So, it is evident that I spend WAY too much time on the internet because I discovered earlier this week that today is National Handbag Day. In fact today t is the second National Handbag Day. I think the team at Purse Blog had alot to do with this day but I figure if there is a National Poetry Day and a National Burger Day, why not celebrate the handbag. I LOVE handbags… but I didn’t always. During my teens and early twenties they were superfluous to requirements. Then, all of a sudden I understood. I don’t remember what the trigger was but at the height of my handbag mania I had twenty-five bags. All different shapes and sizes and colours I would literally change my bag every week. Changing the contents of your handbag every week is a faff. You forget things, you leave things behind. Then the novelty of a light coloured bag wore off when I ruined a second one on a pair of indigo jeans so now I am down to six. I still have a variety of colours (well… purple and black) and a variety of textures and styles but I am at twenty-five percent of what I used to have it is much easier to navigate special occasion, cross body for hands free occasions and every day.
As with shoes, I am very hard on my everyday bag. Not only does this one item have to transport and protect my purses, phone and make up among other things, it needs to be dress up and dress down-able, survive the rain, and the crowds and be easy to navigate. Here are my top tips for choosing a beautiful yet practical everyday handbag.
- Security. The contents of my bag are precious and sadly there are some unscrupulous in the world. I’ve had bags with magnetic closures in the past, but they just don’t feel as secure to me. For me, a zip closure is an essential – it should have a smooth action and be a secure closure for the majority of the bag.
- Handles. My everyday bag is a workhorse, some days it is heavier than others but it needs to be able to cope with everything. During the week I am on public transport and doing a fair bit of walking. Be the bag on your shoulder in your hand or over the crook of your arm, it needs to be comfortable. There is nothing worse than uncomfortable handles that dig into the skin. In addition there should be two handles, so that you can have the bag on your arm and still unzip it to get into it.
- Material. I am a fan of a high quality leather bag. Not only is it hard-wearing but it ages well too which is important for a bag that is going to be used everyday. There is going to be wear and tear on the bag but you don’t want it to look battered after a couple of weeks. Some great alternatives to leather are available
- Simplicity. A simple structured shape and minimal hardware are key for an everyday bag. As much as you may the ginormous logo of the brand emblazoned across the front of your bag, or tassels or heavy studding this season or even this year, you will quickly find that the bag becomes of its time very quickly. The less embellishment for an everyday bag, the better.
- Colour. Instinctively for an everyday bag, I would go for a neutral. For me, black and purple (obvs) are neutral colours and literally go with everything in my wardrobe, but even with my purple obsession, tans, browns and navy would work for me too. Your bag is an important part of your wardrobe, you wear it more often than your favourite dress so the colour of your bag needs work with the twenty percent of your wardrobe that you wear most often.
Happy National Handbag Day