^^Agreed. I try to tell myself to go through my purse once a week and clean it out but it rarely seems to happen. I too accumulate receipts, papers, tissues, etc.
I also agree that going bagless isn’t really an option for me under most circumstances. And I have a thin “travel” wallet. And sometimes I go a few days after a trip without switching and then am annoyed with myself when I go to Costco without my card and have to wait in line to gain access.
I only have one main purse, whichever cross-body bag I am abusing at the moment. No matter how hard I try I seem to have too much stuff for a pretty and stylish small cross body. My wallet alone is ungainly and heavy. A big part of my job is buying things at stores all day (very rarely is it fun stuff) and I have about 20 various cards in my wallet.
I have become so accustomed to hands free with a cross body I cannot go back. It used to be hard to find nice cross bodies but now they are prevalent. I do use a clutch for evening dress up. Otherwise, I never change purses.
I am embarrassed at all the crap in my purse, I’m not even going to list it. I always end up with a heavy tape measure and maybe a screw driver or something similar in the purse for weeks before I finally clean it out. Hand sanitizer and wet wipes are a must.
When I retire I am sure I will be lunching with the ladies with an assortment of beautiful clutches that perfectly compliment my outfits?
I have a lovely Tory Burch bag that was a Christmas gift from my daughter. The bag is sitting in my closet because it is much too good to carry!
I used to carry Coach bags all of the time–just one, kept it till the leather piping started to wear through, then got a new one. I probably did this for about 25 years. They lasted me for about 3-4 years on average.
Now I carry a light crossbody bag from ebags, with multiple zippered compartments. It has RFID protection, slash proof straps, and little rings to which the zipper can be clipped, meaning that it takes a little longer to unzip. I switched to this from the Coach bags after nearly being pickpocketed in Termini station in Rome. Now I just like carrying it, though the protections it offers are virtually never needed.
Oh, I also have a very small (wallet size) wrist bag with a strap that I can carry when going to receptions while I am traveling. I just put my driver’s license, one credit card, and a small amount of cash in it, and leave everything else in the safe at the hotel. Much better than trying to maneuver a glass and a small plate of food while carrying a larger purse.
I’d say it is much too good to NOT carry. Seems wasteful sitting in your closet. Enjoy it if you like it!
My 21-year-old daughter typically just carries a small wallet around. The problem is that she sets it down in weird places and is constantly looking for it! Drives me nuts.
I carry one handbag until it falls apart. D got me a nice leather purse in Italy where she studied abroad last year. She picked a good one! I mainly use it to carry pens, cards (ID, credit, insurance, etc.), and phone. Now that I’ve let my hair go curly, I don’t even need a hairbrush. 
I bought a Travelon crossbody mini handbag for travel. I love it so much that I’m using it for day to day use. It has RFID protected slots for credit cards, passport and zippered front for a cell phone. The shoulder strap is wide, adjustable and very comfortable. It seems to mold into my side when I carry it crossbody so I feel like I’m not carrying a purse.
I used to carry medium size purses with shoulder straps, rotating every few months (a few colors leather for winter, lighter leather or cloth for summer). For the past few years I’ve carried on very small black canvas travel bag with should strap - it’s really more of a big wallet.
Per checks, I still use them now and then for bills. I do keep a spare one in wallet in case I need it at church (where I do autopay but sometimes encounter other needs) or other purposes.
I’m an MZ Wallace fan. At home for running errands I use this MZ Wallace. . https://www.mzwallace.com/shop/products/10251099/dawn-oxford-micro-crosby/15237.html?cgid=mini-bags It is worn cross body and holds my car key and my house key and my license and a few cards I don’t use everyday: Costco, Target…it also holds a lip gloss, a pen, few Kleenex and a tiny comb. I mostly have my phone in my hand but it will fit in there in a pinch. My phone carries my main credit cards in a case on the back.
For work I use a big MZ Wallace. https://www.mzwallace.com/shop/products/11950089/black-bedford-tribeca-tote/20972.html?&cgid=work. That holds everything from my iPad, extra shoes , first aid kit and make up bag.
