You spent weeks shopping for the perfect swimsuit. And the most effective suntan lotion. And the best sunglasses for your face. So you're all set to hit the shore, right? Not so fast. If you want to be brimming with style and attitude, you need to flaunt a fabulous bag as well. A sassy summertime sack can take you from the pool to the boardwalk to the party and then home again — home, or, ahem, wherever else you might end up at the end of the night. In any case, beach totes come in a vast array of sizes, shapes, colors and fabrics. Here are our favorites for this sunny season.

Double-Bagging It

by Melissa Kagan (see more from this expert)

What's better than finding the perfect beach tote? Finding two for the price of one. While matching your bag to your ensemble is fun, it's a pain to keep transferring everything from one tote to another. Inevitably, you end up losing things like your favorite lip gloss that's been discontinued or business cards of cute guys you've met while waiting in line for coffee. Well, Tory Burch has the perfect solution to this glamour glitch. She's created a reversible terry-cloth tote ($125). There's a multicolor diamond print on one side and orange with brown trim on the other. So become a quick-change artist with the flip of your tote without losing your stuff... or your mind. Available at ToryBurch.com.


Shop for more terry-cloth totes.

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