Best Everyday Handbags & Purses: Home Set
Welcome to Home Set, a recurring feature in which we highlight our favorite accessories and essentials within fashion, wellness, beauty and everything else in life that's brightening up our days right now. A dependable and stylish everyday purse is a must-have item in any wardrobe, especially now that we’re out and about more than ever. The best everyday bags are versatile, fashionable and, most important, suitable for the wearer's specific needs, whether you’re looking for an ultra-roomy work bag, a more petite crossbody or a classic day-to-day carryall—there's a stylish everyday bag for every style preference. From an iconic leather tote and a structured suede handbag to a canvas shopper and splurge-worthy shoulder bag, these are the best everyday purses that you’ll turn to time and time again.
Subscribe to Observer's Lifestyle Newsletter
All products featured are independently selected by Observer editors. When you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission that supports our work.
The best everyday purses you’ll turn to time and time again.
The best designer handbags are stylish but not too trendy, like Bottega's Jodie purse. While these have never gone out of style, they’ve definitely seen a resurgence as of late. While the purse comes in several different colors, we’re partial to the classic black.
This unstructured, minimalist leather tote bag is all about versatility; it's sophisticated yet laidback, and you can use it as your everyday purse, as a work bag and as a travel tote. It's super roomy, comes in a few staple colorways, and the double shoulder straps are great, too.
When it comes to splurge-worthy designer bags, you want to select a purse that's truly timeless, especially if you plan on using it as your everyday tote for years to come. Gucci's iconic leather hobo is iconic for good reason; it never goes out of style and is durable yet elegant, with plenty of room for all the essentials and then some.
This Louis Vuitton carryall is a true multitasker; it's such a great everyday luxury bag, with tons of space, a small interior pocket to stow your phone or keys, as well as a removable zippered pouch.
If you’re looking for a high-quality yet wearable and well-priced crossbody bag, consider Madewell's leather version. It has both a knotted crossbody strap for a hands-free option (it's also an adjustable shoulder strap, for the ultimate in comfort), in addition to top handles. It has a magnetic closure and, while this one is a bit smaller than some of the other everyday options, there's still plenty of space for your phone, keys, planner and all your other daily must-haves. It's available from a few different retailers, including Nordstrom and Amazon.
Rothy's lightweight tote bag just might be the perfect everyday carryall, and we love that you can use it as a shopping bag or even at the grocery—it's machine-washable, FYI. It's also sustainably-made, as the brand uses repurposed plastic water bottles to create the material.
The Mansur Gavriel bucket bags have garnered quite the following over the past few years, and those that love the silhouette and prefer a pint-sized mini bag that still has more than enough space for a phone, wallet, keys and other essentials will adore this versatile bag.
This structured bag is a much more elevated and sophisticated alternative to that slouchy canvas tote you’ve been carrying around. Chloé makes a few different versions of their signature canvas tote, but this smaller iteration is the perfect size for everyday, especially as a summer bag. It also has a detachable leather strap.
This structured purse is like a grown-up messenger bag, with a suede and leather exterior and adjustable leather handle. It's a great one to dress up or down, so you can easily wear it from day to night.
Not only is spring just around the corner, but winter white is also a thing, so why not bring the colorway into the cooler months? Prada's classic shoulder bag has a very useful magnetic clasp for security and easy access to your belongings, plus it goes with everything. Versatility is key for everyday bags, and this perfectly fits the bill. If you want a sportier aesthetic, check out the nylon versions.
Those of us who can't help but cram everything we own into our everyday bags will love this roomy black shopper.
This elegant vegan leather shopper can be toted around as either a shoulder bag or as a crossbody, thanks to adjustable straps. It's super lightweight, and features two large open pockets as well as a smaller zippered compartment. This faux leather bag has tons of room for all your workday musts, though it also comes in a larger size, if you need even more space.
It didn't take long for Loewe's Puzzle bag to become a fashion world favorite. The leather bag is known for its versatility; you can wear it using the top handles, as a folded clutch or as a shoulder bag with the longer strap. It's deceptively spacious, too.
Subscribe to Observer's Lifestyle Newsletter