what kind of bags/purses do you ladies use when you're on your travels? for the past couple times i've been using my trusty ol' medium-sized coach bag. i'm usually pretty paranoid about getting my bag stolen - the zipper pull on the top of the bag goes right under my arm when i'm wearing it on my shoulder so i always hook my thumb on it. although i'm lovin the lifetime guarantee and its perfect size (i can fit my wallet, keys, camera, and smaller things i'd buy along the way in it), i'm getting tired of it.
all i want is a durable, decent looking handbag with a zipper and is not frumpy or touristy-looking (but doesn't look flashy or show-off-ish either). you know, a nice, clean look. not too big, but not too small either. i'd like a smaller compartment to fit my passport and other important papers in (i know it's not the wisest idea but i refuse to not have those documents on me at all times). i want to be able to wear it with flip flops and rolled up jeans on the beach, as well as with a nice suit with a skirt and stiletto pumps for a lunch date. is that too much to ask for? apparently so.
help me!!!
. . .
Freedom lies in being bold.
Posts: 2235 | Location: seattle | Registered: 22 July 2004
Hey xoom - I prefer purses/bags that have straps long enough to wear across my body. Kind of over one shoulder and then across - does that make any sense to you? The best one I've found for traveling is by Eagle Creek. I know it can be somewhat touristy but it comes in all black so that dresses it up a bit. There's also a separate compartment for your passport and/or maps, and there's enough room for all the essentials: keys, wallet, cell phone, digital camera, etc. I have another purse - the over the head & shoulder kind - that looks like one from The Sak. I actually got it at Old Navy for $15 and it rocks. It's definitely dressier than the Eagle Creek purse and there's just as much room for all the essentials listed above. I use it all the time - running errands, a night out, whatever. Since you mentioned your favorite Coach purse, I'll tell you about mine. It's black and has a strap long enough to wear over my shoulder, the way I like to, but it can also be shortened to use kind of like a clutch. I can fit all the essentials plus a ton more in that bag and I feel relatively safe when wearing it, especially when draped over my shoulder and across my body. I wish I knew the model name/number to share with you. If I figure it out, I'll let you know. Same goes for the Eagle Creek bag.
"Keep not standing fixed and rooted. Briskly venture, briskly roam." -Goethe
Posts: 859 | Location: Chicago - USA | Registered: 23 November 2003
hey freesia! i might actually have the same coach bag as you! the strap can be one long one for over-the-shoulder/across-the-chest, and you can also unbuckle it and fold it in half and buckle it back in to hang on your shoulder so that its right underneath your arm?
i've found a lot of bags that go diagonally across the chest (like right between your cleavage lol) - is that what you're talking about? and the bag part rests on your lower back/butt/hip area, like a messenger bag? i guess i don't feel safe knowing that someone could be walking behind me and fishing around in my bag without me realizing it. but thanks though! i'll look into your recommendations!
. . .
Freedom lies in being bold.
Posts: 2235 | Location: seattle | Registered: 22 July 2004
Yep xoom, sounds like we have the same Coach bag! It's awesome, isn't it?
I know what you mean about wearing the bags diagonally (you described it way better than I did!) - the safety issues. I wear mine so that the actual purse part is in front where I can see it. It just works so much better for me. I still have both hands free, one isn't needed to constantly hold my purse in place on my shoulder, and it's not as rough on the back/shoulder area.
"Keep not standing fixed and rooted. Briskly venture, briskly roam." -Goethe
Posts: 859 | Location: Chicago - USA | Registered: 23 November 2003
Matt had an Army surplus manbag. Strap finally broke, but after LOTS of use. I don't think I just said anything I'm not supposed to say. I'm pretty sure he's admitted on the boards to carrying a purse.
____________________________________ "Opportunity does not knock, then knock again, then leave a note saying, 'Sorry I missed you.'" - Fes, That 70s Show
Posts: 88 | Location: NE Portland, Oregon | Registered: 11 May 2004
Make it yourself. You can buy all the materials you need: leather, canvas, tweed... and stitch it up. A handbag is about the easiest thing (after, perhaps, curtains) to make. Added bonus, you can make it exactly to your specifications.
Barring that, look for a seamstress, leather-worker, designer who can make a bag for you - anywhere slightly different than the mall.
______________________________ As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests. --Gore Vidal
Posts: 583 | Location: Houston, TX, USA | Registered: 12 February 2005
I brought this long-strap black travel purse/bag thingie with me (that I searched for for months in the States) and used it like 5 times--I used my day pack the most. It was just so much easier to have the weight of all my crap (and I carry alot of stuff from water bottles to LP guide) distributed more equally. The next best thing I found was one of those "peasant bags" that you find everywhere in Thailand. I love that thing.
Posts: 1051 | Location: U.S. | Registered: 17 March 2003
I don't go anywhere without my Freitag bag. I happen to think they are quite cute, every one is original, and they are super heavy duty. They come in different styles, but mine is a messenger bag that can expand to double its size. Plus, they are pretty much indestructable! See Freitag
quote:Originally posted by Michelle@yourlife: I don't go anywhere without my Freitag bag. I happen to think they are quite cute, every one is original, and they are super heavy duty. They come in different styles, but mine is a messenger bag that can expand to double its size. Plus, they are pretty much indestructable! See http://www.freitag.ch/index_frames.php
very cute! I'm a fan of more urban-looking styles and these do the trick... right now I carry something like this only in Beige, but it is too small for international travel IMO, but you dont find the messenger bag too large for evening outings?
I'm very curious about that coach bag a couple of you ladies mentioned~ can no one find a picture?
i hope i find one that zips instead of buttons and goes right underneath the shoulder!
