bags to be extremely sturdy. Similar to Kiki, her criteria for a sturdy bag is that it must be able to stand by itself. She says that she prefers her bags big enough to fit all her essentials – but like I’ve mentioned before, essentials are different for everybody. I mean… portable chargers and umbrellas aren’t essential to me, but they are to her, so… She would love for her bags to be able to hold her laptops, but also commented that it’s rare to have formal workbags big enough to fit laptops.
Her other stringent requirements include the presence of a sling – she dislikes holding her handbags like… handbags and would rather have them sling over her shoulder so her hands are free to hold other items. Does it fit her personal style? She says yes – it’s simple and classy enough that she’ll tote it around to meet clients, but casual enough for hangouts and meetups with her friends. However, this bag is quite heavy, even without her stuff inside, but she loves it because that means it’s sturdy (according to her).
“Hashtag support local,” she deadpans to me as I’m asking her about the bag’s origins. Will she buy more from the same local brand? “Absolutely. Because it’s worth it.” She also mentioned that the bag can seem quite pricey – she bought it on sale, and it was still S$170 after – but after using it, she says that it’s absolutely worth the spend. “It’s sturdy and it’s good quality. And it’s local. Support local, guys.”
The exact same bag can be found here.
She also mentioned that because she meets clients quite frequently, bags serve as a way to make a good impression on these clients. “Tote a respectable bag around,” she says. “You don’t want to carry a rough-use bag around when meeting clients.”
Bimba Y Lola – Nylon Bucket Bag
Job Designation: Copywriter Personal Style: Simple, comfortable, casual
Out of all the bags shown here in this repertoire of office bags, this bag has got to be the furthest from my personal style. This is Charlene’s bag, and she’s been carrying this bag around for the last month or so – “I needed a work bag,” she says. “And my sister bought this for me.” At the whopping price of S$300, might I just add. This bag looks extremely unassuming, but the hefty price her sister paid for it completely changes my outlook on this bag.
This is the most casual bag amongst the lot – in our opinion – because it’s nylon and not leather. It’s from Bimba Y Lola and is honestly heavy (for my weak arms) even without Charlene’s stuff inside – “That means it’s sturdy, right,” I asked, looking over at Lynn. “Guess so,” was her cavalier reply.
Charlene’s criteria for a bag includes being able to carry “all my rubbish,” she laughs. And by “rubbish”, she means the same things that Lynn carries – umbrella, portable charger, so on so forth. This is her first workbag – prior to this, she was using her mom’s old bag.
Charlene’s verdict on this bag?
“I’m satisfied with it,” she says. “It’s a bucket bag, which I love, cause that means I can just dump all my stuff inside.” Ahh yes, she likes to lucky-draw and fish around for her stuff too. Charlene dislikes tote-bags (But why? They’re so handy!) and would rather carry around backpacks. Comfort is the ultimatum for her when she purchases bags. She also carries this bag over her shoulder, rather than like a handbag, because she dislikes how restricted she feels when carrying it in the crook of her elbow.
When asked if it suits her style, she replied, “Not really – it doesn’t suit my personal style. But it fits my work style, because I’m in office most of the time and don’t have to meet clients.” (“Make up your mind,” I wailed. “You’re the copywriter here, not me. Don’t make me write an argumentative essay debating over whether it fits your style or not.”)
Would she buy similar bags from Bimba Y Lola? Her answer is no because the bag is too expensive for her taste. The bag can also be found here.
Valentino Garavani – Rockstud Bag
Job Designation: Consultant Personal Style: Comfortable, dressy, fabulous
Okay, okay, okay. So, you might have noticed that we’re holding it with the brand facing forward. Apparently, that’s not the front side of the bag. Sorry, we dumb. But what can we say? We’re not used to holding expensive bags.
The behind-the-scenes for the photo of this bag is kind of hilarious – we were gingerly and precariously balancing an umbrella over the bag so it wouldn’t get wet while trying to adjust and ensure we could actually take a photo of the bag. I mean like. Who cares about your phone and falling sick when you’re holding a S$3,000++ bag? It’s worth way more than my life.
But yes, this is Milly’s Valentino. She bought it in 2015 for upwards of S$3,000 (I know I’m repeating the price again, but hot damn girl). At that point in time, she needed a respectable working bag and chose this because of the design and size. It can comfortably fit all her documents inside of it, just that it becomes heavy and hurts her shoulders because the strap is slightly too thin for her liking. She doesn’t use the short straps at all, because they’re too short to hook over her shoulder, and wearing it in the crook of her elbow when the bag is heavy hurts. The bag has some weight to it even without the documents itself, but it’s still pretty manageable.
Milly doesn’t consider this bag formal enough (but girl, the price makes me want to salute this bag, fam) because of the studs, but doesn’t think it’s casual enough to casually tote out the house. “It’s a not bad bag, lorh,” she says. “Then when do you usually carry this bag?” I ask. “Not very often, but usually for my appointments, cause like I said, I need one big bag to put all my documents and presentation notes into,” she says.
Just like Lynn, she believes that a good bag pulls together an entire outfit and helps to add to the presentation of one’s self. “But then again, it depends. Sometimes carrying a bag like this to certain appointments can make people think you’re showing off.”
For Milly, the design is most important when it comes to purchasing bags. “I have to like it and want to carry it before I purchase it,” she says. I also asked if she would purchase more bags from the same brand. “Yeah, I will, cause I like it a lot. When I earn more money then buy, lorh.”
Out of all of the six women listed in this article, Milly’s probably the smartest, because get this. She has an organiser that she uses for all her bags, because she doesn’t like the feeling of blindly rooting around in her bag for her items. She just simply plucks the organiser out of one and into the other should she want to change her bag.
I see y’all scoffing – “It’s something so simple, still need to praise until like that?”
Hello good sirs and madams, how many of you guys thought of doing this? Because this is honestly the first time this has ever crossed my mind and it’s such a simple and convenient solution to lucky-draws that I’m absolutely mind blown by the suggestion. You can easily find these organizers on online stores such as Lazada and Taobao.
Conclusion
That rounds off our Formal Bags post! We hope that our bags have given you an idea of what to look out for in terms of formal and office bags! Till next time, lovelies!
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