Purse perfection

Parent Cafe
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<p>Well, you people have done the impossible. You have me seriously looking at bags that cost more than $40.</p>

<p>This is the one that’s caught my eye: [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.ebags.com/product/piazza/sorrento-shopper/221896]Piazza”&gt;http://www.ebags.com/product/piazza/sorrento-shopper/221896]Piazza</a> Sorrento Shopper - eBags.com<a href=“in%20terra%20cotta%20or%20maybe%20nutmeg”>/url</a>. What I like about it: Lots of compartments, inside and out. Straps just the right length (I’m a shoulder-carrier). It’s just a bit taller and deeper than my current purse, which should be about perfect, and it looks like it has some structure to it. </p>

<p>Does anyone have any experience with this purse, or this brand?</p>

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<p>The bag I can’t do without is an older Longchamp grained leather backpack. I never actually carry as a backpack, but as a shoulder bag. It has everything I want in a purse. It is quite old but I use it almost every day. It is green but seems to still go with everything. I thought it was a fortune years ago when I bought it but it has worn so beautifully and the leather is still so great, it is worth every penny. They still make a version of it but don’t seem to offer the colors. </p>

<p>[url=&lt;a href=“http://us.longchamp.com/bags/veau-foulonne/backpack-1617021]Backpack”&gt;http://us.longchamp.com/bags/veau-foulonne/backpack-1617021]Backpack</a> - Veau Foulonn</p>

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<p>I love bags. I have grown from larger bags to smaller cross body bags. I like being hands free. I have some vintage coach and Dooney and Burke bags. Tiganello bags are my new favorite. They are lightweight leather with great colors, lots of pockets. The interior fabric are bright patterned giving it a neat look. They have an exterior pocket that is an organizer and it is a mini wallet for money, cards. No more rummaging looking for things. They have several styles.<br>
<a href=“Luxury fashion & independent designers | SSENSE”>Luxury fashion & independent designers | SSENSE;

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<p>A girlfriend of mine has a really striking Kate Spade bag that is cream with coral trim. If any of us are having an adventure of any sort, she lends Kate along for the ride on the condition that we give a full report. We call ourselves “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Kate Spade.” I have only taken Kate out for an adventure once in which she wound up on top of a country music jukebox all night. If Kate could talk, but I’m glad she doesn’t … Haha.</p>

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<p>I love this thread - haven’t read it all yet but I will. I agree with many of the sentiments expressed here: secure closing, multiple compartments, no obvious branding or initials. I used to get a Coach bag every Christmas from DH. Then they changed the styles and I didn’t like them any more. Now I’m looking for function. I have what is almost the perfect bag for me, bought from (of all places) Levenger. It is no longer available, but this is a photo:</p>

<p>[Majorca</a> Tote | Shop accessories, fashion | Kaboodle](<a href=“http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/majorca-tote]Majorca”>http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/majorca-tote)</p>

<p>I bought it in brown, would have preferred black, but I hate white contrast stitching on black. The outside pocket has 4 pockets of different sizes (cell phone, etc.) and a loop to attach keys, and room for narrow items like pens or tickets. There are 3 main compartments, the center one is zippered. The zippered compartment is large, as are the outer compartments. I can easily fit pads of paper. There are two smaller zippered compartments in the outer two compartments. It does not look huge, but when travelling I can fit 4 glasses cases, a small camera, a makeup bag, a small hairbrush, in one of the outer compartments without stretching it. </p>

<p>I’d like a similar black bag, and I just bought this from J. Crew:</p>

<p>[Biennial</a> satchel - bags - Women’s Women<em>Shop</em>By_Category - J.Crew](<a href=“http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/handbags/PRDOVR~57107/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~~~0~15~all~mode+matchallany~~~~~biennial/57107.jsp?isSaleItem=false]Biennial”>http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/handbags/PRDOVR~57107/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~~~0~15~all~mode+matchallany~~~~~biennial/57107.jsp?isSaleItem=false)</p>

<p>It was a great deal; on sale, additional 30% off and free shipping, 3% back from Ebates. I got it in black, and made sure there was no contrast stitching. I didn’t think it would be significantly larger than my Levenger bag, but it is, way too big. It’s very, very deep. Also, the 3 zippers closing the compartments are large and shiny gold; I don’t like them. So I’m returning it. And the search for the perfect bag continues.</p>

<p>I had a Brahmin bag once, black with dark brown trim, and it was beautiful. But the opening was too small for the bag, and it was hard to get my wallet in and out. </p>

<p>My pet peeve is large handbags that are open inside. I like structure, and it’s hard to find.</p>

