Every woman needs to have THE BAG to take all of her essentials. For many, including myself, this includes a wallet, phone, lip gloss, keys, so a small to medium bag would do the trick. Others prefer something larger, perhaps something that can double up as a shopping bag or briefcase or even gym bag- one reason why the Longchamp medium or large Pilage bags are so popular (I have my doubts about it – the Pilage doesn’t have any compartments, so everything just ends up in one spot and one has to dig to find things). However, it’s still very difficult to find that PERFECT BAG, especially when you’re taking proportion into consideration.
This Tory Burch bag almost fits the summer “ideal,” save for a top zipper and being slightly wide. It was, none the less, used consistently through out the summer of 2012
For me, the perfect bag shouldn’t be bigger than 14″ wide, with a zipper top and a compartment for my phone and business cards. Neutral in colour and something that could last an entire season or even year, at least. However, it seems that over the past few years, most totes and shoppers have been bigger than 14″ wide, with the other choice being smaller clutches and shoulder bags. There aren’t too many choices in between, making it difficult for smaller-framed women to find that “perfect” bag that can be used for both work and weekend without looking like an Olsen. And trust me, not everyone wants to look like that (I actually don’t understand WHY smaller people want to use huge bags like that. Do they not realize they look silly?). Does anyone really think they look “professional”? And when one DOES find that perfect-sized bag – one that can fit the essentials as well as a small laptop or tablet, it’s often heavy (e.g. many of Tory Burch’s Robinson bags) for its size or very expensive. Of course, saving up to buy that Prada or Louis Vuitton is often half the fun. Besides, these bags are often classics and you are therefore getting your money’s worth (unlike some other “it” bags which are more “on trend”).
This Prada bag would be good if it wasn’t pink!
More recently, there have been some improvements. Coach’s “classics” line does have some that are medium-sized, but they’re a little bit on the funky side and Michael Kors has a few that are good as well. On the higher end, Prada has quite a few to choose from, with their plain Safiano totes (widths tend to be around 12-13″ max) being my favourites. Of course, there’s always something to nitpick. Or am I just too picky?
What’s your ideal bag like?
