19 Smart Casual Outfits with Longchamp Tote
I’ve owned my trusty Longchamp Le Pliage Neo tote since I was a grad student carrying it from symposiums to academic conferences. I’ve used it as my personal item when flying (especially for work travel) in the past because it comfortably fits under a seat, and I now use it regularly to tote my laptop from work to home and back again.
My Longchamp tote has lived many lives since I added it to my wardrobe in December 2015, and it’s still going strong! It’s a great everyday tote, whether you need one for work, grad school, an internship, college, or anything in between. Below, I rounded up 19 smart casual outfits featuring my Longchamp tote that I wore to work and to grad school.
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19 Smart Casual Outfits with Longchamp Tote
When I bought my Longchamp tote, I opted for the Le Pliage Neo because I love the sleek, all-black look of the nylon and leather accents. And since everything is black, the bag goes with every outfit. Unfortunately, the Neo style is no longer available, but this recycled canvas Le Pliage tote is similar.
The Longchamp Le Pliage large tote is roomy and features one small interior pocket (with no zip closure). The exterior is entirely nylon with leather straps and features a zipper with one snap button closure at the top. I can fit my personal laptop, external drives, laptop charger, Kindle, journal, wallet, water bottle, phone, sunglasses, etc. It fits a lot and closes with (usually) no problem!
This bag was my best friend for academic conferences because I could stuff everything I possibly needed inside (fabric poster, computer and charger, notebooks, water, snacks, etc.) and used it as a personal item on the plane. It's an investment piece for sure, but I highly recommend it if you're looking for a roomy bag for conferences, symposiums, and/or important meetings!
Longchamp offers the original Le Pliage tote in multiple sizes, including the large size, which is the size I own. These totes come in multiple colors and feature contrasting brown leather trim and straps. Check out how I wore my Longchamp tote in the 19 outfits I rounded up below!
Work Outfits with Longchamp Tote
1. Longchamp Tote with Cropped Shirt and Trousers
This was my take on a conference presentation outfit. I opted for a cropped button-down shirt, black pants, platform sandals, and my trusty Longchamp tote that I had carried all week; it’s definitely a workhorse when I’m out of the office traveling for conferences or meetings elsewhere.
2. Longchamp Tote with Blazer and Wide Leg Jeans
For the first day of this work conference, I wore one of my favorite smart casual outfits: an oversized linen blazer, striped cropped tank, wide leg jeans, and sandals. The blazer dressed up the outfit and kept it smart casual. Luckily, scientific conferences are usually on the casual side!
3. Longchamp Tote with Shiny Black Boots
This outfit was a fresher twist on a work trip outfit I wore a few years prior. My shiny black boots always make me feel like a boss! While this outfit would obviously be great for a work trip, you could also easily wear this to a regular day in the office, a conference, or perhaps even an interview!
4. Longchamp Tote with Brown Cashmere Sweater
This is my “power outfit” that I recreated five years after the original! One of my go-to uniforms for feeling my best is a slim cashmere sweater tucked into jeans. I completed this look with my fancy Ferragamo pumps and the Longchamp tote that goes with me on every work-related adventure.
5. Longchamp Tote with Linen Tee and Pants
I took my tote with me on a work trip on the East Coast! I like wearing cotton-linen pants to work when it's warm because they're loose yet still nice-looking. I don't typically wear camel and grey together; I don't like the look since camel is generally a warm neutral and grey a cool neutral, but for some reason I didn't care too much here.
6. Longchamp Tote with Navy Stripes and Sandals
I wore another linen tee to beat the heat and pulled out the sandals because of the rain and to give my loafers a break. This camel cardigan ended up being the best item I packed! I would have froze without it because of the air conditioning. I wore my trench coat in the evening due to the rain.
