Diaper Bags: Where Are The Good Ones?

My friend Meaghan had a baby last week—a month early, nonetheless—which means she hadn’t quite wrapped up her pre-baby shopping preparations. Anyway, she sent me over an email because she couldn’t find a single acceptable diaper bag. I thought she must be crazy (she has oodles of style, and no problem sourcing good stuff), and then I started to look, too, and, well, they’re incredibly hard to find if you want something that remotely looks like a bag you’d carry in real life. (I.e., they’re all emblazoned with super retro patterns or so…utilitarian…they hurt the eyes.) First, I sent her a slew of waxed canvas-y totes since I figured that they needed to be wipeable or washable. But they all lacked the necessary pockets (although I referred her to the Top 10 of celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez, who makes it happen in a pocket-less bag). We ultimately found a winner, via Seabags. But any of you guys have any great recs for the bags that saw you through the early years of baby-dom?

CANVAS TOTES RULED OUT FOR THEIR DEARTH OF POCKETS (BUT CUTE, RIGHT?):

 clockwise, l-r: IKAT COATED CANVAS TOTE, $78.00, C. Wonder; LARGE TOTE BOAT WITH CRABS, $150.00, Halsea; ANYA HINDMARCH FRUIT & VEGETABLES TOTE, $206.50, Shopbop; IKAT PRINT REVERSIBLE TOTE, $99.00, Brooks Brothers.

DIAPER BAG CONTENDERS:

clockwise, l-r: MARC JACOBS BABY BAG, $298.00, Neiman Marcus; BABY BAG WITH ANCHORS, $180.00, Seabags; MARC JACOBS BABY BAG, $223.50, Bloomingdales; DWELL STUDIO OWLS SKY MADISON DIAPER BAG, $125.00, Dwell Studio.