Where have all the cute purses gone?
Okay, taking a break from the sequel madness to share something that has been driving me crazy for about the last year or so: Purses have gotten very, very ugly.
Am I the only person to notice this? And not only that, but the more expensive a purse is, the uglier it is. Take, for example, this $798 gem from Coach.
Ugly, right? Well, you may love it--someone obviously does. But it's really not very "me". (I'm a less is more kind of girl.)
When the Disney option happened last spring I wanted to reward myself with a nice handbag, but I never did because I couldn't find one!
I'm a pretty picky person, I guess. I don't think my likes are necessarily better than anyone else's, but I'm not going to waste money and time on something that doesn't suit me. But lately, I've started thinking that there might not be a single bag in the world that does suit me.
So I'm enlisting you--the blog-reading public--to help me in my quest for a suitable bag. (It will now be a gift to myself for finishing all my books--something very gift-worthy if you ask me.)
But remember, I have standards.
And they are as follows:
1- It must zip.
I know this may sound like a no-brainer, but there are a startling number of purses out there that only have a small snap, or they zip over 3/4 of the top opening but not the whole way (see example by Kate Spade).
This may look good. It may even sound okay. But that still isn't going to help when you're trying to get off a plane and the guy next to you kicks your purse over and your lipstick, business card holder, zip drive, and $1.48 in change end up two rows behind you.
2- It must only require one hand/arm to put on.
I know this one may sound a little strange, but let me explain.
Let's say you're holding your purse with your right hand. You'd like to put it on your shoulder. I would like to be able to go from right hand to right shoulder with one motion. If at any point I have to bring either my left hand or my left shoulder into the operation then that purse isn't for me.
(The key to this is that the space between the strap and the top of the bag must be longer than the bone between your wrist and your elbow.)
3- It must be comfortable.
Yes, there are comfortable purses and uncomfortable purses in this world. If you don't believe me, try going Christmas shopping with a bag that bangs against your hips when you walk or tucks awkwardly under your arm so that you feel like you're carrying a football all day--you'll soon learn I know of which I speak.
4- It must be high utility and/or cost effective.
As you may or may not know I've taken a lot of economics classes in my life, and my favorite economic principle is utility--or benefit received from a good or service. I'm a firm believer that the benefit should outweigh the cost and the more practical an item is, the more utility it has for me.
Take a bag like this one from Kate Spade. I think it's really elegant. It's black so I could wear it with almost everything I own. But it's also $395.
Will I get almost four hundred dollars' worth of wear--or utility--out of it? I don't know. I've never really considered myself a four-hundred-dollar-purse person, but if it's a purse I'll carry every day for five years then maybe the utility will, in fact, outweigh the cost. (Also, I'm afraid this specific bag wouldn't meet requirements number 1 and 2 above.)
5- It must have a place where I can put my cell phone and have it be easily accessible.
Enough said.
6- It must be the right size.
Yes, I'm the crazy lady in the department store that, before buying a purse, takes everything out of her old bag and tries to put it in the new one. My philosophy on purse size is this: buy the smallest one you can fit your essentials in. If you get one with too much room to spare you'll fill it up with junk and who wants that?
7- It must wear well.
Part of this ties in with #4 above, but finding a purse for me is hard enough that when I find one I like it needs to last for a long, long time.
8- It must make me feel pretty.
Or at least like a pseudo-cool/hip/professional/non-ancient human being.
9- It must stand upright on its own. (preferred but not mandatory)
I really don't like it when I set my purse down and it flops over onto its side. It gets dirty and wears more and if I happened to leave it unzipped (0r Heaven-forbid if I didn't follow Rule #1) then stuff falls out. So a purse that's got some posture is always better in my opinion.
10-I must like it.
I know--this should go without saying. But really there are a lot of purses out there that probably fit these requirements. Like the one from Coach, for example. But it just isn't "me". I know I'm not the most fashionable person in the world, but I think you can tell a lot about a woman by what kind of handbag she carries, and I want one that represents the real me.
