I need a new bag. I tend to wear my bags until they beg to be retired, and are allowed to sit on the shelf with my other retired bags, where I imagine they talk about the good old days, share battle scars and wallow in the peace and quiet that were sparse in their service years!

The first question when contemplating a new bag is whether to make it or to buy it. When time permits, I like to make my own. Time does NOT permit right now, so I’m on the quest for the perfect bag. And, what do I consider “perfect”? It must be big, light weight, have only 1 compartment (will accept one with a SMALL pouch or two) and, of course, it must be beautiful! I give no consideration as to whether it will “go” with the other things I’m wearing… it “goes” with me, like a good friend, and I don’t care if my friend color coordinates with me on outings, why should I care if my bag does?!

Because I tend to get all philosophical, I started thinking about how much my bags and I have in common. Then, I began to think about my mom and daughter, and about the purses they normally use. Holy Schmoley! I’ve just come up with an awesome theme for a doctoral thesis… “How Purses Reflect the Personality of Its Owner”.

 

Photo from Free People

 

Stay with me on this and see what I mean. I tend to be a free spirit and exist in organized chaos. If things are too precise in my life, I tend to get all anxious when ANYTHING is out of place. I do much better when things are a bit messy, but able to be picked up and organized in a short period of time. I refer to this as “fluffing”. So goes my bags. I carry a lot of things with me. Who knows when you’ll need a Wipey or a needle and thread, not to mention something random to fascinate a child or a Ziplock for biohazard waste or an uneaten half sandwich. Think Mary Poppins. I have everything I need and want in my bag, but it’s all housed in one, large, central compartment. I use my own Braille system for getting things out. I stick my hand in, rummaging around, and feel my way to the needed item. I don’t need to look, I know it’s in there, so I “fluff” the contents, and as if by magic, there it is. Nothing needs to be dumped on the counter, and I’m good to go at a moment’s notice. I only use 1 bag at a time, no transferring items back and forth between purses, once you become my bag, you’re in for the duration! A Boho is definitely my bag of choice!

Photo from Zropa

 

Now, let’s talk Evelyn. My mom is an efficiency expert. No, that is wrong, she is an organizational expert. EVERYTHING in my mom’s life is not only organized, it is labeled. She knows where everything is and she accomplishes this by living the old maxim, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Poor woman. Just imagine how challenging it must have be for her raising me! Have you ever looked at ads for closet systems? Tim laughs about them. “Who divides their clothes in their closet by color?” Um… Evelyn! 

True story! So knowing this about my mom, is it any surprise she carries a purse with 97 compartments? A phone goes in one, keys in another, sunglasses need their own space, and so on, and so on. Talk about compartmentalizing your life! And, funny, with all this organization, she tends to “clean out” her purse every week. Seriously, what bad stuff can possibly happen in your purse in just a week? I only clean out my bag when I stick my hand in and it comes out sticky! Anyway, being an ultra organized individual, it is no wonder by mom is drawn to purses that work hard to organize its contents.

Photo from J H Fabric Creations

Now we come to my Michelle, my darling daughter, whom I want to be just like when I grow up!  If you want a job done, and done right, give it to Michelle. Michelle is organized, but her strategy is “the less you have, the easier it is to organize”. Michelle is a student of William Morris, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” No fluff… nothing superfluous… just a lot of beauty and function. For years, Michelle never carried a purse at all. If she couldn’t fit it in a pocket, it was too much to carry. So, no big surprise, when Michelle does carry a purse, it is smallish, functional, yet at the same time, beautiful. She tends to like modern, bright and cheery prints. William Morris would be proud!

There you have it. Three different women from the same family. Despite our connection, we are all very different, as are the bags in our lives. So, you see, our purses truly are indicative of our personalities!

So, must ask… what type of purse do you carry and do you think it fits your personality?