Designer Tote Bags For Work

The world changed in 2020, and with it, so did how we work. For most of us, the average workday was dramatically altered, and it’s more important than ever to be prepared to transition to working from anywhere.

Whether that be the office, your home, or a coffee shop, working in flux means you need the essentials with you.

2020 meant working in a modern world that was put on pause to protect our families and neighbors. These changes have made our work lives hit fast-forward into the future, and we are now using tools and apps and alternate locations that require us to think outside the box and collaborate creatively while we work remotely.

This new working world has created a whole new set of prerequisites for your designer work tote bag.

That’s where the work-life tote comes in. A work-life tote is a durable, maintainable, and versatile designer bag that lets you stylishly and effortlessly move your office from the office to your home whenever you need to adapt.

So just what makes up a work-life tote?

Size Matters

A work-life tote needs to be able to house the important work stuff while fitting into your lifestyle. You need a bag big enough to hold your laptop for your commute as well as pack your gym clothes for your evening spin class.

Choose a designer tote that includes the components that make your life easier and not just more beautiful. At Hammitt, we’ve designed every bag with utility as well as beauty in mind.

While smaller clutches may be sleek and sexy, they aren’t equipped to do the heavy lifting when it comes to getting your life organized and easy to take with you. A good-sized tote that is also comfortable to carry and wear makes the job of carrying your office with you a breeze.

Durable, Quality Materials

Only the best materials wear well over time. Nothing lasts like soft Nubuck or genuine leather. High-quality components and leather will ensure that your designer bag ages gracefully and will withstand being lugged to and from work for years to come. This will also mean that they are easy to care for with the correct methods .

Some of our favorite materials for the everyday designer work tote are:

Quality Designer Leather - Only the best will do. High-quality leather adds durability as well as style to just about any tote. Its smooth texture is easy to clean, and the quality leather hide is strong enough to protect an ox!

Nubuck Leather - This gorgeous and tactile leather is soft and silky to the touch. It is made by sanding down and buffing the grain side of top-grain leather to produce that signature suede, velvety feel.

Nylon - An incredibly durable and washable fabric. If you are on the move or need to take your bag into some potentially messy situations, nylon is a great fabric choice for protecting your office valuables while still living your life!

The Lifetime Guarantee

A lifetime guarantee cannot be beat, especially in a day and age when so many products aren’t built to last.

The Hammitt Promise ensures that your signature red lining, zippers, rivets, D-Rings, and strap clasps are all covered for replacement and repair for life so you can go on carrying your designer bag for decades to come.

Starting the repair process is easy. You can send an email directly to wecare@hammitt.com detailing the repair and attaching pictures of the problem, and the care team will get back with you within three to five days with the next steps for taking care of your beloved bag.

Versatility Lets Your Designer Bag Work Smarter So You Can Work Harder

Your designer bag needs to work like the assistant you don’t have with features that assist with keeping your work-life organized and functional. Look for feature add-ons that build in organization along with maxing out the style of your designer bag or tote.

Durable Top Handles, for an easy grab and go.

Exterior Cell Phone Pocket , helps you locate your cell phone at all times while keeping it safe and secure.

Key Leash, means you’ll always know where your keys are and you can keep important keys, like the office keys, connected to your bag at all times.

Removable Crossbody Strap, means that you can adjust the comfort of your bag to suit your needs during travel while keeping it close and secure to your person.

Interior Zipper Pockets, built-in organization is always a plus. Interior pockets are great for keeping up with smaller items that you need to access frequently.

Credit Card Slot or Organizer, means you’ll never misplace the office supply rewards or your frequent flyer miles card again.

Water Bottle Holder, is useful for keeping you hydrated on long commutes.

Laptop Sleeve, a dedicated sleeve in your tote for a laptop is a game-changer. Sleeves like this are built to keep your laptop away from other items stored in your bag that could scratch or damage it. Plus, a sleeve makes it much easier to simply slide your laptop in and out of your bag when you need it!

Organization Is Key

A well-designed bag takes every aspect of our lives into account. Good design includes features that meld functioning necessities with luxury, ensuring that our mundane tasks are elevated yet usable

So much of our world and work is managed from our phones. Having an exterior cell phone pocket for you to quickly and safely store your smartphone to not only keep it safe from the elements but also shield it from pickpockets and yet be able to access it quickly is a must.

When it comes to organization, having a quick place to store and keep up with your rewards cards and even business expense credit cards that keeps them safe and secure is a major bonus.

But a lot of the organization comes down to the user. Investing thought and time into organizing your work life will not only help you be better at your job and keep your day running smoothly, but it will also help you take care of your beautiful designer bag.