Which, I guess, would be...closed, upright, unadorned, economical, durable, appropriately-sized, and easy to lug around.
I am now taking suggestions from the group.
-Ally
Am I the only person to notice this? And not only that, but the more expensive a purse is, the uglier it is. Take, for example, this $798 gem from Coach.Ugly, right? Well, you may love it--someone obviously does. But it's really not very "me". (I'm a less is more kind of girl.)
When the Disney option happened last spring I wanted to reward myself with a nice handbag, but I never did because I couldn't find one!
I'm a pretty picky person, I guess. I don't think my likes are necessarily better than anyone else's, but I'm not going to waste money and time on something that doesn't suit me. But lately, I've started thinking that there might not be a single bag in the world that does suit me.
So I'm enlisting you--the blog-reading public--to help me in my quest for a suitable bag. (It will now be a gift to myself for finishing all my books--something very gift-worthy if you ask me.)
But remember, I have standards.
And they are as follows:
1- It must zip.
I know this may sound like a no-brainer, but there are a startling number of purses out there that only have a small snap, or they zip over 3/4 of the top opening but not the whole way (see example by Kate Spade).
This may look good. It may even sound okay. But that still isn't going to help when you're trying to get off a plane and the guy next to you kicks your purse over and your lipstick, business card holder, zip drive, and $1.48 in change end up two rows behind you.
2- It must only require one hand/arm to put on.
I know this one may sound a little strange, but let me explain.
Let's say you're holding your purse with your right hand. You'd like to put it on your shoulder. I would like to be able to go from right hand to right shoulder with one motion. If at any point I have to bring either my left hand or my left shoulder into the operation then that purse isn't for me.
(The key to this is that the space between the strap and the top of the bag must be longer than the bone between your wrist and your elbow.)
3- It must be comfortable.
Yes, there are comfortable purses and uncomfortable purses in this world. If you don't believe me, try going Christmas shopping with a bag that bangs against your hips when you walk or tucks awkwardly under your arm so that you feel like you're carrying a football all day--you'll soon learn I know of which I speak.
4- It must be high utility and/or cost effective.
As you may or may not know I've taken a lot of economics classes in my life, and my favorite economic principle is utility--or benefit received from a good or service. I'm a firm believer that the benefit should outweigh the cost and the more practical an item is, the more utility it has for me.
Take a bag like this one from Kate Spade. I think it's really elegant. It's black so I could wear it with almost everything I own. But it's also $395.
Will I get almost four hundred dollars' worth of wear--or utility--out of it? I don't know. I've never really considered myself a four-hundred-dollar-purse person, but if it's a purse I'll carry every day for five years then maybe the utility will, in fact, outweigh the cost. (Also, I'm afraid this specific bag wouldn't meet requirements number 1 and 2 above.)
5- It must have a place where I can put my cell phone and have it be easily accessible.
Enough said.
6- It must be the right size.
Yes, I'm the crazy lady in the department store that, before buying a purse, takes everything out of her old bag and tries to put it in the new one. My philosophy on purse size is this: buy the smallest one you can fit your essentials in. If you get one with too much room to spare you'll fill it up with junk and who wants that?
7- It must wear well.
Part of this ties in with #4 above, but finding a purse for me is hard enough that when I find one I like it needs to last for a long, long time.
8- It must make me feel pretty.
Or at least like a pseudo-cool/hip/professional/non-ancient human being.
9- It must stand upright on its own. (preferred but not mandatory)
I really don't like it when I set my purse down and it flops over onto its side. It gets dirty and wears more and if I happened to leave it unzipped (0r Heaven-forbid if I didn't follow Rule #1) then stuff falls out. So a purse that's got some posture is always better in my opinion.
10-I must like it.
I know--this should go without saying. But really there are a lot of purses out there that probably fit these requirements. Like the one from Coach, for example. But it just isn't "me". I know I'm not the most fashionable person in the world, but I think you can tell a lot about a woman by what kind of handbag she carries, and I want one that represents the real me.
