Tote-ally

The non-bag girl's guide to the only bag worth owning

As much as my style has changed and evolved over time, one thing remains constant: I’m not a purse girl.

Sure I can appreciate a pretty purse but I’ve never really been tempted into spending thousands on a designer bag. I totally understand the appeal of a beautifully constructed purse. And I certainly don’t have a problem with people investing in a purse seeing as women carry half their lives in the bags. I’ve just always been much more of a shoe gal myself.

I will invest in shoes. I will buy too many shoes.

AND YET… I know that a great bag can really contribute to a great outfit. So what’s a non-bag girl to do?

My answer to the question is kind of having a moment despite being simple: a tote. The tote is the non-bag girl's secret weapon; endlessly versatile, never trying too hard, and available in so many varieties that you can find one that suits nearly any occasion.

The tote’s cultural credibility got a major boost starting in 2024 when L.L. Bean’s Boat and Tote went viral; turns out people will lose their minds over a $50 canvas bag if it’s monogrammed with something cheeky enough. But it doesn’t stop there.

via IG (this entire account is gold)

A tote is defined as any large (generally unstructured) bag with an open top and two parallel handles. It’s not fussy and that’s exactly why it works so well.

A tote feels like the ideal bag for women who don’t want to think too hard about purses but loves what a bag can add to a look. Practically, it can carry everything and, sartorially, it can go with almost everything.

Let’s visit our hero, in her different contexts…

The Leather Tote

Rewind almost 15 years and find my entry to tote bags! I wanted a bag to go along with my new job and I bought myself the Madewell Transport Tote. My transport tote was carried around the world on travels to so many different countries and it got better with wear as the leather softened.

baby Kelly lost in Bern, Switzerland (please note the incredibly tight jeans (NOT LEGGINGS!) of 2015)

A nice tote like this can fit a laptop and a change of shoes for commuting to work. FWIW, there are gorgeous designer leather totes too but the beauty is that you don’t have to drop major money unless you want to. Nowadays, when I want a leather bag, I carry this Oleada leather bag that converts from a tote to a clutch (and a million other silhouettes in-between). The brand kindly offered 15% off purchases using KELLY15.

CLOCKWISE: TWIST & LOCK BAG // CONVERTIBLE TOTE (KELLY15 for 15% off) // BROWN SMALL WEAVE TOTE // NAVY WIDE WEAVE TOTE

Of course, leather doesn't have to be smooth. Bottega Veneta built an entire empire on their intrecciato weave (their signature hand-woven leather). Dragon Diffusion offers textured leather at a friendlier price point. Raffia and even mesh totes the same visual interest at a fraction of the price, and with an ease that feels made for warmer weather. Which leads perfectly to the next iteration…

The Textured Tote

A few weeks ago I wrote about the role texture plays in a great summer outfit and, truthfully, I’ve been on a journey searching for the perfect woven tote for this exact reason. Raffia bags have been on the top of my mind but I’ve been equally tempted by mesh totes.

I love this sold out Loewe bag (although this one looks pretty similar)

Both raffia and mesh check the texture box I wrote about; that quality of doing the work in a summer outfit that layers do in winter. The difference is in the mood they create. Raffia feels natural and relaxed, a little beachy even when I live in Colorado. Beaded bags give elevated boho. A mesh bag is cooler, more unexpected; a little edgy (especially the metal mesh bags that I keep seeing). Honestly, I might just need one of each.

MISMATCH EARRINGS // TOP // AURATE GEMSTONE EARRINGS (MIDIMALIST20 for 20% off) // JEANS // MESH TOTE (it’s giving Zoe Kravitz carrying The Row, but this one is priced better) // PAPER TOTE // SANDALS

Which, honestly, leads me to one of the major reasons I love totes so much: they are easily interchangeable. Since there are few zippers to hunt through, no structured compartments to figure out or unpack, you just grab your wallet and move it (FWIW I like organizing with pouches like this. My latest addition to my purse pouch is this fragrance set. Shout out to my friend, Leah for wearing “I Don’t Know What” around me and dealing with my effusive compliments). 30 seconds to switch from leather tote on Monday to raffia on Saturday.

The Color Tote

Here's where totes really earn their place in my Midimalist wardrobe: color and pattern. A printed or colored tote is one of the easiest ways to add some visual interest without overthinking it. I can keep my outfit neutral and add a fun bag. AND because totes are generally low-investment, it's an easy place to take a risk.

As I’ve slowly become more of a color-person, I’ve found that accessories were the easiest place for me to play. I’ve created quite a collection of totes that add color or pattern in ways that can take a neutral outfit and zhuzh it up.

HALTER TOP // DENIM // FLIP FLOPS // TOTE

GREY HOODIE // SHORTS (ALT) // SHOES // TOTE // TANK* // NECKLACE

NECKLACE // BUTTON DOWN // TOTE (I also have this one in leopard and it’s my go-to travel bag) // PANTS (but, wait, I saw these and they look very cool for summer) // SHOES

So there you have it; the non-bag girl's entire philosophy, in three totes. One that means business, one that brings the texture, one that brings the fun (Zara’s tote collection is quite good right now for all three categories). You don't need a big bag collection (or a fancy one) and the best part is when you find the totes that work for you, switching between them takes thirty seconds. Which leaves you plenty of time to think about shoes 😉

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Speaking of shoes; last summer I spent a lot of time and energy thinking (and writing) about shoes.

In case you missed it, for the month of June, my Fixated On section is dedicated to sharing archived posts that deserve a second (or third) read. I’m running a promotion for the month of June that grants you access to my archive for 50% off my normal paid subscription cost.

I hope you’ll consider upgrading and you can start you Midimalist archive read with these three posts. This two part series on summer shoes that began as a question for truly walkable summer shoes;

Part two;

Or this collaboration I did with the brilliant Joyce Lee on- what we dubbed- the Interesting Shoe Theory;

Thanks for reading!

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