How To Organize Your Tote For Your Best Work Life

Organizing your designer work bag and sticking to a regimen can mean the difference between chaos or calm and shave minutes, or even hours, off your day just knowing where everything is.

We’ve pulled together some of the best tips and tricks for organizing your bag to make your work-life a breeze.

Step One:

Take an inventory of everything you need from the office when you are not at the office.

This can be as boring as pens and paper clips, to a useful space for organizing your receipts, to as important as keeping up with the master office or supply closet key, to safely have room for carrying your laptop.

Items to consider:

Checkbook, for office bill pay or receivables.

Office Keys, so you can actually get into work.

Work Cell Phone , so you can stay connected and available when needed.

Receipt Organizer, to keep up with mileage, per diems, and office expenses.

Laptop, so you can transform just about any space into your office.

Daily Planner, so you can stay on top of your game and never miss a meeting.

Space for File Folder or Paperwork Current Projects, so you have your essential paperwork right when you need it.

A Few Pens, so you can jot notes, sign checks, or twiddle your thumbs while thinking through a concept.

Step Two:

You need to take an inventory of everything you need between work and home. You’ll definitely need your car keys and your personal cell phone and wallet.

Do you need a pair of slides so you can slip out of your high heels and comfortably hit the subway? Or how about a water bottle to keep you hydrated on the train? Do you need a place to carry a snack to get you through those energy slumps in the afternoon?

There are tons of items out there that could be useful, but you’ll need to figure out which items are most useful to you.

Personal items to consider:

Sunglasses, for those bright and early morning commutes.

Headphones and chargers, for Zoom calls and Spotify Playlists.

Emergency feminine products, for emergencies.

Perfume/body spray, to refresh after a presentation.

Small make-up kit, including only touch-up essentials and a pocket mirror.

Comfortable/foldable slide on shoes, to give your feet a break from uncomfortable work shoes.

A Snack, to help with the afternoon slump.

Personal Keys, so, you know, you can get into your house.

Personal Cell Phone, no need to state the obvious on this one.

Wallet, let’s hope no one would purposely leave their wallet at home.

This looks like a long list, but we guarantee that you are probably already haphazardly carrying this stuff and then some around with you now and are just not making it work.

Figuring out precisely what you need to have with you will help you choose a tote that’s right for your work-life.

Step Three:

Almost any tote can handle the hard job of organizing your work-life and you can organize any tote to corral and transport your mini office anywhere you need to go. Follow these steps to discern exactly what you have, what you need, and where it’s all going to go!

The first step is making sure the tote itself is big enough to hold your largest item. You should also make sure it has a pocket where you can tuck away emergency or rarely used necessities.

Then group the items into similar items.

Next, rate the items from 1-20 or 1-30 depending on how many things you have. Number one on the list is the most important, and number 20 being the least important.

Once you have your list, you can remove items from the bottom of the list that you rarely use and organize the remaining items even further into groups of similar items.

This will help reveal which items are essential and which items will find their homes in the prime real estate of your designer bag (built-in pockets and pouches) for your most-used items.

Step Four:

Once you have found homes for all your essential stuff, it’s now time to organize the least important items.

Small mesh zippered bags or make-up pouches work as great organizers, and having them in a variety of colors and patterns will help you remember where to find things and, most importantly, where to return them when you are done using them.

Don’t forget about your chargers and AirPods. There are clips and Velcro strips made just organizing your chargers and wires that can keep things tidy without adding bulk to your bag. Invest in some sleek cord organizers or use what you have on hand to get those wires back in line.

Once you organize all your work and life items into their little bags and clips, you’ll find they all fit in your tote quite nicely and function like the well organized drawers of a desk, and you’ll be able to tackle your work week head on!

A Tote Bag Is The Sum Of Its Parts

In conclusion, investing in a tote for work doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Quality and a size that works for your biggest items are your first jumping-off points.

From there, you’ll be able to consider the features that would be the most helpful for your workday and find the style and finishes that delight your senses.

At Hammitt, we take the guessing game of quality out of the picture. Our designer bags are built to last a lifetime, and we guarantee each and every one of our designs.

Of course, there will be wear and tear through regular use, and that’s where our Hammitt Promise breaks the mold. Any repair on the lining, zippers, d-rings, or grommets of your Hammitt bags are guaranteed for free repairs for life. We handle the tough stuff so you can keep on making magic at the office and rocking your work-life with the perfect accessory that works for you.

Sources:

https://www.businessinsider.com/15-things-every-woman-should-keep-in-her-work-bag-2017-9

https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/shoes-accessories/handbags/organize-bag-clever-items

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/get-organized-how-to-keep-a-neat-tech-bag