LUXE TO LESS

I have a very large leather handbag that I use most work days, but I also have a bunch of secondary carryalls in rotation that also travel with me daily that get a lot less love and attention.

In my opinion, the canvas tote is the unsung hero of the bag world: soft, slouchy, hardwearing and up for anything (and if they’re 100 per cent cotton you can even chuck them in the washing machine when they get grubby).

I use one of mine pretty much every to carry my work shoes, ASOS returns, groceries and very occasionally gym gear, and while what’s inside is perhaps less glamorous than what’s in my leather bag, there’s really no reason not to chose one I love.

Always a sucker for swans (and Stella McCartney), I definitely have my eye on hers, but I’m also finding a compelling case for the rich moodenhancing red of local label Twenty-Seven Names’ “Radical” tote, and Karen Walker’s are handcrafted in Kenya and embellished with traditional beadwork and cute handmade pom-poms by women of the Samburu and Maasai tribes, in collaboration with The United Nations’ ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative. Josie Steenhart

1. Stella McCartney tote, $347 at Net-a-Porter

2. Love Moschino Logo tote, $230 at The Iconic

3. Twenty-Seven Names Radical tote, $200

4. Perks and Mini Psy Life tote, $135 at Good As Gold

5. Country Road tote, $109

6. Karen Walker Boho Filigree tote, $98 on sale