Just what are the essentials for work bags that make the cut?

No matter your line of work, it is a given that you need a good work bag. A work bag must be many things– a utilitarian workhorse, a chic bag that works just as well after hours, a handy place to stow your lunch, a tech bag, and your workaday purse for the essentials you may need. And it has to be sturdy, super cool, works with all possible outfits, and, of course, it should also be the most excellent accessory around. Roundly, the right bag can make your day, while the wrong bag can set you up for a disaster. No pressure, but you better get it right.

The essential work bag must combine form and function into one. It must be comfortable to wear–no digging into your shoulders. You need this bag to go with everything because you’re not going to be swapping things in and out of different bags to coordinate with what you’re wearing that day. The straps also need to be long enough–no handheld work bags thank you.

Of course, you are probably looking for a more sustainable choice in your work bag as well. Whether something made from sustainably sourced canvas, made with repurposed leather, or built to last forever, you want a more environmentally aware choice. We get it. You want your work bag to be essentially your everything.

5 Sustainable Work Bags to Inspire

1. Felt and Leather Tote – This bag is made from upcycled materials by Looptworks, a company that has pioneered an environmentally friendly approach to product design and production. The mix of a bold design in grey and black is a slam duck in the style department, too.

2. The Carrier – Made of durable waxed canvas, this bag from Moop is a workhorse. The clean lines and utilitarian function of this large tote style bag make it both versatile and stylish. Available in three different colorways.

3. Knitla – The Matt & Nat brand is committed to not using leather or any other animal-based materials in their vegan designs. This satchel style bag, which is available in seven neutral colors, can be carried by the handle drops or with a removable crossbody strap.

4. Manhattan Tote – Timbuk2 bags are designed to last a lifetime. The bags are made with materials that are tough enough for whatever life throws at you, and they even offer a lifetime warranty for defects or tragic fails. Can’t beat that. This tote is made from waxed canvas with leather accents.

5. Avery Tote – Go Forth Goods strives to make timeless, functional bags that are made to last. The company has a commitment to hand making high-quality American-made leather goods with simple designs and practical functionality. We are smitten.

Related on EcoSalon

The Ultimate List of Sustainable Handbag Designers (From A-Z)
9 Vegan Handbags to Take Your Spring Look From Drab to Fab
Handbags Born of Old Leather Jackets

Commuting Woman on Bike Image via Shutterstock

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Add one (or all) of these quirky fashion bags to your closet.

Whether you call them bags, purses, handbags, or what have you, some of us just aren’t into the whole “designer” fashion bag thing. It isn’t that we don’t like making a statement with our choice of bag, but we don’t want that statement to be how much money we spent (or wasted, depending on your point of view). Instead, we prefer to show off our quirky, one-of-a-kind style with offbeat fashion bags. Just think of us as the quirky Andie Walsh from “Pretty in Pink” and if you don’t know who that is–go watch the movie immediately!

Whether you are into vintage leather, prefer cruelty-free, desire making an artistic statement, or just love interesting forms and functions, there’s a bag for you on on this list of quirky fashion bags.

Offbeat & Quirky Fashion Bags

1. Wooden Fashion Bag – Made to order handmade wooden bag in oak, mahogany, leather,  and cork. This pretty and functional design is inspired by furniture design.

2. Leopard Oversized Handbag – Oversized bag with a different take on an iconic print, but with a quirky, modern twist. From Little Moose.

3. Bold Leather Tote – Get bold with this one-off patchwork black and Champagne gold leather tote from Flowie.

4. Chevron Olivia Bag – One-of-a-kind chevron striped fabric bag for those who want to forego leather. It’s handmade in Italy.

5. Nikki McCLure Mushroom Tote – Wear a bit of art on your arm with this unique mushroom art bag from artist Nikki McClure. It’s printed on 100% recycled fabric.

6. Initial Clutch – Go big on style or just don’t play with this navy and bright yellow patent leather clutch. Handmade in the UK by French & English Confectioners.

