It is my personal fashionable/functional philosophy that every girl out there needs a card case to attach to their keys. I’ve been using them ever since I started college and there’s no way that I could ever go back to a life without one. Legally, it’s the best way to make sure you’ve got everything you need if you have to run out with only your keys and phone – your license and insurance cards are always with you, no matter what. I always know where my stuff is and don’t have to search through a series of wallets and bags to find it.

Which is why I’m so pleased to find out that Kooba has gotten into the business of making these useful little things with the Kooba Key Pouch. And they haven’t over-thought it. It’s brightly colored so it’s easy to find in that black hole you I call a bag, it connects easily to your keys, and it’s not too bulky but will still hold a bunch of cards. You can’t really go wrong here at all, particularly since the price is so reasonable. Buy through Luna Boston for $75.

This bag is not new to anyone, or at least it shouldn’t be. It’s one of the most well-executed all-purpose hobos that you can find at any sort of reasonable price, and it has come in a variety of colors and hardware options every season for the past few years. I have one myself in cream from two summers ago.

So why am I writing about the Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Faridah when we already know what it is and what it’s about? Because sometimes, it’s not about the next big thing. In a crisp white with nickel hardware, this bag is as fresh as it was the day it debuted and just as functional and durable as it ever was. My cream version has weathered extremely well for a light color, even though it has some dye transfer from jeans and dark shirts on the back, and I still get compliments on it. Structurally, the bag is completely intact and the leather still feels great. If you’re on a limited budget and need a versatile bag for this season, I can’t recommend it enough. Buy through Nordstrom for $448.

We’ve been talking recently about how stock photos just do not do some bags justice, and this is completely the case with the J.Crew Editor Satchel. My friend recently purchased this bag and it looks so much different than this photograph. Here, the bag looks like it’s made out of some sort of pleathery plastic, the way bags look when they are clearly not leather but they obviously are trying to be (you know what I mean…). No, in real life the leather looks supple and is so soft to feel.

Now, my friend purchased this bag in “Fresh Melon,” which would not have been my choice because, as you know, I’m not a pink person. But that’s beside the point. The coolest feature of this bag is, in my opinion, the resin hardware. The long strap is kind of like a metal strap, but is much more innovatively chic and makes a really cute clinkety-clink sound that sounds subtly professional. I’d get it just for that chain. Who knows, maybe that why my friend did. Buy through J.Crew for $250 on sale.

Now, isn’t this just a precious handbag? For me, handbags need to be large enough to hold more than anyone really needs to carry, but hey, oh well. Of course, I make exceptions for clutches, because I LOVE clutches. However, the Kooba Joley Mini Bag is another small handbag (dimensions: 7″W x 6″H x 8″D) I am willing to make an exception for.

After I got over my “awwww, how cute” moment I noticed that per usual with Kooba bags, this one has amazing leather. It is soft and supple, yet durable. While I don’t think I will be attempting to put the shoulder strap on my shoulder per say, the strap will fit perfectly in my hand. And the bow, it is a perfect accent on this bag. Buy through Bloomingdale’s for $325.

Stock photos are, very often, terrible. There’s always harsh overhead lighting and a bunch of tissue paper stuffed into a bag until it might burst, and that’s just not any way to decide what a bag might look like in real life, with your stuff inside of it. I’m always surprised by how many bags look beautiful in person that I would have dismissed completely based only on their online pictures. There is a right way to photograph a bag, of course, just not many people do it. We do, though, and it proves that sometimes it take a non-stock photo to realize how tremendously beautiful a bag really is.

My favorite example of this phenomenon is the Gustto Donna Torsa Satchel. It looks perfectly serviceable, if a tad odd, in its stock photos from Bloomingdale’s. But when you take a look at the beautiful Bag Art photos that Megs and Vlad took, which can be found here, the bag seems much softer and slouchier than it does when stuffed with tissue and the overall effect is much more fashionable and chic. Buy through Bloomingdales for $790.

