This past Memorial day, I watched my friend mourn the loss of her large, super expensive, leather beach bag. It had gone through yet another sun lotion explosion, and the leather negated the usual way to do handbag CPR - throw it in the washing machine. Instead, she threw it in the trash.
Once June hits, we don't baby our bags. The 90-degree days start, and we over-prepare by stuffing our totes with a range of SPF bottles, a variety of drinks, five different pairs of sunglasses, and anything else that fits. We're lucky if the bag makes it to Labor Day.
So before you consider dishing up for that new status purse, Old Navy has a range of cheap totes that are still stylish (think Calder inspired prints), functional (padded shoulder pads), and most importantly, machine washable. With a price tag of only ten dollars, I recommend buying a few extra for the grocery run because it never hurt to look good and go green.
--ISABEL HUBER
$10-$12 at Old Navy.