We don't often award the coveted Handbag of the Week title to plain black shoulder bags, because, let's face it, they can be a little bit boring.

Another fact needing to be faced, however, is that they're often downright handy: and if you have the kind of office job where any kind of bright colour is frowned upon, they can become even more of a necessity. We think this black snake-print origami tote from Topshop is a good choice for those days when only a black bag will do: it's big enough to carry lots of your daily essentials, but the shape stops it from being too boring. It's not leather, but that means you get to buy it for a bargainous £35 : not bad for a bag you'll probably get lots of use out of!