From sensible satchels to ludicrously capacious hold-alls, team IMAGE share their office bag recommendations.
Emily O’Neill, Marketing Account Executive
I parted ways with my favourite work/carryall bag before Christmas and haven’t found the right replacement just yet! The one bag I keep going back to have a look at is the Anxious Preoccupied Mid Sized Vegan Leather Bag. It is so practical yet so stylish. My only dilemma is what colour to choose! It looks like the type of bag that can hold your whole life in it and that’s what I’m here for!
Dominique McMullan, Editorial Director
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a PSA: office bags don’t have to be boring. I have the most boujee and beautiful office bag of all time and without fail, every single time I wear it, I feel better. In fact I feel great. I get compliments. It dresses up any outfit. It fits everything I need (laptop, charger, phone, notebook, make-up bag, the occasional pair of three-year-old pants, pack of WaterWipes, etc!). That’s not even the best bit – the bag is Irish. It’s the Large Crossbody Bow Navy Satin bag from August Night. If you have yet to introduce an August Night bag to your wardrobe, consider this as your sign.
Sarah Finnan, Deputy Digital Editor
Much as I’d love to have a very glam office bag, it’s just not realistic—mine is usually stuffed underneath me on the train or on the floor at events, so it needs to be hardwearing, which inevitably means that I have to sacrifice on style. At the moment, I use a Rains shoulder bag. It’s the perfect size, has a zip (which is key when you’re a regular on public transport and want to make it difficult for sticky fingers to root around inside) and is waterproof (again, essential in Ireland). My one gripe is that it’s difficult to keep clean; the material means that fingerprints show up easily, and I’ve yet to find a way to solve that problem, so any tips welcome!
Katie Brady, Marketing & Memberships Executive
I like a classic backpack to get me to and from the office hands free. I recently purchased the MSN Bag from Rains — where else?! It fits my laptop and there’s plenty of room for my lunch boxes and Keepcup to encourage me to be organised and meal prep (though this is not guaranteed, I still do my best!). The sleek finish and fun buckles at the front mean that I am far enough removed from my secondary school days of bulky school bags, but it’s still very practical.
Megan Burns, Editor, IMAGE Interiors; Deputy Editor, IMAGE Magazine
My office bag personality veers between “brings only the essentials” and “I could survive on what’s in here for days”. As I don’t live in Dublin, sometimes when I have to be there for a few days in a row, I end up carrying my life around, and when this is the case I turn to my Marc Jacobs The Leather Large Tote Bag. You can fit everything you could possibly need in here, and it has a zip and an inside pocket, so ticks all the practical boxes. I have on occasion filled it so I could barely lift it, but have never struggled to fit all my things in.
On my more pared-back days, I love a backpack for hands-free rushing around. I have a JW Anderson canvas backpack (similar to this one) that always gets lots of compliments, and adds a nice fashion edge to even a boring outfit. I also have a leather Cambridge Satchel backpack that I’ve had for years. It looks brand new, despite getting plenty of use, and even being my bag of choice when cycling to work for several years. It’s this style, although mine is a pale grey/blue colour with brown straps – I cannot tell you how many times people have stopped me in the street to ask where it’s from.
Sarah Gill, Features Editor, IMAGE.ie
The current victim of my office paraphernalia and general clutter is a quilted leopard print shoulder bag from M&S bought a couple of years back. It fits everything I need for a day in Dublin—my laptop, chargers, make-up bag, book, water bottle, copious amounts of snacks for the train—and manages to keep it all enclosed and dry with just a magnetic clasp. I love her dearly, but she has become worn and grubby and needs to be relegated from ‘office bag’ to ‘grocery shopping bag’.
Though it would be much more sensible for me to invest in some sort of sturdy rucksack to give my back a fighting chance, or at least a bag that’s waterproof with a zip, I can’t help lusting after this denim hold-all from Stable of Ireland. I’ve never once in my life travelled light, so I do believe that capaciousness trumps practicality where bags are concerned.
Amber O’Shea, Social Media Manager
Having a good bag for the office is essential and it’s still something I haven’t found. I’m that person who has three bags on at all times but praying for the day that I can fit everything in one. One thing for certain is that I want a minimal bag with loads of pockets and zips inside so I can organise it carefully. But I am also on the lookout for the perfect minimal Mary Poppins bag… so far I have my eyes on this Vegan Midi Pyramid bag from KAAI, this Anya Hindmarch tote, and both the Sigrid Hobo Bag and the Ellis Tote Bag from Charles & Keith.
Shayna (Sappington) Healy, Branded Content Editor & Wedding Content Writer
If you’re looking for a Mary Poppins bag with loads of hidden pockets, then I’d highly recommend this Kate Spade satchel. Before this gem came into my life, I only had an array of smaller bags for nights out but I wanted a spacious option for office days where I might need to fit bits for after-work touch-ups.
With plenty of room and inside pockets for easy access, I can throw in the kitchen sink – my make-up, hairbrush, lipsticks, hand cream, wallet, headphones, a book for the train, and, of course, my extensive collection of lip balms. There’s even an outer pocket for your phone so you don’t have to unzip your purse every time you want to check it. Plus, it’s cream and hazelnut hues pair perfectly with any outfit.
Leonie Corcoran, Business Editor
Some of the best bags I own were not originally mine… as such. My vintage Hermès travel bag (Mum found it too heavy, I found it irresistible), my Miu Miu Adventure (ditto) and my orange Roka Bantry mini-backpack. All have doubled as office bags, but after recently discovering a photo of me carrying two foster puppies in Miu Miu, I decided I really should take better care of them, so it’s all about Roka.
I have been trying not to carry too much to meetings and on work trips as I grow the baby bump so the Roka offers just the right amount of space, security and weather-proof protection. My laptop fits in snugly under the zip, iPad in the padded pocket, and there is an easy-to-access outer pocket. It’s more hiker-y than some would like, but I love that style, the colour and that it has a high percentage of recycled materials. And, writing this means I have officially rehomed it. Thanks Mum!
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