7. Nutkin Squirrel Handbag – This fabric shoulder bag is totally adorkable. From Little Odd Forest.

8. Cat Bag – Show off your inner crazy cat lady with this felted handbag.

9. Round Shoulder Bag – If you are into interesting forms, try this cocoon or pod-like leather cross body bag in nude leather. You will not run into anyone else who has this bag!

10. Fold Over Clutch – We really love this wool and leather oversized foldover clutch bag from Vital Temptation in Brooklyn.

11. Vinyl Clutch – Choose your color and choose your style with these vinyl clutches from MeDusaBrandfrom Tel Aviv.

Related on EcoSalon

The Ultimate List of Sustainable Handbag Designers (From A-Z)

It’s in the Bag: 7 Vegan and Eco-Friendly Handbags

DIY: 10 Things To Make From Plastic Bags

Image: Young Woman With Bag via Shutterstock

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Ten pretty little clutches that you can easily make at home.

The clutch is, without a doubt, this fall’s it-bag. Instead of dropping major dough on one, revamp one that you already have or make one yourself from scratch. Here are ten of our favorite DIY clutch projects, some which require as little as tape and spray paint.

Placemat Clutch
Sometimes you come across things that are so brilliant in their simplicity that you can’t believe you never thought of it yourself. This DIY placemat clutch by Vannalisa Scafaria is such a thing. Of course a placemat would make an excellent clutch!

Miniaudiere with Golden Horse
Sometimes elaborate parties call for desperate measures. This DIY tutorial by Trinkets in Bloom shows you how to turn a humble sunglasses case and plastic toy horse into a glamorous miniaudiere fit for the Kentucky Derby. Pretty brilliant.

Glitter Bow Clutch
Fall is all about glitter and adornment, in every which way. This tutorial by The World is My Oyster shows you how to make a glam glitter bow clutch inspired by a Betsey Johnson bag. We think it would be perfect for all those holiday parties you will soon be attending.

Gold Colorblock Clutch
Colorblocking is still going strong this fall, but try metallics to give the look a bit of an update. Transforming an old clutch into a fashion-forward statement can be as easy as spraypaint and tape. Have a look at this tutorial by I Spy DIY for some pointers on how to do it right.

Handcuff Clutch
Are you one of those people who constantly misplace your pretty little clutch wherever you go? In that case, this DIY handcuff clutch by A Matter of Style, inspired by Louis Vuitton’s fall accessory collection, may be just the thing.

Knuckle Duster Clutch
Sometimes runway style can be so easy to achieve with some patience and glue. Case in point, this knuckle duster clutch tutorial by (studs and pearls) shows you how to make your own version of that gorgeous Alexander McQueen version.

Envelope Clutch
Some time ago, I started noticing people at different fashion weeks carrying laptop cases as clutches. It was a curious trend, perhaps brought on by necessity, but then laptop cases started getting more stylish too. This DIY envelope clutch by Swellmayde works really well as an oversize clutch, but play around with the measurements and I think it could make an excellent laptop case too.

Bell Clutch
Inspired by a Christian Louboutin clutch, this little DIY number by Carry on… Carry on… really lets you attend your next party with bells on. It’s a bit time consuming, but once done, the end result is quite stunning, as not as loud as you may think.

Book Clutch
We love the nerd chic appeal of these quirky book clutches that started popping up here and there a while back. It makes you look smart and bookish and can perhaps even protect you against purse snatchers. This tutorial by Runway DIY shows you how to make your own version, using your favorite high-brow piece of literature, of course.

Woven Clutch
Woven bags just have this sophisticated air about them. This tutorial by Burda Style shows you how to weave pieces of faux leather together to create a nicely textured bag. People won’t believe you actually made it.

The post DIY: 10 Pretty Little Clutches appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnThanks, I brought my hands.

