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Valued Contributor
Posts: 874
Registered: ‎07-05-2010

-Sharing with whoever loves to talk handbags:

My Perfect Bag would have....

Color: Cognac with Black trim, so I don't have to forgo my fav shoes due to my fav outfit anymore. Yeah, I know I'm old school. But I'm old! And please--make it the perfect yummy cognac! Nothing too light or too dark. I'm the goldilocks of cognac, and get cranky when it's almost-but-not-quite.

Size: Large, but lightweight! That's right. I'm difficult.

Pockets: Big pockets that zip on the outside, or fasten closed securely. Skimpy magnetic snap = I'll pass. And make the zipper quality, not sharp & painful if your skin touches it. Nice big tassle or grabbit-thingy on the zip closure, thank you.

Strap: longer, at least 11". I want to be able to bring it up to my shoulder with one hand. Get those ridiculous small straps far away from me! Although I do like an option of a smaller strap as an addition, but not as the main handle. And make it wide please, & of a material that stays on the shoulder easily & doesn't slide off because it is too smooth or slick. Suede is a great example of a material that will stay on the shoulder. Thin straps fall off, wide straps stay up. Don't try to cheat me with faux leather trim, that's infuriating & I won't buy that brand ever again after being bothered with the expense of return S&H! Double straps are great for easy entry while keeping the bag on one's shoulder. Notice this is the longest paragraph? Straps are important!! The wrong strap means our bags will fall, jerking the weight of our bag painfully at our neck & shoulder, and possibly injuring us over time. Not good.

Style: I tend to love hobos. But only if they have a terrific shape & great outside pockets. An east-west hobo is my ideal bag. I can never find anything easily inside a north-south bag.

Jewelry: I love unique jewelry on a bag, but if you make it heavy I will not buy it. And I don't care if all the rich people of the world use gold hardware--I want pewter or silver! Or best is that great hue that could pass for both gold or silver. Love that, but it isn't used often enough. And add a *detachable* long key leash wristlet-style, so if I run into the store I don't have to lug my entire bag with me.

Logo: I don't care to be a free walking billboard for your company, even if I do like your bag. If you shout your name all over the bag, I won't be carrying it. A discreet but stylish logo in one place, and I'm fine with it. Distinctive hardware that doesn't scream the name, but speaks for itself? Cool factor times 10. Make it multipurpose, such as a detachable clip that can hold my keys? Now you have my attention!

Inside lining: I detest that dirty-looking khaki linen-look. Yuck! I personally enjoy a prettier lining than that, so when I look into my bag, I have that lovely moment where I enjoy what I see. Dirty beige doesn't pull that off, so I don't much care if all the expensive designers use it. My life isn't spent hob-nobbing with the rich & famous, I'm just going to the grocery store, work, dinner & the movies; & would like to see a pretty lining in my bag, please. Or better yet, no lining--but make sure if it is sueded that it isn't a garish color. That doesn't mean dirty beige, lol. Satin is nice, but tends to tear too easily from sharp objects in my bag, & then I lose stuff behind the lining. So, sew that lining in securely, don't leave it unstitched & loose!

Material: I love the look of a suede bag, because the colors can be so intense & gorgeous, and the material isn't cold to the touch in winter months. Even if they aren't posh, I love the faux suede or moleskin material, because they are lightweight & lovely colors, and dare I say washable? I have had 'the perfect suede bag' ruined by pen ink or some odd stain, and wanted to cry. And faux suede is nice & soft! Would love to see many more bags made of faux suede for this reason. Although nylon is lightweight, I'm not crazy about the sheen, since so many nylon bags can look cheap. And I don't quite feel right carrying a fabric bag around. I dunno why, but it just isn't me.

Interior: I love a big dividing zippered compartment. That is all the organization I need, and can put the wallet & meds in the zippered compartment, and the 'go ahead & steal it' less important stuff in the other compartments, such as hand lotion or tissues. Adding a few extra stash pockets (pen, compact-sized, lipstick-sized) along the back walls are an added plus.

Top it all off with a: zipped or secure closure, such as a toggle & loop. I don't want the entire contents of my bag all over the car during a sudden stop, or all over the store if I drop my purse.

Then: make it in every color imaginable, and add a few fun embossings etc.

Deal breakers: No matter how fab & gorgeous the bag is, I will tearfully & regretfully leave it behind if it is too heavy. My closet is already overflowing with bags that weigh over 2#, which I never carry because although they look terrific, they hurt my shoulder. I refuse to keep buying more bags that heavy, unless I win Lotto & can hire my own personal purse carrier. Excuse me while I go have that fantasy now...