And I use this on vacation or if we are out for a whole day. https://www.mzwallace.com/shop/products/10640404/magnet-oxford-downtown-crosby/13236.html?cgid=best-sellers. I have a first aid kit, a brush and a package of Kleenex In there.
For travel as a carry on I use this https://www.mzwallace.com/shop/products/10031555/mushroom-oxford-crosby-traveler/20871.html?cgid=travel
For going out at night I have 2 very very nice purses. A Gucci Disco and a Valentino Rockstud Spike. It carries s brush and a small mirror and The first MZ Wallace crossbody wallet fits in there ( and fits in all all the others bags too)
@coralbrook , i love your post so much!
Hands free is why I carry a backpack purse - it also has a shoulder strap (technically could carry it crossbody but since it’s a backpack purse that’s a bit cumbersome) Great for shopping to be able to have both hands FREE. Also I’m much less likely to leave it in the car if I go to a park for a walk for instance because all I have to do is put it on my back!
I bought myself a soft, leather Prada Cahier crossbody bag for a recent trip overseas. Everything I read about derailing pickpockets said to carry a crossbody bag. It drove me nuts—too many compartments. It was just too much room for me.
I am a minimalist and usually carry a tote. Inside of it I keep a very small leather bag with a credit card/key holder, my phone, and. lipgloss. If to another tote, I just move the leather bag with my essentials. I usually have sunglasses/glasses and a small notebook, pen, and kleenex in the tote. My favorite tote is a Louis Vuitton limited edition Neverfull by Stephen Sprouse. It’s now sells for twice as much as I paid for it. It’s probably 9-10 years old.
The crossbody bag I mentioned that I got from ebags is the Travelon bag mentioned by TexasCollegeMom above. Mine might be slightly larger, but it is not very large at all.
I guess I also technically have a Longchamps zipper tote in eggplant, which my daughter abandoned at home, but which is perfectly serviceable.
Are your handbag preferences/habits guided (or dictated) by your lifestyle?
When I was working in an office, 20+ years ago, I had two Coach bags which I interchanged. They would be carried from the home to either the car or public transportation. Then at the other end they’d live in a desk drawer. Maybe they came out for lunch, but most likely I’d just grab cash or a CC. Yes - this was before the ubiquitous cell phone.
They would accompany me on dates and sit by my side at a restaurant. But, most weekends were spent doing things that really didn’t lend themselves to find leather wear. (well, unless you count those few months of motorcycle riding). D used the bags for a bit in college. Finally decided they were just do darn heavy. Now they reside on a top shelf in a spare closet.
When I became a SAHM my purse lived on the floor in the back seat of the car. It got dragged to playgrounds and traveled many miles in a Costco, Nob Hill, TJ’s grocery cart. It doubled as a snack and diaper bag for a while. The dear thing would be slung over any number of chairs or stuck between my feet, sitting on the floor, to ensure safe keeping. It went to school meetings, sporting events and on airplanes. It sat on the beaches at the lake and shore. It would have been cumbersome to change bags for different activities. It would have required changing several times within one day.
And now. We live semi rural in a very casual county. The bag still spends time in the back (sometimes front) seat of the car. It still sits in grocery carts and wants to go to places where there is sand and sticky floors. I’ve pared down the contents to a bare minimum - glasses, sunglasses, small wallet, nail clippers and file, some eye drops and a chap stick. Oh and of course the phone. The lighter the better, cross body or backpack style.
I found Stone Mountain bags at Marshall’s and TJMaxx. Great leather and they wear well. The leather takes a beating and cleans up nicely. I have these two…and purchased them at about 30% of the current listed sales price.
https://www.stonemountainhandbags.com/handbags/isla-double-zip-hobo-bag
https://www.stonemountainhandbags.com/handbags/isla-double-zip-hobo-bag. While this is not a cross body the handles make it comfortable and it works great for certain events where I want to bring a down jacket and a couple of bottles of water.
