Now don’t get us wrong: We are 100% believers in the $10 tote bag, and we can be convinced as to the efficacy of a $2000 handbag (though it will take a lot of convincing, and we still won’t, really, be convinced.) There are lots of tote bags we’d be proud to take to work—at least if we weren’t so concerned about what anyone in our office thought about our buying power \ potential. (We’re not, at least for the time being, by the way.) But we’re trying to spend 2008 being realists: We can’t make tote bags, much as we love them, look anything but ridiculous with our big winter coat, and we’re certainly not spending $2000 on something hyper-nice, and we care, apparently just enough, that the people we work with, however temporarily, think of our office-worth, at least as measured in handbags. (For the time being. Which is until February 8. We love temping!)

So anyway: We need a bag that is nice enough, and cool enough, without breaking the bank, as it were. For this, we have determined that $150 – $200 is an appropriate range.

Orla Kiely! We wish, on one hand, that they weren’t quite so distinctive, so, "Is that Orla Kiely?" On the other hand, we love Orla Kiely, so it totally works out. This is from the spring collection. Orla Kiely shopper, $208. Er, we meant $150 – $208. We love this pattern, by the way, and it’s also available in a yoga bag.

This is Jocasi, and conveniently on sale. The Rubicon Shopper, was about $210, now about $147

We’re pretty sure we know somebody who owns this, so comment here, please. Otherwise, quite smart for work, more than half off, and courtesy of an independent designer. Nam Kim Fly-by-Night bag, was $235, now $110

This is our Etsy pick of the day. Leather messenger bag from tmStudioDesigns, $174

And this looks like it might actually be big enough to hold everything we need a tote bag to hold. Marc by Marc Jacobs Distinguished Dot tote, $198