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<p>NYMom, I like a dual-zip front pocket like that, too, especially if it’s designed to only open so many degrees (small side flaps inside), helping prevent items from falling out. </p>

<p>I like the look of many other purses as well but the utility of crossbody most these days.</p>

147

<p>This thread has inspired me to cull all of my old bags out and sell them at my forthcoming “D is Leaving the Country” garage sale. There are so many that I never use for the simple reason that my IPAD and all the other lifestyle debris that I have will no longer fit. Onward and upward.</p>

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<p>Lasma- love the terra cotta color! I don’t know this brand, but it’s leather and has a lot of pockets. What’s not to love?</p>

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<p>I have developed fairly severe sciatica and find it is better to use a cross-body bag when I am walking for any distance. Under those circumstances I use a smaller zippered Longchamp bag in a perky red. It doesn’t hold more than my wallet, a brush and perhaps a paperback but it works for the most part.</p>

<p>If I am in the suburbs I can go a little heavier and tend to take a tote that will hold my iPad, wallet, book and all my other stuff because I am generally walking from the car to somewhere near. I have been using the same Longchamp tote made with a soft leather for years and it has held up very well. I don’t see it on their online site but it is very like the JCrew Getaway tote. I have a bunch of small dressy purses. One of my favorites is a little petit point bag that I picked up years ago at a tag sale held in Central Park to benefit the New York City Schools. It may (or may not) have originally belonged to Candace Bergen! - I felt like such a fan girl when I bought it. </p>

<p>D pinched the vintage Coach bucket bag that my husband gave me decades ago and now uses it for her med school paraphernalia. It still looks good and if she took the time to clean it up it would look even better. The new versions of the original bags have much thinner leather and they don’t feel nearly as substantial as the originals. The fittings also are less heavy than on the originals.</p>

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<p>moonchild, I just ordered it, in terra cotta. My very first $100+ purse! :D</p>

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<p>Is that glee I’m sensing? I think it is. Enjoy. :)</p>

<p>Have to get a new toy every now and again.</p>

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<p>August is also my birth month, so what the heck!</p>

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<p>Happy Birthday LasMa!</p>

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<p>Oh you evil people! </p>

<p>I love shoulder bags and generally do a warm weather/cold weather bag. I like brown or a color (esp green) and I love texture (eg Brahmin or suede) and love a colorful interior. Must fit a book.</p>

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<p>I decided upon turning 50 that I am entitled to finally splurge on a few things…shoes, purses, mani/pedis and massages are my splurges these days.</p>

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<p>[uote] D pinched the vintage Coach bucket bag that my husband gave me decades ago and now uses it for her med school paraphernalia. It still looks good and if she took the time to clean it up it would look even better.

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<p>Supposedly you can actually wash those vintage Coach bags and perk them up. There are even demonstrations on some of the purse forums. I offer no guarantees though :slight_smile: Wish I had my old Coach station bag from the late 80’s - and the beautiful Coach briefcase when I got my first promotion in 1988. What a hotshot! It was the young twenty something badge that you were a Big Girl now!</p>

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<p>Now in my 40’s I finally changed my mindset. Often I didn’t spend a lot on something like a bag or shoes because in my mind, that was for adults/grownups/people who are settled down.</p>

<p>It finally hit me that I am married, have kids and a house, financially stable,etc. If NOW isn’t the time, when is? Not saying that every 40-something should automatically start buying nicer things, but it is certainly acceptable to feel okay about these purchases.</p>

<p>(Ah, this isn’t really coming out the way it sounded in my head!)</p>

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<p>This thread motivated to dig out my '80’s navy blue Coach bag. It is the original version of this one - </p>

<p>[Coach</a> :: COACH CLASSIC PATRICIAS LEGACY BAG](<a href=“http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/Product-coach_classic_patricias_legacy_bag-10551-10051-9951-en?cs=tan&catId=5000000000000052055]Coach”>http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/Product-coach_classic_patricias_legacy_bag-10551-10051-9951-en?cs=tan&catId=5000000000000052055)</p>

<p>I carried it for a long time in the '80s and got sick of it. I forgot it was there until this thread.</p>

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<p>surfcity: I totally get what you’re saying. At different points of our lives we spend money and time on different things. Nursery school, tutors, furniture, braces…we all know the deal. But there is a golden moment (in my case I guess there are golden moments) when we can do something special for us…just because.</p>

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<p>Off topic - but so creepy that within a few minutes of posting the pic of the Coach bag here, a “suggested post” shows up on Facebook from Coach with the picture of that purse.</p>