All bags women

A bag is chosen twice, first for what goes into it and then for where it sits once it is on. The Atelier, Production and Creation designs its bags for women around four formats: the tote, the shoulder bag, the bag carried across the chest and the mini.

Bags for women with room for the day

A tote suits a day that starts early and finishes late, and of all the bags for women A.P.C. designs, it is the format with room to spare. The brand cuts its totes and shopping bags from canvas, denim and grained leather, among others, some horizontal and some upright. Cotton poplin versions in pink and beige sit at the lighter end, while the Je sors ce soir shopping bag comes in indigo denim.

Beyond black, A.P.C. takes its women's bags into navy blue, steel blue, vino and terracotta red, so colour is the next thing to settle. Denim is simpler: A.P.C. makes that shopping bag a straightforward match for its selvedge jeans, since both come in indigo. With an outfit kept plain, a women's bag in terracotta red or vino becomes the one point of colour. How it is carried is the next question.

Handbags for women worn on the shoulder

Most handbags for women end up on the shoulder, where the bag stays within reach and both hands stay free. Among its shoulder bags, A.P.C. gives the Vera line a square shape, and the Vera Maxi bag is its largest version at 40 by 35 centimetres. An adjustable strap with a goldtone metal buckle lets it move from shoulder to hand, which suits a bag of that size when it is full.

The Vera bag brings the same square shape down to a handbag for women sized for everyday use. It measures 28 by 32 centimetres, closes with a zip on double pull tabs and has one pocket inside. A.P.C. offers it in terracotta red, navy blue and dark chestnut brown, in calfskin suede set against smooth leather. A bag worn across the chest is usually a smaller one, and the next format starts there.

When small handbags cross the body

Small handbags suit a longer drop, since a compact bag slung across the chest sits in front and within easy reach. A.P.C. gives the Virginie Box bag two handles that adjust with goldtone metal buckles, and adds a shoulder strap for the days it is worn across the body. It closes with two zip pulls, and one pocket inside keeps keys and cards apart from everything else in the bag.

The shoulder strap adjusts as well, set shorter over a shirt and let out over a coat as the months turn colder. A.P.C. cuts the Box in smooth black leather, a plain finish for a bag in daily use. A small handbag slung this way is also the practical choice for a day spent cycling, when both hands are needed. Held by its handles instead, the Box becomes a bag for the evening.

Choosing between small bags for women

Small bags for women are chosen by how little you need; a phone, cards and keys often make the whole list. A.P.C. makes its smallest bags in shapes as different as a drawstring and a zipped shoulder bag, and its mini bags for women keep to the essentials. The Vera Shoulder bag is the zipped one, a small bag for women at 28 by 16 by 9 centimetres, carried on the shoulder or by hand.

The Virginie Flap bag closes differently, with a magnet under a large flap. A.P.C. offers the Virginie bags in black, steel blue and dark chestnut brown, in a smooth or a glazed finish. As the two are close in size, the fastening decides which small bag for women to take: a two-way zip, or a flap that lifts. Across all four formats, down to the mini bags for women, the same two questions settle it.