Bag yourself some serious style with MR PORTER’s guide to the perennially useful hand-held accessory.

Not so long ago, you might have raised a few eyebrows, as a male of the species, wandering down the street with a tote bag. In those dark, dark ages you could only really carry a soft briefcase, messenger bag or attaché case, making even the smallest jaunt to the shops (or pub) look like a yawn-inducing business trip. Now, thanks to the efforts of indie kids and merch-producing record labels circa 2006, the tote is perfectly acceptable. Which is a great thing, considering this simple, two-handled bag – the perfect size for carting around books, a few grooming products and tasteful magazines to photograph next to your coffee for Instagram – is the perfect companion to a casual day out. Of course, not all totes are created equal. If you still find yourself swinging some tatty, see-through cotton thing from your wrist, it might be time to invest in a proper bag. Scroll down for a handy recap on MR PORTER’s current selection, and find an upgrade to suit you.

When you opt for a heavily patterned or colourful tote bag, it can look like you’re heading to the beach, or off to do your weekly shop. Which is obviously not always appropriate. Avoid such misunderstandings with the incredibly sleek lines of this bag from Want Les Essentiels de la Vie. As with all the Montreal-based brand’s stylishly minimal accessories, it is the perfect foil to a day in the city, whether for work or play. Match its crisp lines and understated style with tailored separates in cool shades of grey and navy.

The memento mori, a motif fondly used by Flemish painters, has seldom come in a more attractive package than this Jacquard tote bag from Alexander McQueen, a brand fondly worn by London’s style elite. Nor has it been more practical. This tote, outfitted with handy side pockets for your pens and newspaper, is subtly embellished with the grinning skulls that are a trademark of the house, making it both more stylish and rock’n’roll than your average bag. Play up its macabre undertones with some skinny jeans and the spectacular wedge-soled sneakers also on offer from McQueen this season.

It’s a brave brand that christens itself Master-Piece. But, as anyone familiar with Japan will know, the moniker is entirely appropriate when it comes to the wares of this Osaka-based accessories label, which manages effortlessly to mix style and function in a way that few can match. This tote is a case in point, constructed in sturdy waterproof nylon and offering a variety of handy pockets and compartments (as well as an optional shoulder strap) to help you keep your bits (and wits) around you, however rough and ready the day may be. Wear it with some equally hardwearing, utilitarian pieces from the likes of Tokyo’s street-style pioneer Neighborhood.

There’s a pleasing, worn-in quality to this tote from Maison Margiela. It suggests that, even though it’s brand new, it may already have gone on some serious adventures. It’s a feeling characteristic of the maverick Paris-based brand, which excels at producing meticulous replicas of beloved vintage pieces. Work with its mildly heroic but distinctly nostalgic stylings by wearing it with a 1970s-tinged flight jacket from US brand J.Crew and some sand-coloured desert boots.

Coach’s Mr Stuart Vevers is clearly an excellent ready-to-wear designer – his latest, shearling-heavy collection was one of MR PORTER’s favourites of 2015 – but he has always excelled at bags. (Before Coach, he worked at accessories champions Loewe and Mulberry.) The tote above is testimony to his knack for creating covetable carry-alls, packed as it is with characteristically bold embellishments, such as the “rip and repair” stitching (inspired by that all-American icon, the baseball glove), which gives the bag a tough, masculine feel. Bring it out with a sleek leather bomber.

Sometimes the simple things in life are best. And if you’re a man who often finds himself trotting out that mantra when it comes to his clothing, or food, or living room, why should you put up with any additional fuss when it comes to your accessories? This bag from understated, yet intuitively designed brand Club Monaco offers all the features you need in a tote (long handles, an internal pocket for your keys) and nothing more. Think of it as the Braun alarm clock of the tote world – stylish, timeless and reliable. Match it with some choice standards from MR PORTER’s essentials, which, equally, will see you through many a season.

A sartorial bag-check with US Editor Mr Dan Rookwood

A tote can look resolutely practical and, in robust leather or canvas, rather rugged. Then again, it can also look like an overgrown handbag. It all depends how you hold it.

In the hand

You don’t need to be an etymologist to grasp the relationship between the words “handle” and “hand”. They go handle in hand – as should you. Carry the tote at your side. It’s the safest bet.

On the shoulder

This is acceptable provided that a) the handles of your tote are sufficient enough in length to allow your arm to slip comfortably through, and b) you’re not wearing a suit – the straps will damage any shoulder padding and look awkward. We won’t lie, though. This is risky territory.

In the crook

Ours is an enlightened age where any man of style can employ a handsome receptacle to transport his essentials without fear of it being derided as a man bag. But please do not sport said receptacle in the crook of your arm. That, sir, is a handbag.