So if you walk to work in 'sensible' shoes and

[PerArduaAdNauseum]

carry your not so sensible but much more flattering ones in a bag, possibly with a well-intentioned salad lunch, what sort of bag do you use?

I need a bag. My luggage isn't working for me. Can anyone point me at something practical but not garish or childish? Oilcloth would be nice in this weather, shoulder strap would be handy (but not so long it tangles with the laptop bag). Any ideas?

I like having a large handbag, so used to stuff everything into it, but have decided that's not doing my handbags much good. So now in addition to having a normal handbag I usually have an oil cloth shopping bag type thing as well, just for my shoes, and any food items, etc.

Maybe it's bag lady look, but a lot of the stylish women I work with do the same !

You should do as a woman my DH worked did; the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet was FULL of amazingly stylish work shoes ( think Imelda Marcos) while she cruised to and from work in comfy-type plodders.

I find a Tesco carrier or similar works wonderfully. Then I can spend more money on the shoes.

Puppymonkey - you didn't read which forum I posted in - Tesco's for shame...

Feeling and echt - am alternating between the two approaches atm, but can't find a bag which isn't childish or cath kidston twee... Sigh.

I carry my well-intentioned salad lunch / junk / Year 11's essays in this:

obviously

Ooh, I am browsing the regency spencers and underthings and getting no work done!

I kept a smart pair or two under my desk, and a spair pair at home in case had to go straight to a meeting in the morning. It kept them lasting longer than being bashed around in a bag too.

don't want to ruin your excuse for bag shopping though

Alternatively you could dump the laptop bag and go for one of these instead.

Paperchase used to stock a range of 'book bags' in different designs - oilcloth, practical etc. Also in the tourist hall (or whatever its official name is) in Harrods, they have a good selection of fun bags, altho you may find them (a) childish (b) twee or (c) both!

Orla Kiely do nice canvas bags, and poss oilcloth too. Also Billy Bag???

You could make your own - Amy Butler does a range of bag patterns and oilcloth is quite easy to buy.

echt, I do that too. Except mine aren't fabulously gorgeous (as my job needs fairly sensible shoes) = just better than the trainers I walk in!

It solves the problem of storage at home, and DH moaning about the number of shoes I have!

But if you keep your shoes at work, when do they get polished? [anal]

If you only wear them round the office, how often do they need polishing?

Keep a variety of shoes in my drawer in my desk. They get exchanged fairly regularly. Don't put them in a bag, just carry them under my arm (but park on site, I don't think I would traipse throuh the High Street with a pair of shoes in my arms like some loon).

I started this because I was scuffing the hell out of my shoes from driving in them. So either wear ballet flats or ugg boots with my work clothes and change when at work.

Sometimes I have been so busy I have forgotten and walked round work all day with a suit and uggs on. Oh well.