Suggestions for Grad Present/Work Bag

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puppyfriend

Member
Mar 12, 2016
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#1
Hi TPFers! I'm graduating medical school this spring and going into residency. I'm in the process of saving to buy myself a graduation present, and I want it to be a durable, understated, everyday work bag. I need it to be big enough to carry a large amount of stuff (think sweater, water bottle, occasionally laptop, snacks, etc) as well as the necessities. I definitely need a shoulder carry option (so no hand-carry only) and crossbody is a plus but not a must-have. I want it to be professional and relatively understated (I think LV monogram would be a little too conspicuous, but DE is fine) and most importantly, hard-wearing. I'm thinking a large satchel or tote would be best. My budget is $2-3k but I would probably go up to $4k if I found something I really loved. Pre-owned is also totally fine with me. Here are some bags I was considering:

LV Neverfull MM (in DE)
LV Totally MM (in DE)
Fendi 2Jours
Nina Ricci Marche
Givenchy Antigona Medium (I've heard the shoulder strap isn't the best)
Saint Laurent Sac De Jour
Hermes Bolide (would have to buy pre-loved and get very lucky)
Mansur Gavriel Lady in Saffiano
Faure Le Page Daily Battle 37
Chloe Marcie
Chloe Lexa medium
Celine Belt

I would love to hear your opinions/suggestions/experiences with these bags or any others you think would make good work bags for a young, bag-obsessed professional. I've looked at a lot of work bag threads and there are a lot of Kate Spade/Tory Burch/Longchamp suggestions, but I'm really looking for something that feels really special to me. Thanks :smile:
 
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#2
puppyfriend said:
Hi TPFers! I'm graduating medical school this spring and going into residency. I'm in the process of saving to buy myself a graduation present, and I want it to be a durable, understated, everyday work bag. I need it to be big enough to carry a large amount of stuff (think sweater, water bottle, occasionally laptop, snacks, etc) as well as the necessities. I definitely need a shoulder carry option (so no hand-carry only) and crossbody is a plus but not a must-have. I want it to be professional and relatively understated (I think LV monogram would be a little too conspicuous, but DE is fine) and most importantly, hard-wearing. I'm thinking a large satchel or tote would be best. My budget is $2-3k but I would probably go up to $4k if I found something I really loved. Pre-owned is also totally fine with me. Here are some bags I was considering:

LV Neverfull MM (in DE)
LV Totally MM (in DE)
Fendi 2Jours
Nina Ricci Marche
Givenchy Antigona Medium (I've heard the shoulder strap isn't the best)
Saint Laurent Sac De Jour
Hermes Bolide (would have to buy pre-loved and get very lucky)
Mansur Gavriel Lady in Saffiano
Faure Le Page Daily Battle 37
Chloe Marcie
Chloe Lexa medium
Celine Belt

I would love to hear your opinions/suggestions/experiences with these bags or any others you think would make good work bags for a young, bag-obsessed professional. I've looked at a lot of work bag threads and there are a lot of Kate Spade/Tory Burch/Longchamp suggestions, but I'm really looking for something that feels really special to me. Thanks :smile:
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Have you considered the Mulberry Bayswater or the Saint Laurent tote? The Saint Laurent Shopping tote is about the same price point as the Louis Vuitton Neverfull, but in my opinion has a much cleaner, more elegant shape, and it's more understated. The Mulberry Bayswater holds up like a tank, never personally owned the SL.
 
#3
aderynamara said:
Have you considered the Mulberry Bayswater or the Saint Laurent tote? The Saint Laurent Shopping tote is about the same price point as the Louis Vuitton Neverfull, but in my opinion has a much cleaner, more elegant shape, and it's more understated. The Mulberry Bayswater holds up like a tank, never personally owned the SL.
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Ooh, those are great suggestions! I will definitely add them to my list :smile: Do you think the Saint Laurent tote would hold up well? I'm not very familiar with their products.
 
#4
puppyfriend said:
Ooh, those are great suggestions! I will definitely add them to my list :smile: Do you think the Saint Laurent tote would hold up well? I'm not very familiar with their products.
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One of the bloggers I follow, Amie of Chase Amie, has a review here: http://chaseamie.blogspot.com/2016/09/lv-neverfull-saint-laurent-tory-burch.html

A friend of mine also has one and has been using it for 2 years of college, looks pretty good. Another suggestion that I unfortunately also do not own is the Dior Diorissimo as a tote option, or the Dior Diorever as a classier handbag with shoulder strap option. Happy hunting! Can't wait to see what you get :smile:
 
#5
aderynamara said:
One of the bloggers I follow, Amie of Chase Amie, has a review here: http://chaseamie.blogspot.com/2016/09/lv-neverfull-saint-laurent-tory-burch.html

A friend of mine also has one and has been using it for 2 years of college, looks pretty good. Another suggestion that I unfortunately also do not own is the Dior Diorissimo as a tote option, or the Dior Diorever as a classier handbag with shoulder strap option. Happy hunting! Can't wait to see what you get :smile:
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Oh gosh I love this blog... I've been looking for a blog exactly like it. Thanks so much for the suggestions!
 
