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Meta description: A practical guide to building a five-bag capsule wardrobe — one tote, one work bag, one sling, one clutch and one backpack — that takes you from Monday meetings to Saturday weddings. Most of us own more bags than we wear, and yet still reach for the same two every week. The fix isn't another impulse buy it's a thought-through capsule. Five bags, each with a clear job, and your morning "what do I carry today?" decision practically makes itself. Here's the five-bag framework we recommend, with picks from the Elleishka shelf for each slot.
A good tote is the workhorse of the wardrobe. Roomy enough for a laptop sleeve, your wallet, water bottle and the umbrella you keep forgetting to take out. The brief: structured but soft, neutral in tone, and built to look as good on day three hundred as it does on day one.
Try:
Juliette Tote – Classic Brown — clean lines, classic brown, the kind of tote you stop thinking about because it just works. Clara Softy Grain Hobo Coffee Brown — slouchier shape, soft grain finish, brilliant when you want the same versatility with a more relaxed silhouette. Browse the full tote bag edit for more shapes and shades.
This is the bag that walks into the meeting before you do. The rules are different here: it needs to fit a 13" or 14" laptop comfortably, sit upright on a chair without slumping, and look intentional rather than improvised.
A briefcase or top-handle silhouette in a deep, low-key colour gets the most mileage. Croc-print finishes lift a professional look without screaming for attention.
Try:
Daphne Croc Print Office Bag Maroon — maroon reads sharper than black and adds quiet warmth to neutral workwear. Piper Full Grain Briefcase for Laptop — full-grain leather, briefcase structure, dressed down enough for hybrid weeks. Alayna Croc Print Briefcase Black — when you want the most polished version of yourself in the room. Nora Top Grain Laptop Bag Green — for anyone bored of black and brown, a deep green that still plays nicely with formal looks.
Once you've worn a sling for a Sunday brunch or a market run, the appeal is hard to argue with. Phone, cards, keys, lip balm. Both hands free. No bag-sliding-off-shoulder problem in the metro.
A sling is also where you can be a little braver with colour — it's smaller, so a pastel or jewel tone doesn't take over the outfit.
Try:
Sofia Baguette (Pastel Green) — the baguette shape sits close to the body and adds a soft pop without trying too hard. Madeline Hand Bag Army Green — compact, easy, the kind of bag you'll find yourself grabbing more often than you expected. For more options, explore the sling bag edit.
Indian wedding calendars don't take half-measures, and neither should your evening bag. The right clutch finishes an outfit the same way the right earrings do — quietly, but you'd notice if it were missing.
The trick is to pick one that's versatile enough to work across multiple events. A jewel tone or a textured neutral tends to outperform anything too literal (skip the matchy-matchy with one specific outfit).
Browse: the clutch and wedding edit and the Elegant & Festive collection for evening-ready picks.
Some days you're carrying a laptop, a change of clothes, a charger and a packed lunch — and a tote stops being practical. A leather backpack splits the difference between professional and weekend-ready, and saves your shoulder on long airport days. Try: Serenity Crunch Leather Backpack — crunch-textured leather, enough room for the essentials plus a 13" laptop, and structured enough to not look slouchy when you arrive.
Stick to two main colour families. A brown/tan family and a black/charcoal family will cover almost any outfit you own. Add one statement colour — green, maroon, red — and you've got range without clutter. Mix one structured and one soft per category where you can. A structured tote and a softer hobo cover different moods of the same job. Don't underestimate accessories. A well-cut leather belt and a thoughtful wallet do more for a put-together look than another bag ever will. Care for what you own. Even the most beautifully made leather bag has a shelf life if it's stuffed in a cupboard and forgotten. Read through the Product and Care Guide — five minutes of conditioning every couple of months adds years.
Five bags. One job each. Less decision fatigue, more wear out of every piece you own.
If you're building yours from scratch, start with the tote and the work bag — they'll cover 70% of your week. Add the sling next, then the clutch when wedding season rolls around, then the backpack when you start travelling more.
Explore the full collection — and if you'd like a more personal recommendation, drop into our DMs on Instagram.
Prices and availability on Elleishka are accurate at time of writing; check individual product pages for current offers.