I'd be taking my red Crumpler backpack, my RedCross fabric sling tote, a large neutral bag in maybe leather for day functions and outings which required a certain degree of tidiness, a small black clutch for formal night events (they tend to go with everything) and a nice medium sized bag in a lighter colour (i would take my cream and white one) if i needed to look presentable in a summer outfit. So for me about 5. the first two aren't really handbags... but this would cover all my daily needs.