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#6
Hi!
Congratiulations for the graduation and stepping in to the world of medicine.You definetly need to reward you
Your budget is nice, you could split it or then get one.
Bolide would be exellent choice, also Fendi Peekaboo might be really nice. I have noticed, that I avoid more hand carried bags, while working at the university hospital, because I needed more my hands free.Now working at the private clinic, I dont need to consider that. The only problem is that if you have one expencive bag, like the Bolide, are you sure you will get it in safe locked place at work. All you options are nice.Hard to choose
 
#8
Hey, congratulations! I'm a surgeon myself, and finished residency about 10 years ago. My piece of advice is that (at least for surgery residency), it may be wise to get a workhorse bag rather than a super fancy one. Residency is kind of like boot camp, and your bag will be slogged from the OR floor to the floor of the call room, to nurse's stations, etc. Even as an attending, I always thought I'd need a fancy bag, but it seems so much more practical to carry my kate spade tote. I mean, it's organized into compartments (for my loupes, my stethoscope, my prescriptions, etc), and it takes a huge beating while still looking elegant. I really think that Tory Burch and Kate spade make the best work bags, even for residents. I mean doctoring can be kind of a dirty job. I mean, every morning you have to drag your purse to three different floors just for morning rounds... Of course, I don't know your specialty, so this may not apply to you...

That being said, if you do want a luxury bag for work as a busy resident, the sac du jour has good internal organization. Also, Chanel often makes a really nice tote in their seasonal lines, kind of like a GST, and they age well. I'd skip hermes; I don't think they make a great work bag, personally. You can always get a Birkin once you finish residency!!:smile:
 
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#9
puppyfriend said:
Hi TPFers! I'm graduating medical school this spring and going into residency. I'm in the process of saving to buy myself a graduation present, and I want it to be a durable, understated, everyday work bag. I need it to be big enough to carry a large amount of stuff (think sweater, water bottle, occasionally laptop, snacks, etc) as well as the necessities. I definitely need a shoulder carry option (so no hand-carry only) and crossbody is a plus but not a must-have. I want it to be professional and relatively understated (I think LV monogram would be a little too conspicuous, but DE is fine) and most importantly, hard-wearing. I'm thinking a large satchel or tote would be best. My budget is $2-3k but I would probably go up to $4k if I found something I really loved. Pre-owned is also totally fine with me. Here are some bags I was considering:

LV Neverfull MM (in DE)
LV Totally MM (in DE)
Fendi 2Jours
Nina Ricci Marche
Givenchy Antigona Medium (I've heard the shoulder strap isn't the best)
Saint Laurent Sac De Jour
Hermes Bolide (would have to buy pre-loved and get very lucky)
Mansur Gavriel Lady in Saffiano
Faure Le Page Daily Battle 37
Chloe Marcie
Chloe Lexa medium
Celine Belt

I would love to hear your opinions/suggestions/experiences with these bags or any others you think would make good work bags for a young, bag-obsessed professional. I've looked at a lot of work bag threads and there are a lot of Kate Spade/Tory Burch/Longchamp suggestions, but I'm really looking for something that feels really special to me. Thanks :smile:
Click to expand...
I think the Sac 2 jours is a great option. Also another lady showed the Diorever bag that she uses for work and it looks amazing. She told what it could hold and and might fit your needs. Check out the
 
#10
sfmel said:
Hey, congratulations! I'm a surgeon myself, and finished residency about 10 years ago. My piece of advice is that (at least for surgery residency), it may be wise to get a workhorse bag rather than a super fancy one. Residency is kind of like boot camp, and your bag will be slogged from the OR floor to the floor of the call room, to nurse's stations, etc. Even as an attending, I always thought I'd need a fancy bag, but it seems so much more practical to carry my kate spade tote. I mean, it's organized into compartments (for my loupes, my stethoscope, my prescriptions, etc), and it takes a huge beating while still looking elegant. I really think that Tory Burch and Kate spade make the best work bags, even for residents. I mean doctoring can be kind of a dirty job. I mean, every morning you have to drag your purse to three different floors just for morning rounds... Of course, I don't know your specialty, so this may not apply to you...

That being said, if you do want a luxury bag for work as a busy resident, the sac du jour has good internal organization. Also, Chanel often makes a really nice tote in their seasonal lines, kind of like a GST, and they age well. I'd skip hermes; I don't think they make a great work bag, personally. You can always get a Birkin once you finish residency!!:smile:
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for your insight! I'm going into peds, so in theory, I won't be schlepping back and forth to the OR, which is nice. Maybe I should get myself a "cheap" workhorse bag for wards days and use my nice bag for clinic?
 
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#13
I would say get the Bolide. You'll be able to find it (i've seen great pre-loved Bolides in your price range) and of the bags you've listed it's the most classic, enduring, and understated while still being a pretty amazing gift to yourself. Get a bag insert to help organize your things and protect the bag.
Second to the Bolide I guess I'd rec the Sac de Jour...to me it looks professional but is still not too boring, and has good organization inside.
I concur with @sfmel that you may want a cheap bag for slog days. There are days when spills are likely. That said one of the reasons I recommend the Bolide in Clemence is that it is indestructible. And you will be happy to have a nice bag for non-wards days.
 
#14
The Peekaboo seems like a very good option, preferably the Selleria version if you can swing it. Another option is the Gucci Jackie Soft Tote (I think it's been discontinued but you can still find them around). Other brands to consider are Tom Ford and Valextra. I've just ordered a Tom Ford tote after a very positive experience with a cross body bag. Tom Ford bags seem very tough to me.

A couple of very large-capacity options in between the Kate Spade and Hermes ranges are the Proenza Schouler PS1 Large and the Mulberry Oversize Alexa. These bags can hold almost anything :smile:.

Good luck, and congratulations!
 
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