Hi, I’m Sara, and I don’t use bags. Oh, sometimes I use my bags, I just don’t use yours. San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Dallas, everywhere I go, I’m not bagging it. Today’s message comes to you from Cape Cod, where I’m embedded with EcoSalon’s DuFault unit, also not-a-bagger. Here, we’ve been eyed suspiciously for buying not one but four avocados and plopping them into a roomy handbag instead of a plastic sack. We’ve bought and returned a sweater without a bag, picked up new earbuds without a bag, even bought a battery – all without a bag.

Sometimes there’s no escaping the bag, even when you bring your own. Social mores ensure that the bottle of wine picked up on the way to the dinner party be brown-bagged inside your bag. At least they don’t try to bag the housewarming orchids at most stores. But on those inevitable days where I forget my Envirosax or my swag of bag from the latest green event, and I’m not in the mood to go fetch it, I simply go bag free. I endure the social ostracism in the name of toned upper arms in addition to my environmental sensitivity.

This concerns people, who, it turns out, really believe in bagging things. I’ve learned even picking up truffles sans-sack warrants a stare, never mind that the chocolate comes in a bag already. Walking down the aisles holding my geranium dish soap, a Pink Lady apple, brie and head of dino kale, you’d think I was juggling obese ferrets on a Ritalin bender. “Do you want a bag? A basket? Hey, how about a cart?” a stock boy will ask, hoping I’m not about to throw a ferret at the wall or launch into my life story. Some days, I want to reassuringly scream, “Hey, guy? I’m not crazy lady!” but restrain myself, knowing this will hardly help my case. What happened to carrying things with our actual arms? Stocking up for the Superbowl I get. You’re going to need a bag or five, maybe even a cart. Stocking up for a wild night of pear and spring greens with goat cheese for dinner? I rest my case.

Most of the time, I’m just amused by how relentless the bag pushers are. Rather than sigh in irritation during my moments of canvas bag forgetfulness, I’ve actually taken to forgetting my reusable bags on purpose just to see if I can be allowed out of the store without a bag for my chives or new d’Orsays. No one has called me crazy to my face. But their eyes say it all.

Don’t take my word for it. You, too, can enjoy confused stares and with any luck, mild arguments.

I can report that the box that was once bulging with pretty gray Restoration Hardware bags and shiny Annual Event sacks is down to just one lonely, wrinkled Fred Segal bag, with no plans to refill. I don’t even get the occasional paper bag “for the recycling” anymore; the bin is outside my front door, and it occurred to me recently that the connection between bagging recyclables for a nine yard walk to the bin and my ever-hopeful aspiring muffin top was more than a little coincidental.

A jug of organic tea, the fresh bundle of tulips, a bag of Feline Pine, a bar of paper-wrapped grapefruit-scented vegetable soap, actual grapefruits: all perfectly capable of getting home without a bag, though you will need hands or the crook of an elbow. Considering the facts on bags, though, there’s really never an excuse to use one in the event you forget your own. You can ask for the paper bags, but if you’re only picking up a few things, why not toss them into your purse or better yet, work those biceps.

Most things, it turns out, just don’t need bags. Why, for example, does a handle of bananas need its own bag, as a recent cashier insisted? I know conventional banana skins are teeming with pesticides but I think the carton of cream can handle cozy company with some organic bananas for the three-minute journey home.

If all the bagging is any indication, humans are pathetically fragile. And if individual items such as detergent and multivitamins are so toxic they need their own baggage, why are we putting them on and in our bodies at all?

Being a resident of San Francisco, I seem to end up at Mollie Stone’s more than I’d like. It’s a grocery store chain that cannot decide if it wants to be Whole Foods or Safeway, and ends up failing at both. (The prices are high and the quality is notoriously inconsistent.) But I am at least morally outraged by the baggers at Mollie Stone’s, who are customer-service-hellbent on bagging things in as many layers of bags as possible, and that counts for something. Think the already-bagged baguette doesn’t need its own bag inside your bag? Think again. That hormone-free rotisserie chicken in the sealed plastic suitcase? Unless you insist, and sometimes anyway, that chicken is getting its own bag.

