Handbags are a bonus to our lifestyle, wouldn’t you say? Can you image handling the kids, your lists, phones, ipads, and all the other items we find necessities to carry just in case we were all of a sudden stranded, in the middle of a desert miles away from Akron? Yes,…I to have always wondered how I would survive. My handbag was well aware of my survival necessities. Dare I say, I carried a lot of unnecessary crap.
I cannot take all the credit in my ability to prepare for the inopportune circumstance. The fashion industry established styles that lent itself to carry not one, but 5 lipglosses, day planners, energy bars and a bottle of water. We were provided and marketed with bags that Mary Poppins would be extremely proud of.
Handbag styles have changed since Mary Poppins. They have changed since last year even! We have a whole host of styles to chose from now. My take on the return of smaller bags is – SIMPLICITY. I use to think it was necessary to have 5 lipglosses in my bag because who knows what color I’ll want to wear by 7 pm – it could be different than the one I wore at noon. Or I need to carry tissues, pens, day planner, and every store rewards card I have ever said yes to. I decided… nope. I don’t want to carry all that anymore. I want to feel lighter, less worry, less weight – literally – on my shoulders.
And so I decluttered and only began carrying what I needed, which I found was not a lot. Before I knew it I was running into the stores with only my wallet, and sometimes, only carrying my cell phone into places I didn’t need my i.d. or cash. Granted, this felt odd, like I was naked or something, but I quickly adapted. What was surprising is that buying an expensive handbag did not seem appealing to me anymore. I found other items of clothing more valuable….so I quickly turned to shoes – ha!
The point is, I liked the lighter load. And to my fashion wonder, I saw small bags emerging on the scene and got SO excited! Yes, small bags are back. Little sizes of cuteness perfectly suited for just the necessities. A cell phone, lip gloss, cash, and cards. I’ve been on the hunt and blue & Goodwill provided. I chose three styles so they can be versatile with my outfits. The great thing about a small is you can change it easily – there are not many items to move, you know? Also, if you carry a tote for work it’s super easy to throw your mini bag inside your tote so you have it handy to carry into the store or event you may be attending after work.
Viola! Time to hunt for your mini!
Megan Dyer
The Style Counsel, LLC
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