Coke bag | Lipstick bag | V&A Bags Inside Out Poster | Moschino Pizza Box Bag | Palette Bag | Queen of Hearts Bag | Slurpie Bag
Titanic Ship Bag | Monopoly Bag | Lip Bag | Lighter Bag | Heart Bag
What is it about a handbag? Women go nuts over certain brands and styles, many of which have become iconic over time. The Louis Vuitton Keepall Bag, the Chanel Quilted Bag, and the Hermes Birkin Bag are coveted by collectors the world over, routinely selling, and re-selling, for thousands of dollars. There are bag collector groups, blogs, websites, and even virtual galleries like The Vintage Purse Museum devoted to all things ‘handbag’. You can even take a quiz (or two) to see which handbag you are.
Turns out I am either a backpack (simple, compact, and practical with a touch of whimsy) or a hobo bag (free as the wind, live by different set of guidelines, value autonomy, exploration, art and personal expression, and prefer things that are unique and last a lifetime). Laugh if you will but both bags, and personality descriptions, are quite accurate assessments of me AND my bag styles.
I love those ‘What’s IN my Bag’ spreads in the tabloids. Peek inside my bag and you will always find my Ray Bans, Mac, Nikon, sketchbook, pencils and pens, lipstick, Aleve and my wallet, all carried in a big tote or backpack. I’ve been relying on these choices (almost always in black leather or pleather) since I was a teen. Both styles are arguably the workhorses of the bag world, designed for maximum content and minimal fuss.
Are you a bag lover? Do you have a favorite style? I do, and it is definately not a backpack or hobo. Hands down, my vote goes to a special occasion bag (see whimsical above). Going out for a night on the town in which a great outfit and attendant bag are required always gets me thinking of how to assemble the pieces of the fashion puzzle to make sartorial magic happen. There was a time when my lifestyle saw me routinely dressing up for one glitzy event or another but those days are long gone, leaving me with an awesome fashion archive and nowhere to wear it to.
Even if I don’t have any actual plans, for the past few weeks I’ve been trying to figure out how I might manage a special, spontaneous and quick jump across the pond to see the Victoria & Albert Bags: Inside Out show. I could travel light, with my trusty hobo (for a few outfits) and backpack (for my passport, plastic, and sunnies) holding everything I’d need to to get me from here so I could tour the V&A in a rocking outfit and carrying by a great bag the entire time. While odds of this fantasy becoming a reality appear slim a girl can still dream, about travel and a great bag (or two)!
The Grey Goddess 