Whatever happened to wrapping things in twine and brown paper, or just…well, holding them? In a short 40 years of convenience plastic, we’ve become hooked on bagging it. Double bagging it, as if we need one for the road. Separating food from cosmetics, soap from sundries, categorizing our consumption in concentric rounds of poly. If you’ve stopped the bottle, it’s time to stop the bag, too.

This is the latest installment in your editor’s column, The Insider’s Guide to Life, exploring topics such as media, culture, sex, politics, and anything else. Cheers and spellcheck!

Image: taberandrew

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With technology accompanying us wherever we go, more and more companies are realizing that we need stylish protection for them.

Matt & Nat, known by many in the sustainable community for their vegan handbags and accessories, has collaborated with Apple to give us the techy style we so crave.

The inspiration behind the Apple collection is “hinged by both clean architecture and functionality,” says their site.

With four “design-centric shapes,” the collection is made from vegan leather and the lining is 100 percent recycled suede. Bags to suit your ever-connected lifestyle include laptop and netbook sleeves as well as shoulder and messenger bags to hold all your gadgets.

The bags also have custom pockets for Apple accessories, including MacBooks, iPods, iPhones, and in the larger bags, iPads. The bags are available in four different colors, including black, teal, red, and gunmetal.

You can purchase these items from Matt & Nat and from the Apple store.

The post Matt & Nat Take a Bite of the Apple appeared first on EcoSalon.

Cool temperatures request even cooler accessories to accent bundled layers. This fall it is all about the bag! We’ve got you covered with eco-alternatives for every shape and size of the go-to handbag making its fall debut.

1. Oversized upcycled leather hobo from The Sway NYC.

2. Tote around town with Evolve 45’s vegetable tanned leather.

3. An upcycled jacket lined with organic cotton becomes the new ‘It’ satchel from ReMade USA.

4. Matt & Nat deliver yet another trend setter with their bucket style bag and chain handle detail.

5. The carry all companion from Sonya Kashmiri is perfect for an overnight expedition or some extra room for your gym clothes.

Sustainably focused and stylishly designed – who wouldn’t want to flaunt a bit of arm candy this fall?

The post Bags o’ Plenty: 5 Trendy Bags to Carry This Fall appeared first on EcoSalon.

Heading to the farmers’ market? Remember last time when your arm went numb, laden with a heavy bag filled with your bountiful purchases? I’ve often pondered the dilemma facing market shoppers – particularly my own frustration regarding “the bag” issue. One way or another, I don’t bring enough bags or the ones I’ve brought are not the right kind, and I end up stumbling around, dropping produce and my wallet or over-using the plastic ones they provide (assuming they’re provided).

It seems I’m not alone. Dubbed the “World’s First Farmer’s Market Backpack,” the Cornucopia Bag by Betabrands in San Francisco has been designed just for this purpose. The backpack includes numerous compartments for separating items, as well as a strap to easily hold it from the top. It has a money pocket as well as a laptop sleeve for multi-functional use. The bag is only available online and sells for $120. Additional information along with videos can be found on the Betabrands website.

By the way, that’s not all. Check out their other products, such as the Karate Casual Pants, Sons of Britches, and Gluttony Pants. I haven’t had the opportunity to try out any of these lovely items yet myself, but you have to hand it to Betabrands – they’re abuzz with creative energies.

The post World’s First Farmers’ Market Backpack: The Cornucopia Bag appeared first on EcoSalon.

Inhale, exhale, because you’ve done the right thing by toting your reusable shopping bags on all of your grocery shopping trips. But if you’re anything like me, or 97 percent of the people who participated in a recent research study conducted by the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University, you’ve never washed your reusable bags, and there’s a good chance they’re contaminated with E. coli or other bacteria.

Before reading about this study’s findings, it hadn’t dawned on me that I needed to launder my reusable bags on a weekly basis, as researchers suggest. In hindsight, it seems obvious. I type this as my reusable sidekicks air dry after their inaugural wash. And I’m sure you’ll want to be near your washing machine after learning the following facts.

