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The purse has arrived! It is pretty damn awesome — fabulous, even — but it is, ah, bigger than I expected. Holy cow is it big! While the site I bought it from included measurements, I am a visual person. I need to see something in context to really get any kind of sense of it. Despite:
- the site listing the measurements as being 14L 9H 5W
- there being a picture on their site of a person with the purse (perspective can really be funky, shut up!)
- despite me getting out a ruler and trying to visualize the dimensions
…my brain still came up with the expectation that it would be something akin to this size-wise:
I don't know who this person is but she's fabulous
Upon receipt of the purse, I quickly discovered that my imagination and visualization skills are sorely lacking. Here I am with it. As you can see, it dwarfs me:
As I mentioned before, I am a messenger bag kind of girl. Therefore, purses float around in unfamiliar waters for me. Large purses are even more alien. I know that doesn’t seem to make much sense — after all, messenger bags are roomy so why would I be so befuddled by a large purse? Shouldn’t the fact that my normal bag of choice is large and in charge make the transition easier for me? No. You see, I view messenger bags as something on the same level as a backpack. It has a function and that function is to tote around a shitload of stuff. Stuff can include (but is not limited to): books, sketchbooks, pencil boxes, hats, mittens, scarves, hammers, flashlights, etc. A purse, in my opinion, is a pretty accessory and the things that one fills it with should remain in-theme: Dainty. Girly. Delicate. What in the world do women carry around in these mini-suitcases?
I threw in my wallet, sunglasses and phone. Peeking inside, I realized that there was still plenty of room in there so I looked around for other things to add. Chapstick, breath mints and my pink Nintendo DS were sacrificed to the gaping maw of my handbag but there is still volumes and volumes of space to fill up.
So I call out to you, Peoples of the Internetz! What should I be carrying in there? Makeup? Books? Garden gnomes? Mary Poppin’s coat rack?
I just don’t know!
I totally agree, though personally I can’t stand those huge handbags and I see women with them all of the time, with anything up to three bags commuting everyday. I think they’re bulky and annoying probably since they push and barge other people with them both intentionally and neglectfully. Your bag however is not that big in comparison but I can understand how you would feel it is, as I have always been a messenger bag and backpack person too.
I often wonder what they are carrying in there too, everything but the kitchen sink? I ask, why weigh yourself down? If I was going on holiday and wanted to display my bag then they would be helpful but carrying the things everyday? No way.
Huge handbags just don’t seem to be a well thought-out idea. I mean, yes, they offer a lot of space to carry stuff in .. but this is offset by the fact that you have to carry it on one shoulder or even on your arm. If I need to haul a bunch of crap, I’d want to distribute the weight across my body (messenger) or get both shoulders involved (backpack).
They’re so mysterious, these girly things!
I TOLD YOU
BOOKS
I am going to carry a complete set of Encyclopædia Britannica in there!
I have a medium-to-large purse. It is largely empty. It contains: wallet, hairbrush, work keys, the Pouch of Emergencies (doggie poop baggies, tampons, and feminine napkins), powder, lipstick, nail file, and mints. Also, a bunch of receipts which can properly be considered trash (well, not anymore, since I just cleaned them out). Oh, and a green sharpie. This is really not that much stuff.
The real advantage of a large purse is that you can add things to it while you are out. Bought some small items? Shove them in your purse. Your sister returned the t-shirt she stole out of your closet 2 weeks ago? Shove it in your purse. Has the weather warmed up and you are now in possession of a scarf you don’t want to wear? Shove it in your purse. Anything that you acquire on the go but do not want to have in your hands? Shove it in your purse!
Do not be tempted to weigh down your purse. Keep it as light as possible for as long as possible. Think of the purse as potential space, not space to be filled. Purses are generally designed to look as nice lightly loaded as full. Love the purse, but switch over to a backpack or messenger bag if you’re actually planning to haul things.
I know this will make me sound dumb but: OOOOOOH!! That makes SO much sense! Now that you have pointed that out, I don’t know why I was thinking that I needed to fill the purse to the brim.
And it’s also good to know that the next time Kate and I find a stray cat when we are out and about, I’ll have a place to put it!
Haha…
In it, you should store a Russian dolls series of MORE PURSES.
A purse within a purse within a purse. It’s like…ACCESSORIES INCEPTION!
“Acception.”
HA! YES! Exactly.