For those that carry expensive bags - are they something you must treat with constant kindness? Do you ever just put them on the floor or toss in a car? Do you use them all the time or do they come out for special occasions?
I just had the one nice coach bag this summer and I treated it fairly the same as all my other purses before. However, I suppose I was a bit more aware of where I was setting it down and particular about it.
This thread inspired me to do two things. First was clean out all the paper from my bag, second was to switch back from my vacation purse and travel wallet. I switched from a canvas bag to a leather Frye bag that is crossbody. They are fairly big bags sort of a hobo style. What I like is both bags have a small zip pocket on the side for my car keys. The Frye can be used crossbody or it also came with a smaller strap that it can be a handbag style. I removed that strap. The bag is leather but the crossbody strap is a thick web material so it lightens the weight of the bag.
@dietz199 I struggle with where to put my bag when I sit down somewhere. As you mention the floor gets the bag dirty. Over your chair makes it a magnet for thieves. I usually hang it over my knee or just out it over knee and rest it on the ground. My life is pretty simple and I don’t need a fancy bag for everyday use. I have a couple of smaller nice bags that I use when I go out. My sister gave me this bag in a chocolate brown https://www.google.com/search?q=laggo+fringed+crossbody&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=sdoJwPDQkE_ZhM:. It’s a really nice soft leather and I use this when I’m going somewhere where the dress is fancy denim.
For where to put the bag when you go out, I highly recommend a purse hook. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/BEAVO-Pattern-Foldable-Womens-Handbag/dp/B073TZYQMX/ref=sr_1_6?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0dysv_vn5AIVLB6tBh3RlwmOEAAYASAAEgK0SfD_BwE&hvadid=241925528379&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9021564&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=174331767080510915&hvtargid=kwd-109420378&hydadcr=24664_10400965&keywords=purse+hooks&qid=1569276764&sr=8-6
Absolutely. When I lived in NYC I always had some kind of bag or more often, backpack. I used my coat or jean pockets for things too, but I needed to carry whatever i needed for the day on me.
Moving to Ohio, I kept more in my car, less on my person. I also worked at home so going out on foot was generally for exercise or for fun, and I rarely had to dress up, so I stopped carrying a bag for the most part.
I travel a lot now and prefer pockets to bags for security (and comfort) reasons, but if it’s summer and I’m wearing a sundress - gotta have at least a small bag unless just running out for a short spell. In airports I always have a crossbody so my passport, tickets etc are accessible.
But i still feel like carrying a purse is a chore, I admit.
PS: I just got my first credit card that actually has the thing that RFID blocks (tap to pay). My others don’t have that. I’m not sure it’s worth getting RFID-blocking bags or wallets or whatever? Apparently they block phone signals too, and my cards are kept on my phone in a small adhesive case.
Hmm.
I view handbag as part of my outfit, so I will change my bag to match my outfit. My bags are nicely placed on my closet shelves so I could see them easily. When I travel I will bring few bags with me. I have an LV clutch bag that has my credit cards, money, lipsticks, dental floss, etc. I have clutch bag, keys, phone(s), charger, earbuds in a larger bag.
Definitely lifestyle driven. I like just grabbing small bag with wallet, paper & pen, lip gloss, pocket knife / flashlight / lighter – I have mini versions of everything and 7" wide mini bag is enough. I either carry cross-body or cradle it lovingly in my lap.
Only reason I carry larger bag is if I need to bring my planner along. That frequency varies, but definitely for meetings of a couple boards I’m on, mother’s medical appointments, my medical appointments.
When I take the dogs to the groomer I just stick license and credit card in one pocket and phone in the other – and I take a photo of my current calendar page so I don’t have to deal with a gigantic hobo bag and two energetic dogs at the same time.
As for care, I remember taking delivery of a Dooney & Bourke ages ago, one of their “all weather leather” bags. The paper wrapping had torn and some rain got on it on the delivery driver’s way up to the door. He apologized and said he hoped he hadn’t damaged it, I told him about their description and said not to worry, “you just seasoned it.”