The Morning After Bag

You pulled an all-nighter yesterday, and I’m not talking about the studying kind, and now it’s time for that dreaded walk of shame back to your dorm room. You managed to find your bra, but your low-slung jeans and barely-visible top couldn’t look more obvious as you wobble in your heels across the quad, and the eye makeup that looked smoky last night now looks like a finger painting. You knew this might happen, but short of bringing your backpack filled with your overnight kit to a bar, you didn’t have a choice.

Now, thanks to handbag designers like Rebecca Minkoff, you don’t have to choose between looking chic the night before or the morning after, instead, you can be prepared like a boy scout while not losing your mystique.

Rebecca Minkoff’s Morning After Bag was seen on the arm of Lindsay Lohan, a girl who takes her walk of shame not just watched by the morning joggers, but by tens of paparazzi and millions of tabloid readers. The bag comes in black mesh and black patent or tangerine (a favorite of Vanessa Hudgens) and is roomy enough for a change of shirt, face wash, maybe even a breathalyzer. $595.

For a more affordable option, check out the Urban Expressions Peterson Tote. The sleekly structured bag has front pleating, braided handles, and gold-toned hardware accents. The bag comes in tan, black, and brown, and at only $58 (currently on sale for $32), you can buy two or all three to match different outfits.

If you’re more a Carrie type than a Charlotte type, you’re probably no stranger to the morning after. BOYY, a Montreal-based accessories line, sells an appropriately-named “bradshaw” bag. The clever black purse is incredibly roomy and comes with detachable shoulder straps so the bag can be worn two ways: as a shoulder bag or as an oversize clutch with two ring handles. $649 (on sale at shopbop.com for $454)

You like skinny jeans and Ray Ban Wayfarers more than mini skirts and heels, so a patent leather and gold purse isn’t really your thing, but that doesn’t mean you have to go bagless. American Apparel makes a fantastic mini duffel bag that’s hipster-cool and comes in a plethora of colors. $17.