My 4 Most Carried Handbags

Beyond reading reviews and watching videos about bags, I think it’s really important to consider which bags people actually carry on a regular basis. This blog post is about my most-carried bags; the bag’s I reach for day after day. In my collection, I have four bags that I carry regularly.

Louis Vuitton Alma BB in Epi Leather

The Alma BB is by far my most used bag of all my designer bags (and my most expensive). I bought my Alma BB on Fashionphile as a wedding gift to myself to bring on our honeymoon. It’s now the bag I carry most days.

I know what you’re thinking, “But isn’t it A BABY? Like, SMALL AS EFF?”

Surprisingly, not really. That said, I do travel extremely light: I only carry my phone, card case, Port & Polish pillbox, lipstick, and keys… but it fits all of that and more. I like that I can carry it across my chest or on my shoulder or in my hands or on the crook of my arm. It never gets heavy. It’s luxurious (it is Louis Vuitton, after all) and I love that it doesn’t scream LV.

Why I like it: goes with everything, can be dressed up or down, silver hardware, crossbody or top handle, structured shape, durable leather (rain resistant), zips closed

Proenza Schouler PS11 Tiny in Linosa Leather

I fell in love with the Proenza Schouler PS11 the moment I laid eyes on it in the handbag department at Nordstrom. The Tiny version is a shrunk down version with a square shape and crossbody strap. I like carrying it when I want my outfit to be a little more edgy because of its shiny inverted stud hardware. It doesn’t carry very much (just my phone, card case and keys), but I really love how it looks and how durable the leather is. Linosa leather is an embossed leather, similar to Epi leather, which means it’s extra durable and water resistant.

Why I like it: small crossbody, shiny bold hardware, looks good in pictures, durable leather, it’s beautiful

Mansur Gavriel Mini Bucket Bag

The backstory: The Mansur Gavriel Mini Bucket Bag was the ‘it bag’ in 2014. As the recession healed, this minimal-looking luxury bag by two American Designers for an approachable price point came on the market and the handbag world freaked out. As one of the first millennial brands to understand the concept of the the drop, Mansur Gavriel bucket bags were put on sale on random days (annouced via email or press release), and they would sell out immediately. This scarcity caused such a frenzy that even luxury resellers like Yoogi’s Closet and Fashionphile decided to sell them too.

So, naturally, I needed to see what all the buzz was about. I picked up a well used cognac leather bucket bag to see how I liked it. After a trip to Mexico with it, I realized that I needed it in black ASAP. I scoured the internet, and eventually bought one off a woman on PurseForum who saw my ISO (in search of) post about black leather with a silver interior. I don’t love that it scratches easily, but I realized that with every noticable scratch is a memory, so it’s fine.

Why I like it: crossbody, large enough to hold my iPad Pro and a small water bottle, it’s beautiful

Cuyana Tote

Every handbag carrying person needs a nice tote bag, and mine is a Cuyana Classic Tote. It’s a plain leather tote with no bells and whistles, it’s just a good tote. I also ordered a felt organizer from Amazon to give it a more structured appearance. I grab this tote when I need to bring my laptop anywhere or if I know I need to carry a bunch of stuff. It doesn’t close, but Cuyana does make a zip top version.

Why I like it: it’s nice leather tote that fits my laptop! I don’t ask for much here.

Looking at my collection and identifying the needs each bag fulfills allows me to identify gaps too. I don’t really have a fancy bag. (Likely because I don’t really ever get fancy?). I’d really like another medium-large bag in another silhouette and a medium-sized flap bag.

What are your most carried bags? Let me know in the comments!