When I buy handbags, I generally go for black or brown good quality leather. Lighter-coloured bags do not look good for long, particularly being carted around on public transport. Even my white jeans, jackets, and t shirts are always bought very cheaply because they stain easily and go grey pretty fast. In the photo below I am wearing cheap white Lidl jeans that inevitably get a mark every time I wear them, and a white undershirt that was replaced because it was grey. My pink handbag was a cheapie but it’s a dark enough shade that the wear is not noticeable.
When I have bought white handbags (sometimes I just cannot resist it in summer), I have bought them very cheaply, used them heavily, and demoted or recycled them when they become unusable. The one below has been a huge success. It cost $9 from H&M and I have loved using it. It is large and lightweight with comfortable straps and can fit everything you need for a summer day. I will use it until the end of the summer and then save it for our next trip to South Africa.
This is the second season H&M have carried these bags. My stepdaughter bought one last year and I fell in love with it. So when I saw one at 60% off I bought it. I use it almost every day and every time I use it I am reminded how much I love it. I tend to fiddle with the tassels as well, which must be a self-soothing quirk.
There is also this colourway