7. Longchamp Tote with Linen Blazer and Pants
I wore the outfit to training, but it ended up being too chilly; it was fine for when I was outside, but I was in a new classroom and it was absolutely freezing. Definitely pack and wear warmer layers when the A/C is blasting too much. Otherwise, I really liked how this outfit looked!
8. Longchamp Tote with Layers for Travel
I wore this outfit to travel home from the work trip. I paired camel and grey again, which isn’t my favorite, but on a travel day… I don’t care as much! I also wore my trench coat to save space in my luggage. Since it was a work trip, I wore jeans—be sure to pack a super comfortable pair to fly in.
9. Longchamp Tote with Blazer and Burgundy Pants
I wore this outfit for a day-long work trip that involved flying to Seattle and back, so I needed to be comfortable enough to wear this all day and dressy enough for a meeting. My blazer, sweater, and pants were all soft and perfect for the occasion. I recreated this outfit five years later (above)!
Grad School Outfits with Longchamp Tote
10. Longchamp Tote with Midi Skirt
Wear the color or outfit combination for your first day of grad school that makes you feel MOST confident. I picked out a twirly skirt instead of going for black pants or denim. Instead of wearing black shoes, I stuck with a neutral pair of sandals to keep the outfit light and look more summery.
11. Longchamp Tote with Ponte Dress and Pumps
I wore this outfit to defend my dissertation! This ponte dress was one of my more professional dresses. I kept my shoes simple and added the earrings for a touch of sparkle. My Longchamp bag hauled my computer and other necessities. I also brought a cardigan, but luckily the room wasn't that cold!
12. Longchamp Tote with Layered Sweater and Boots
I wore this outfit for a symposium, and it felt like the quintessential "smart casual" outfit. I paired my black tall boots with my black ponte pants. I kept the look monochrome with a grey cropped sweater layered over my heather grey peplum top, so I added the necklace to offset all of the black and grey.
13. Longchamp Tote with Black and Grey Layers
I felt confident and put-together in this outfit that I wore to present a poster at an academic conference. It's full of neutrals, but the speckled skirt and the asymmetrical sweatshirt add some interest. Of course, I’m holding my go-to cup of chai; you’ll see most people at conferences holding a coffee cup at some point!
14. Longchamp Tote with Simple Sweater and Jeans
When I was a grad student, I called this outfit my “power outfit”! There was something about tucking in a sweater into dark wash skinny jeans and throwing on a pair of heels that made me feel like I could take over the world. I recreated this outfit 5 years later (find it above)!
15. Longchamp Tote with Ponte Pants for Travel
When I flew to this academic conference, I wore a light sweater, ponte pants, ballet flats, and my trench coat. Even though sneakers would have been more comfortable, I didn't want to deal with taking them off and putting them back on at airport security (this was before I had pre-check!). I used my Longchamp tote as my personal item.
16. Longchamp Tote with Jeans and Sneakers
When I didn’t present at the conference, I decided to wear my sneakers for comfort while walking around everywhere. I loved layering sleeveless tops under this asymmetrical Helmut Lang sweatshirt. I also wore my jeans because it was pretty chilly (and carried my trench coat just in case!).
17. Longchamp Tote with Lightweight Layers
I didn’t wear this outfit to the conference (this was the day I booked a bike tour; I changed into leggings for the ride), but I did wear it to an evening reception hosted by my department. The vest was the only extra layer I needed over my sweater to keep warm on my bike tour.
18. Longchamp Tote with Sweatshirt and Skirt
I presented at an afternoon poster session and then a morning session the next day. It was also warm enough to go sans tights, though I did change into tights and ankle boots because I had an awards banquet to attend in the evening. I wore my sweatshirt again but with my crocheted top and ballet flats. This look was a favorite!
19. Longchamp Tote with Sweater and Wool Skirt
I should have worn this outfit with tights because the conference center was blasting their AC! I pulled out a sweater for this look and finished it with my ankle boots and simple necklace. My Longchamp tote proved to be quite the workhouse during the course of the week.