The QVC bag that comes closest to my perfect bag: The Roma II. Great offering! But I detest that dirty beige lining (Sorry, Lisa), and the bag is too heavy for my bum shoulder. Tired of gold hardware, I wear too much silver now-a-days & even though I have gold jewelry, I am not always in the mood to wear it; but then I feel my silver jewelry is clashing with my bag's gold & sometimes brassy & garish jewelry. And I really need the functionality of an outside pocket, so even if I do appreciate a stream-lined look, I end up not carrying a bag without it. And an interior middle zippered compartment. Then I'm happier! What I love about the Roma II: The colors, the size, the quality, the 'look.' The natural ostrich is superb! Love that cream colored bag, too. And the blush. Ok, every single one of them. And I adore the fringed tassle! What would make it better IMHO: silvery-gold hardware that can pass for both. That'll shut us up Smiley Happy

I also adore this bag (below) by Muxo, because it is big enough, lightweight, soft & the wide strap is long enough and stays on my shoulder. But again with the dirty beige lining, and I could use it a bit bigger & with different colors. It is just a bit too short, needing to be taller. Muxo bag: A-214888

http://www.qvc.com/Muxo-by-Camila-Alves-Lamb-Leather-Shoulder-Bag-wFringe-Detail.product.A214888.htm...

The bag I've been reaching for most often is: Oryany's Noelle bag, in black fabric. It is a huge hobo, but without an outside pocket or inner big zippered compartment, alas. It has enough bling to make me happy, a strap that stays on the shoulder, and the material is lightweight. They used to offer it on QVC, but has since sold out. And I happen to love the unique inner lining & hardware, although I'd like to see it in a silvery-gold hue instead. I want it so close to being either color that it makes people argue over which one they think it is! B. Mack does this color/hardware feature quite well.

...but that's just me! What does your perfect bag look like?

SerenityNow!
"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her; still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings." ~Victor Hugo
Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: My perfect bag would have:

My perfect bag is very lightweight, medium size, about 12" wide and 4" across the bottom. 2outside pockets - one for cell and one for keys, inside I always like the Tig formula of one zipped pocket and 2 slip pockets. Must have a zipper close. Must have a strap that adjusts for cross body to being held in my hand. I too like the idea of a black/tan combo outer colors. Must be < $70.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 874
Registered: ‎07-05-2010

Re: My perfect bag would have:

Oh that's right, I forgot to say what the best price range is! At this point in my life, I will pay more for a bag, but the highest-priced bags on QVC still make me wince. I know there are posh bags out there in the world, but I like to think that even if I could buy a $5,000 bag, doesn't mean I would. I'd rather donate that $$ to people in need, than waste it on a name-brand. But I know expensive is a relative term, and one woman's idea of expensive is cheap to another.

For me, the ideal bag costs no more than $100, but in reality I have paid the QVC max for a bag I really love. But the deal-breaker for me is if it is a heavy bag, & unfortunately too many of them are.

SerenityNow!
"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her; still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings." ~Victor Hugo
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,931
Registered: ‎05-18-2013

Re: My perfect bag would have:

My needs are very much the same as yours, SerenityNowMyndi, although the lining isn't a deal breaker for me if I love everything else about the bag and I enjoy both silver and gold hardware.

For me, the critical things are size (large but not too heavy -- I find Dooneys to be way too heavy for me) and a single strap. With double straps, one of them always ends up sliding down my shoulder and I hate that.

I also love hobo bags -- my favorite and often the only type with a single strap.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 874
Registered: ‎07-05-2010

Re: My perfect bag would have:

I hear ya about the strap issue, Vaccinia. I will often take the 2 straps & criss-cross them on my shoulder, so they essentially become 1 strap & stay put. Sometimes that works well, although not always.

I agree about Dooneys being too heavy...I love their styles, but I just cannot carry bags that heavy, and so I don't purchase any of their line. I would, if they offered more styles in a lighter weight.

SerenityNow!
"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her; still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings." ~Victor Hugo
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,733
Registered: ‎06-25-2014

Re: My perfect bag would have:

On 9/22/2014 happy housewife said:

My perfect bag is very lightweight, medium size, about 12" wide and 4" across the bottom. 2outside pockets - one for cell and one for keys, inside I always like the Tig formula of one zipped pocket and 2 slip pockets. Must have a zipper close. Must have a strap that adjusts for cross body to being held in my hand. I too like the idea of a black/tan combo outer colors. Must be < $70.

what she said {#emotions_dlg.thumbup}

Valued Contributor
Posts: 874
Registered: ‎07-05-2010

Re: My perfect bag would have:

I guess this Q has probably been asked & answered too many times in a handbag forum, lol. Ah well, thought it would be fun.

SerenityNow!
"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her; still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings." ~Victor Hugo