<p>Zooserman- my D also has a Michael Kors bag. She recently rolled her car across 4 lanes of traffic on the freeway, and ended up right side up on the shoulder, miraculously Ok and w/o hitting any other cars. When the emergency personnel showed up and were checking her out, they asked if she was OK and she replied that yes, she was, but that her MK bag was in the middle of a lane and she really, really loved that purse. Apparently the fire truck driver was a cute young thing and she must have flickered her eyelashes at him, because he got in his truck and created a traffic break, got out and picked up her purse, and returned it to her. It pays to be young when rolling a car.</p>
<p>Ha, I’m only 48 but I know exactly what you mean by a purse being a pouch with a brass twisty closure!</p>
<p>I agree with MOWC. Coach lost its way for a while with all the monogramming and appeal to teens. They’re starting to work their way back. Bringing back the old bags was a good move – appeal to their heritage. I’m from the era in which you scrimped and saved to buy a nice Coach Station Bag, and when you got promoted, you excitedly got a Coach briefcase. Tasteful, high quality leather at the time. The non-logo’ed stuff is usually pretty decent. It’s the logo’ed stuff that went off the deep end.</p>
<p>What’s IN my purse…cell phone, wallet and wristlets (both Coach, but I have Burberry wallet too to swap out), lip gloss, sunglasses, a couple of pens. And except for my little fancy bags, there is room for my iPad.</p>
<p>Agree with MOfWC about Coach. Long time ago Mr B bought me a Coach bag - it was back in the days when Coach used to make really nice leather bags without any bling. When I wore it to shreds, I went to Macy’s to look at Coach purses and walked out empty handed, because I could not imagine myself carrying one of those ugly, blingy, shapeless sacks. I like some of their newer leather bags!</p>
<p>I’m a very strange “bagophile”, because I love bags, research them to death, follow trends, etc. and can recognize many brands and even styles, but I always carry one sad, monotone Longchamp tote. 
Agree wih Pizzagirl - not many in my neck of the woods will recognize a Bottega Veneta or a Balenciaga or even a Chanel Boy purse. Of course, LV and Gucci GG fabric bags with their excessive, screaming logos all over will be recognized even here.</p>
<p>Ok ladies; Not discussed yet…evening bags. I have a Judith Lieber…one…Why? I don’t buys used purses. In my neighborhood stylists go to local stores and “buy” evening bags. The purses are used for one evening and then returned. I once found a gorgeous Judith was ready to purchase it and then…opened it. It had several used tissues in it and a tampon. No…</p>
<p>My favorite evening purse is a Badgley Mishka…and it is gorgeous. I have about 8 evening purses. I do hate the look of formal/semi formal outfit with a a big black purse.</p>
<p>My favorite purchases now: Chloe (with my daughter today), a Louis satchel (for daughter) and I am using a bright yellow Prada. My favority purse of all times? A valentino…but I really wand that nancy Gonzalez.</p>
<p>Evening bags? Well…we are the neighborhood supplier of bags to carry to the prom and to weddings. My mom (in addition to dishes and flatware…see other thread) collected evening bags. They are small, and really quite pretty. We have beaded bags in white, black, silver and gold. We also have some very nice cloth bags…small but classic. They take up far less room than the dishes, so we have kept them all. They are big enough to hold a drivers license, car keys, a small brush, and lipstick.</p>
<p>The one I like the best for dressy…I actually purchased myself…a turquoise Cole Haan leather bag…really nice. Small but good for dressy or casual.</p>
<p>My evening bag is H’s coat pockets! </p>
<p>My favorite all-time purse (and I still have it) was a Tod’s I bought in 2002. It was the most expensive thing in the way of clothing or bags I have ever bought, but it was sure worth it. It now looks a little worn, but I still drag it out occasionally. The leather was like a fine baseball glove (but more pebbled) and held up forever. It is just structured enough- with 2 nice end pockets which hold phones, work badges etc. Double zippers on the top. Satchel style, I guess you would call it. Double handles. Sigh. I would never spend that again and I haven’t liked a Tod’s bag as well since then anyway.</p>
<p>MOWC…I find a bag nice to save my seat at fancy shmancy events!</p>
<p>The first Coach bag I bought was in the early 80’s. They still sell it [Coach</a> :: COACH CLASSIC LEATHER STEWARDESS BAG](<a href=“http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/Product-coach_classic_leather_stewardess_bag-10551-10051-17996-en]Coach”>http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/Product-coach_classic_leather_stewardess_bag-10551-10051-17996-en)</p>