Which, I guess, would be...closed, upright, unadorned, economical, durable, appropriately-sized, and easy to lug around.
I am now taking suggestions from the group.
-Ally
posted by Ally Carter at Friday, October 27, 2006
11 Comments:
Take a look at these:
Sally Spicer Handbags
Found a fun dragonfly one in Berkeley, wore it to pieces, could no longer find the store in Berkeley where I bought it (Berkeley is like that)... but found Sally Spicer online and bought this one. I think the price is pretty reasonable too. Luck!
How about one of those Coach bucket purses? I have one that I bought about 9 yrs. ago that stands up on its own, zips complete on the top, and has a long shoulder strap. I don't know if they still sell this style though, but people are selling them on Ebay.
Obviously you haven't met my mother because if you had then the two of you would probably start "the perfect purse" club and tour across America spreading the word.
Year after year my mother has dragged me through stores with the idea of this perfect purse that she so often speaks about. Unfortunatly it has now been six years and she has yet to find it.
In my oppinion it doesn't exist but I wish you the best of luck with your search. ;)
I have no idea. I just get cheap purses from Target, because I tend to want a new one fast or get bored with them quickly. I still think they are cute, though.
Best luck on your search!
You might enjoy checking out B's Purses:
http://bspurses.com/
The neat thing is that you design your own (selecting from their basic structures, fabrics, and embellishments). You can get zip options, as well as snaps. I've purchased several from home parties (you know, girls' night out kind of of events) but you can also order on line. I would recommend going to a party so that you can see samples.
Sorry if it sounds like I'm a rep - I'm not! - but I'm always ready to help a girl in her search of a cute purse! :o)
I can't really give you specific suggestions, but I can tell you that I found a very simple, brown corduroy purse at Aeropostale (oh, if only I could afford Coach!) with a pocket on the side for a cell phone.
I am now in love with this purse. Whoever came up with that idea is a genius. I don't have to root through the purse to find the source of vibration, AND it saves room in the purse.
Sheer brilliance.
I have two words - Dooney & Bourke. Yes, I'm a total Dooney purse fanatic. They cost anywhere from $150-300, but I swear it's worth the money. I am hard on purses and I have had the same one for six years now. They come in all shapes and sizes and your list matches my own in requirements. Hopefully, this is a good season.
Also, sometimes Dillards has some last season left and puts them on sale for 30% off.
I would recommend the longchamps bags. I have the medium size in pink and it is amazing, it can be spacious of you can fill it but it doesn't make you feel the need to put junk in it. Not only does it zip up but it has a small snap going over the zipper. Dependgin on your cell phone size it may or may not fit in the little pouch inside but I have come up with two options that I use. I either clip it on top of the bag or put the cell phone holder that has a snap hanging strap on the straps of the bag. The bag doesn't get dirty easily but if it does is easily cleaned at any store that sells them. It is incredibly durable and I love it! They're cheap...under 100 for mine, and totally worth any penny. This is an example of the one I have and love...I would definately go for the larger straps. http://www.magnums.net/prod/LC2605PL/Foldbags
Good luck with your search!
I have the same problem that you do. I don't know who it is that uses these purses that don't zip.
Earlier this year I saw a $30 sale on Nine West bags at DSW, and though they didn't zip, they had a really tight flap and I bought one in each color.
But yes, the purse epidemic is almost as bad at the jeans one.
I agree, purses are extremely ugly with too much bling, too many pockets, large visible hardware, studs, fringe, tassels, etc. I long for the simplicity of Coach's past bags. My store only carries the logo ones now, and it is horrible. Your best bet is to look at bags by Brahmin or Anne Klein. Great value, simple styling, good leather, and no extraneous details.
EXACT same boat here! My aunt & I have been saying for years how UGLY purses have become, we actually make a game of picking the ugliest each time we shop . . . there are so many ugly ones to choose from (turquoise with big buckles won last week)! I FINALLY found my perfect purse designer - Brahmin, very classic look and you can see the quality. They are a bit pricey, but worth it! Check them out - Good luck!
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