What is THE bag to have if you only have one?

[TomorrowYesterdayToday]

If you only had one leather bag that went everywhere - work, out with the children, etc and you wanted a few years at least from it being used everyday what would it be?

Budget to about £1300

Needs to hold stuff, not just a small handbag!

"but seeing that you have no appreciation of good craftsmenship,I don't see why you should get one really,"

I do. Have a huge appreciation of good craftsmanship, I mean. Did you not notice that my perfect bag would be made by the best craftsmen money can buy? I just don't want them wasting their time and skills making dangly bits and beautifully crafted labels.

craftsmanship and expensive designer labels don't necessarily come hand in hand, you know. Those "made in Italy" labels mean that the product is finished there, zips / attachemnets / labels sewn in - they're made in Turkey or China same as the cheap ones.
(& please no crocodile / reptile skins - it's an unspeakably cruel trade. I'm no fan of a live snake, but I see no reason on earth to pump a living creature so full of water that it swells to several times its natural size to stretch the skin and then flay it alive. NOne whatsoever. Not even so that some pretty young hedgefunder's wife can have a pretty handbag. Ditto all the unborn lamb / calf. Fuck it, let's all go back to Prada nylon)

I was going to suggest to the OP something like an Anya Hindmarch Ebury for work and the Hermes crossbody for play as I'm currently after the xbody, but then I checked the price and that one alone is £1.3k... a bit rich for school run oneupmanship

I'd rather six £200 bags than have to use one £1300 for all occasions.

What SpringBreak said about exotics.

martorana I hate to dampen your dreams of an independently crafted bag.you see these are becoming increasingly rare,big groups like LVMH,hermes and kering have been buying tanneries for some while now, why? To insure Quality and supply control, chanel bought,one recently to supply its lamb skin leather, some big brands do care about the quality of their products,
any independtly tannery left might be the bottom of the barrel,its becoming increasingly hard to financially survive without the support of big groups,

So if you still want expertise and good craftsmenship,you may need to get one through acquiring a bag from these groups,

I am waiting with baited breath for some snobbery and competitiveness a la the Chanel bags thread come on ladies you can do it!

fffffffffttttuuummm straight over the top of my head all this £1300 bag talk.

Looks fondly at Kipling bags and gulp they were £50 each that was bad enough

I find a Bag-for-Life serves me well

I am hankering after this. I like a good bargain, me

I think the Saffiano is boring and looks like a rip off
There, I said it

I really like the Millie Millu Zurich and the Aspinal Marylebone.

I have two Mulberry's, I love them. But I wouldn't touch Mulberry now, after the price hike. Talk about losing sight of who your market is!

I find a Bag-for-Life serves me well

I'm saving hard for a jute bag-for-life Pacific, it is so important to invest in quality

Babybarrister I love the intrecciato too.

There are some lovely Paul Costello bags in TKMaxx at the moment too.

fideline- so long as you carry your bag for life ironically........

Oooh, jute - you go, girl, Fideline
I carry mine post-ironic…

In all seriousness, as linked about TKMaxx is great for good and well-priced bags.
Personally, I resent the fact that I have to carry a bag (I'd rather have decently cut clothes with pockets - you know, like men have, but that's for another thread), but I have an across-the-body bag from Osprey London from TKMaxx that has worn really well.

above, as linked above, sorry