Do you have “beater” or “daily driver” bags you use more frequently than your special occasion ones? How many of your bags would you put in this category? What materials and price range so you usually have for a bag you don’t have to “worry about?”
Daily drivers/beaters
- Thread starter Diva_k3000
- Start date
I've always thought of "Beater" and "Daily Driver" as two separate categories. My daily drivers are the casual bags I use most of the time, while my beaters (usually Longchamp le Pliage or Néo) come out for bad weather or outdoor events.
My beater bags are bags I've purchased inexpensively either on sale or on the pre-loved market. I use contemporary designer bags, so I'm not talking LV or anything here. They're generally less than $50. They tend to be convenient bags, either with big-ish tote styles with long shoulder straps or easy small crossbodies, because I use them in times when I expect to need to be hands free.
For example, I got this Coach Kelsey for ~$25 on Poshmark. This one is super slouchy and easy to throw over my shoulder. I use a bag organizer with it to make it more convenient.
I got this Fossil Small Kinley for ~$46 on sale. I find Fossil's major holiday sales (e.g., 4th of July, Black Friday) tend to have some really great steals if I'm one of the first people to open the email before everything sells out.
And, I got both of my Longchamp Le Pliages on Poshmark for free using some Poshmark credits from "ambassador" campaigns (before they got rid of those). My Large Le Pliage was (pre-COVID) my daily work tote that I wasn't careful with at all. And, the small one is my travel purse, perfect for shoving under airplane seats and wearing when I'm with my nieces! And I use a bag organizer in both to make them less chaotic on the interior.
For example, I got this Coach Kelsey for ~$25 on Poshmark. This one is super slouchy and easy to throw over my shoulder. I use a bag organizer with it to make it more convenient.
I got this Fossil Small Kinley for ~$46 on sale. I find Fossil's major holiday sales (e.g., 4th of July, Black Friday) tend to have some really great steals if I'm one of the first people to open the email before everything sells out.
And, I got both of my Longchamp Le Pliages on Poshmark for free using some Poshmark credits from "ambassador" campaigns (before they got rid of those). My Large Le Pliage was (pre-COVID) my daily work tote that I wasn't careful with at all. And, the small one is my travel purse, perfect for shoving under airplane seats and wearing when I'm with my nieces! And I use a bag organizer in both to make them less chaotic on the interior.
I have several Kipling bags that are my beater bags. They take care of the business and the prices are low enough I don't spend too much time worrying over my bag.
Another bag I'm not too worried over is Coach Field tote 40, which is a bit of a combo of both beater and daily driver. It's one of the bags I use most often and since it's coated canvas I don't need to worry about rain, dirt of scratches.
Another bag I'm not too worried over is Coach Field tote 40, which is a bit of a combo of both beater and daily driver. It's one of the bags I use most often and since it's coated canvas I don't need to worry about rain, dirt of scratches.
I have a very old Speedy 35 that actually still looks fine after years of abuse. It's like a Honda with over 200,000 miles on it and just refuses to die. I think it could get run over by 20 busses and still be OK. Then there's the black Le Pliage, another masochistic bag.
The above describes the majority of my bags! I've spent the last few years indulging myself in vintage Coach, the unlined heavy full grain leather versions from the 80s and 90s. Some I acquired in like new condition, some that look very good after after cleaning and deep conditioning and some that are distressed to perfection. The vast majority of them cost less than $75.
I have picked up several pre-loved more contemporary Coach as well. They're my fancy girls.
This is my beater bag. I got it from TJMaxx it cost last than 75 dollars and I would csrry this if I were grocery shopping or when I just need to be hands free. It is N75 made in italy. I do not think they make these anymore and I love the message that is sewn on the inside. 
My Rebecca Minkoff Edie Satchel is my go-to bag that I don’t worry about in the slightest. My toddler (who can now reach everything) actually pulled it down off of a table and played with it for a little while. I wasn’t worried at all when I saw him grab it and tug it onto the floor, which wouldn’t be the case with a couple of my other bags. Most of my bags would fall into the worry-less or worry-free category though, and they’re of varying prices - I don’t worry about LV DE canvas, for example, and the rest of my bags are leather. The Coach bucket bag in this picture was my go-to bag for a year before I bought my RM this spring, and it still looks brand new. I do pull out my nicer bags during the week when I get out to run errands by myself or have lunch dates. I also use them for date nights and nights out with my girlfriends.
My daily bag is a Lo & Sons Pearl in Black with matching wallet. I got it in 2019 and I have beat it to **** (lol) but it still looks great. Inside could use some cleaning, and there’s finally some wear showing on the edges. But I live in Tokyo and was commuting a lot pre-COVID (still do take the train a lot) — and this has gone from hung on izakaya chairbacks to my bike basket to suitcases to flung in cars to hot and humid treks around town with no issues.