Handbags Purses Totes

Tote bags for dressing up or for casual occasions are available online. When you think of totebags, you probably think of canvas totes like the ones you take to the grocery store or to carry your lunch to work. But think again.

There are some gorgeous, classy tote bag designs available that will complement your dressier outfits, including a business suite. These tote handbags transfer well from business to casual, too, so you won’t have to change purses every time you change clothes.

Look for leather tote bags when you go handbag shopping online. The best ones have a fabric lining and plenty of compartments on the inside to hold small odds and ends. Many of these designs have slots to hold cards like your driver’s license and credit card, but you’ll probably prefer to carry a wallet inside the tote for your important cards and cash. Be sure to look for a wallet that matches the bag.

Closure styles can include zippers, a single snap in the center of the opening, or decorative fold-over flaps and buttons.

Leathers come in all colors, including black matte, black patent leather, many shades of brown, neutral tans, white, and some wonderful hot colors as well as pastels. You can buy your leather bag in a smooth finish, a textured finish like mock alligator, or distressed leather, which gives a more casual look.

Just about every handbag designer offers this style in their product line. Many of these bags are made with high-end fabrics instead of the very casual canvas construction that you’re used to seeing. The classic Luis Vuitton brown-on-brown fabric is available in a tote bag design, with four-figure price tag. If Vuitton is making these bags, then you know they’re a fashion statement that’s ready for prime time.

How big should a tote handbag be? Try to find a size that’s just big enough to hold a manila file folder and still shut. That way you can carry papers without bending them. You’ll probably want to get a larger size to carry things to the office in, but the larger size bags are more casual.

The beauty of these bags is that they hold more stuff than a purse, but they’re not clunky like a briefcase. You’ll find room for all the things you had to leave at home when you carried a smaller bag: your sunglasses, checkbook, extra makeup, and your cell phone or blackberry. No matter what size, color, or style you choose, the stylish tote bag is an idea whose time has come.