Handbags Purses Totes

In American culture, a woman is expected to carry a purse every time she leaves the house. Not only that, but she’s supposed to be emotionally attached to her handbag collection and spend hundreds of dollars on it.

The reality is somewhat different. Many women hate handbags–even women who tote them around every day. Some women refuse to carry a handbag and resort to carrying necessary items in their pockets. Others go for the minimalist purse, a tiny thing just big enough to hold a license and credit card.

There’s nothing wrong with a woman who doesn’t care for handbags. Men may be surprised when they meet a woman who turns up her nose at designer purses, but surprise is soon followed by relief at the money they’re going to save when buying gifts or sharing expenses with her.

Sometimes, though, a woman just doesn’t have any choice–due to a job, or medical needs, or long days away from home, or children, stuffing necessities into pockets just doesn’t work anymore. For women who don’t like handbags, shopping is a real challenge.

You need to understand why women find it so hard to accept carrying a purse. Aside from the physical weight, a tote of any kind carries all kind of emotional luggage. Handbags are something our mothers and grandmothers carried as part of their traditional female role in society. Men could be unencumbered, while women had to tote all kinds of baggage around. Symbolically, this translates into emotional and social luggage that today’s woman wants no part of.

Women today are redefining what it means to be feminine. The movies have helped women take on more masculine roles–look at films like Top Gun and The Matrix, where not even a canvas tote would go with the flight suit or leather body glove. A woman is as feminine as she feels–it has nothing to do with carrying around a Fendi or a Louis Vuitton.

Nonetheless, when it comes to women doing things that men refuse to do, shouldering a purse is number one or close to it. But just because you have become a handbag-carrying woman doesn’t mean you need to get cute about it. There’s no need to buy something with glitter and sequins on it, or something that matches your shoes perfectly. There’s no need to spend hundreds of dollars on a purse, either. Handbag selection has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade, and today women have all kinds of choices that fit their needs and personalities–choices that mom and grandma never dreamed of.

A saddle bag is a the favorite for the woman who hates handbags but needs something to carry her stuff. Saddle bags are fairly roomy and are a hybrid of the knapsack and the traditional purse. These bags are carried over the shoulder and feel like a backpack. Even women who like to carry a purse love the saddlebag’s extra room and the way it stays up on the shoulder.

The leather tote has become a staple for working women everywhere. These totes come in a wide range of sizes, from just big enough to hold paperwork from the office, to monster size bags that will hold a spare pair of shoes and a lunch. In black leather, the smaller models are classy enough to take to a job interview, yet sturdy enough to travel to and from the office every day.

Fabric handbags are another great choice for women who might feel uneasy about the purse concept. They’re incredibly durable and can double in both casual and formal settings, depending on their style. Fabric bags can be inexpensive, or they can be outlandishly pricey like Louis Vuitton’s classic designer fabric. The appeal of a Vuitton isn’t just the status–its timeless lines never go out of style, and the fabric is just about indestructible.

Canvas totes are a hybrid of the tote style and the fabric handbag. These bags are very casual and have a nautical flavor. Available in a variety of sizes and colors, they’re extremely functional for every task, from carrying oversize items to packing for a weekend trip.

Hobo bags are in fashion this season, and with their slouchy, low-slung style they look great with almost any type of clothing. Even discount stores have gotten in on the hobo purse fad and are offering some nice-looking handbags at low prices.

A woman who hasn’t carried a handbag for years should stay away from anything too flashy or too traditional when she starts shopping for one. Look for function, comfort, and harmony with your personal style. The same goes for men who want to buy a purse for a woman as a gift–use caution and pick something middle of the road. If your wife or girlfriend expresses resistance to carrying a handbag, purse, or tote, pay attention and buy her something else. You’ll save both of you from resentment down the road.

Sometimes, handbag resistance isn’t so much negativity as just habit. Not only do you have to remember to grab your purse on your way out the door, but you have to remember to keep it with you at all times while you’re out and about. This is easy if you carry one all the time, but more difficult if you switch between carrying a handbag at some times but not others. That panicked feeling of “I left my purse on the seat next to me” happens a lot more often to women who are part-time purse carriers.

In the end, the biggest advantage of a handbag is that it keeps your stuff organized and in one place for you, so you don’t have to spend time packing the same things over and over again every morning before you leave the house. That, and a touch of stylishness are pretty good reasons to consider carrying a handbag tote or purse.