Preferably shoulder but can be a top handle with shoulder strap - and most imporantly nothing too large - medium size at most. What to get??? And the $1k can go a bit higher but not too much!
For me, it's the LV epi alma. This is a very classic bag, which should last me & go through trends. For half the price, you could also consider a coach carly in black leather. This is actually a really nice & comfortable bag, though on the large-ish side. Good luck--hope you find something that suits you!