Despite the fact that I live in the somewhat-rural South, the town that I actually live in actually has a ton of hippie-stink on it. Almost all local restaurants have the vegetarian and vegan options marked on their menus, and we’re home to one of the most famous vegetarian restaurants in the country, The Grit. Because of the large number of eco-conscious and and anti-meat people here, I found out about Matt & Nat handbags years ago, more or less as soon as I moved here, and it’s been nice to see them gain more and more attention from high-end retailers.

Which is exactly the reason that I can bring you the Matt & Nat Camden Hobo today. Although the bag is not made of leather or any kind of animal product, you wouldn’t immediately guess that of many of the brand’s bags in person. They’re carefully finished and well-executed, and although some say they don’t last as long as high-end leather bags, they also don’t cost as much. I love the pink color on this hobo and I think it’d be a great bag for days when it rains or you’re scared that whatever activity you’re doing would mess up something more expensive. This particular brand is fighting the good fight, and supporting them is a purchase you just might feel all warm and fuzzy about. Buy through Bloomingdale’s for $275.

Being as it is such a nice, sunny day in NYC, my thoughts turned towards summery things, like swirly ice cream cones, lazy beach days, and of course, the ubiquitous straw tote. This gorgeous Anya Hindmarch Straw Tote would complete any summer look. Pick your fantasy: gallivanting on the white beaches of a private island or sipping cocktails on a megayacht, this bag fits right in. Hindmarch has become known for her famously detailed bags, most recognized for her “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” canvas tote, and this bag is no different. But would you really pay close to $700 for something you’ll plunk in the sand day after day, for a common beach bag?

Well, this is no common beach bag. The attention to detail is what makes the price; the straw is impeccably woven (no fraying here!), and the woven patent leather meshes perfectly with the straw. But still, almost $700! Perhaps this bag is just one for those jetting off to private islands, provided that they don’t plunk this creation in the sand, no matter how white. Buy through Shopbop for $645.

I’ve never seen a Gryson bag in person (I don’t think there are any stores that stock many of them around here), but from the pictures that I’ve seen online of the most recent collection, the leather that they use looks absolutely drool-worthy and the designs look functional but young.

So if you’re looking for a great everyday bag, maybe consider the Gryson Tutu Convertible Satchel. The leather looks exceptionally soft and matte, plus the dark charcoal grey color is a great compromise for people that want a neutral that will take them through fall and winter but don’t want to buy another black bag. The leather looks thick, which may make the bag heavier than desirable, but if your arms get tired than it comes with a crossbody strap that will give you a bit of a rest. For those like me that aren’t a big fan of extra straps, it appears to be completely removable. Gotta love options, right? Buy through Saks for $668.50.

Sometimes you don’t even know that you had a problem until someone ingenious comes along and fixes it for you. Take the toaster, for example – I bet most people were just fine making toast other ways, and then suddenly there was a machine just for that purpose. Now no one knows how to do it any other way (I suspect it might involve my oven’s broiler, although I also suspect that I have no idea how to use it).

I feel like the Kenneth Cole New York Curve Your Appetite Bag might be a similar kind of innovation. Probably not on the same level as the toaster, granted, but you get the idea. The top frame of the bag, instead of being flat, is actually curved in order to lay evenly against the curved hip with which it has to interact. Hopefully, that would lead to less uncomfortable jostling when wearing this sort of crossbody bag while walking, and isn’t that a problem that you didn’t really realize you had, but that you totally do? I know it happens to me. The surface against which this bag will lay isn’t flat, so they made the bag’s structure equally non-flat. Brilliant. Buy through Nordstrom for $148.

Are metallic handbags making a come back? They’ve definitely been popping up more and more lately. When it comes to metallics, I am typically a bit skeptical, but recently I have been pleasantly surprised. The MICHAEL Michael Kors Beverly Metallic Large Drawstring Satchel is a metallic satchel executed perfectly.

This double handles and goldtone hardware pair perfectly with this bag. I love the exterior pockets; it makes it easy to store something you need to get a hold of really quickly. With a large bag like this, it would be easy for the contents in the bag to fly all around. The center interior zip divider is a brilliant way to keep things where they should be. And of course, I always love a bag that catches my eye – just like this one! Buy through Bloomingdale’s for $448.