Researchers note, “Our findings suggest a serious threat to public health, especially from coliform bacteria including E. coli, which were detected in half of the bags sampled, bacteria levels found in reusable bags were significant enough to cause a wide range of serious health problems and even death. They are a particular danger for young children, who are especially vulnerable to food-borne illnesses.”

The good news is, a thorough washing will kill nearly all of the bacteria that accumulates in reusable shopping bags. Other tips that bring-your-own-bags consumers may benefit from in the quest to keep it clean:

• Separate raw foods from other food products when packing bags.
• Specify reusable bags for individual purposes to avoid cross-contamination. I.e: have a set for groceries only, a set for library books, a set for gym gear, etc.
• “Do not store meat or produce in the trunk of your car, because higher temperatures promote the growth of bacteria, which can contaminate reusable bags.”

Image: tyger_lyllie

The post Your Reusable Grocery Bags May be Packed with Bacteria appeared first on EcoSalon.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.” While Franklin might not have foreseen the attachment future Americans would have to their accessories, the Peasants and Travelers’ cork Doctor’s Bag confirms wine is a gift that keeps on giving.

Peasants and Travelers, a two-year-old accessories label, released the cork version of their venerable Doctor’s Bag design for spring 2010. Owner and designer, Jee Kim, had discovered a swatch of the unexpected material during a trip to Asia. While it intrigued her, she wasn’t sure how she could use it. The sojourn was a break from her steady climb up the ranks of fashion with stops at Gucci, Neiman Marcus, and Banana Republic. But, once she was settled back in San Francisco and working on her new line of bags, she remembered it and decided it would be perfect for crafting a bag.

Made from remnants of wine bottle corks from Portugal that have been smashed down and laminated to retain surface flexibility, Kim says the resulting material, “is waterproof and apparently, floatable.” Although, she doesn’t advise you attempt setting your bag to sail to test it.

Cork has enjoyed a resurgence of late in home interiors and has long been accessible in the shoe industry as wedges, heels, and espadrilles, but what is so unexpected is the luxe and highly refined character it lends the bags.

A good thing gets around fast. It caught the eye of curators at New York’s MoMA who then featured a whole series of cork made accessories by Pelcor, a global cork fashion brand in Portugal, for their “Destination Portugal” exhibit which opened in May.

Our editor-in-chief, Sara Ost, was similarly entranced when she saw the Doctor’s Bag at SF’s Thread show a few weeks ago. Kim offers, “It has a fashion forward look, which you wouldn’t expect. People are so intrigued when they see it in person.” “Its appeal is unisex” says Kim, with men and women coveting its “classic style with a modern interpretation.”

The design is as efficient as it is eye-catching. It’s roomy and travels well, fitting into an overhead storage locker or under the plane seat. It’s part of Peasants and Travelers’ urbane villager line, which includes the paper tote bag, a larger weekender, and an oversized envelope that fits an iPad perfectly.

Nearly every inch of Peasants and Travelers’ bags are composed of reclaimed materials ranging from recycled cork to the repurposed cotton-dress shirt gingham lining “that, unlike nylon linings that rip and tear, gets softer with use”, enthuses Kim. The bags are BPA, phthalate and lead free but their most impressive green credential according to Kim is its longevity – “when you adore something, you won’t want to throw it away.”

Available at 10 locations, including Urban Outfitters.

The post Crush and Carry: Bags Made from Recycled Cork appeared first on EcoSalon.

‘It’ bags are so passé, but stocking your closet with a few good shapes and sizes is not. One bag you may want to add to your collection is the bucket bag. Relaxed and luxe at the same time, this drawstring topper is the perfect accomplice to summertime dressing. Pair it with a tank dress and flats or leggings and a long layered vest.

You know it is a classic when you can buy a vintage version from Chanel. Or, if you want a more updated bag take a look at Matt & Nat or Imitation and Disguise – both advocate natural dying processes.

Have some fun updating your summer wardrobe with a bag that not everyone will have.

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