<p>And I still have it. It still looks beautiful. But I can’t squeeze my IPAD in.</p>
<p>I’ve pretty much stayed away from their bags in the last few years. I don’t like any manufacturers initials on my bag or any other obvious branding. They have been getting a little too flashy for me.</p>
<p>Thumper- True! I guess I could put a dinner roll on the chair or something! :)</p>
<p>I don’t own an evening bag, and I don’t believe I ever have. D’s evening bag is a $4 cosmetic bag she found at Ross. It’s shimmery, zips at the top, just the right size and shape, and looks great with her fancy stuff. For extra pizazz, she once pinned an old brooch that she found at Goodwill onto the outside of it. No one marveled at her designer bag, but that kid has a flair for looking fabulous on very little money.</p>
<p>OTOH, her mother completely missed out on the fabulous gene, not to mention the shoe and purse gene. You guys are making me jealous with all this purse talk.</p>
<p>Everyone I know here in New England still calls them handbags. Growing up in the midwest, they were always purses - I’ve never been able to adjust and still say purse, but no one looks at me funny:)</p>
<p>My favorite practical everyday bag is a very soft toffee colored pebble leather bag by Tods. The double handles are long enough to wear over the shoulder, but short enough for the crook of the arm. It is fairly large, but not a tote - open on top with two inside zipper pockets. I have several other Tods bags, but this bag is nothing like them - in fact, it doesn’t look like a Tods bag at all. It looks casual, elegant, and understated, all while being very practical. I don’t like bags that scream a particular brand, yet I like the quality of an Italian or French made bag.</p>
<p>I’ll also give a nod to Ferragamo - another brand that doesn’t get a lot of hype, but which makes superb quality bags - every year they come out with a few unique styles that are timeless. I have a beautiful rigid straw Ferragamo bag - the straw is woven into a circle so that the top of the circle is the handle. A very distinctive summer bag that looks great with cork wedges or espadrilles. </p>
<p>I also like Prada - nothing beats a black leather Prada bag with a tailored outfit. I could go on and on…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not sure if that’s true, but I should know better than to try to ■■■■■ in women’s handbag or shoe threads. No one took the bait. ;)</p>
<p>I carry an American-made leather bag that I love. I have one in navy and one in camel. It has a zip pocket for my car keys and a pocket for my phone. The inside is large enough for a clutch with a checkbook (yes, I still have a checkbook). It is made by victoria leather.
[Teardrop</a> - Victoria Leather Company : Leather so soft you have to feel it, to believe it!](<a href=“victorialeathercompany.com - This website is for sale! - victorialeathercompany Resources and Information.”>victorialeathercompany.com)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Me, too. Any bag that needs to be covered in initials or other obvious branding screams tacky to me, regardless of the cost. I even take the hanging tags off of bags. A bag should be admired for it’s styling, quality and good looks, not it’s cost or brand, IMHO.</p>
<p>I have been fighting shoulder and neck issues for the last few years. I’m really trying to downside my bag. It’s not easy when you are use to carrying around a lot of ‘stuff’. I’ve always shied away from bags that hang from the arm vs. shoulder but am being to think I will need to go that route (plus a much smaller bag). Any tips would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Check out the one I linked, MomLive. It comes in two sizes, one about the size of a small cantaloupe.</p>
<p>There is one designer who designs purses with his initals all over them–and his initials happen to be my initials, so it would be kind of fun to have one. But there is no way I would spend that kind of money. Maybe at the thrift store someday.</p>
<p>I have collection of Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Tod, Ferragamo, LV…bags (handbags), and very few of them have any signatures on them. I am very good at “name that bag” and what year, kind of like some guys with cars.</p>
<p>LV without the LV…is there such a thing? :)</p>
<p>OMG there is! I just checked. Glad to see they are getting away from that plasticky brown LV and rosette.</p>
<p>
Not many, but yes. The weekend bag and backpack are only two I am ok with a lot of signatures.</p>