A Purse for Every Season

   For most of my life, I've had one workhorse purse, carried day in and day out until it frayed and I needed to purchase another one. I usually refused to spend more than $30, splurging up to $50 as my life moved from high school student dependent on Mom's pocketbook to poor college student on work/study to finally pay-check-earning journalist. 

  Mostly, I bought bags that smelled more of vinyl than leather but looked pretty and got the job done. One ambitious summer in the late '70s, I made my own purse, repurposing an old pair of flowery cotton shorts. I sewed the legs across and added a strap. It was funky cool.

   Then I became a Lady of Leisure. All the other LOLs had fancy purses that changed with the season or often the outfit.   I had to keep up. Well, I couldn't really keep up with these Imelda Marcos' of purses -- at least to an extent. I just couldn't bring myself to buy dozens of handbags. Cost, of course. But really, my problem was time. 

  Who has time to change out the contents of a purse that's really a carry-on piece of luggage packed tight with lip gloss, reading glasses, sunglasses, bulging wallet, credit card slips, cell phone, spare valet key, wads of coupons, lens cleaning cloth, gum, mints, tissues, mirror compact, pens, hand sanitizer, small flashlight (read earlier post about challenges with menus in dark restaurants), house keys, Kindle and scraps of paper? I'm already late for everything. Imagine if I had to switch out my purse on a daily basis. 

  But I did decide I could at least have a purse for the fall/winter seasons and another for the spring/summer seasons. Off to Macy's I went. Purse One, for the fall/winter, had to have a large arm strap to fit over my winter coat. I chose a red Tignanello tote with brown accents. Not Coach, I know. But real leather and very well made, not to mention a bargain after my Macy's coupons. Purse Two was a flowery print with greens and pinks made by Fossil. That I could handle. As the summer gave way to fall and the winter to spring, I did the big change over.  

  Then I was at the mall, as LOLs are wont to do. And saw a bright orange Giani Bernini that I had to have. So now I had a fall purse as well. It was perfect this past season as color blocking and orange took off. Ah, but then Tignanello came out with a mini tote in yellow with a pretty floral print. It was a tad on the small side, but so pretty,so summery. I broke down. I bought it.  Before I knew it, I was upto four purses, one for each season. I was beginning to understand my fellow LOLs. My handbag tally doesn't count, of course, the little black purse to wear with the (not so) little black dress that really can only carry a driver's license and tissue. The Bossband doesn't understand why I even bother with it. 

  As the seasons change, I have every intention of switching out the purses. But I usually remember after I'm out the door and in the car in a mad dash to someplace. Sometimes, I realize that my orange purse really clashes with my mostly red or yellow outfit. But it's either late for lunch or accept my fashion failure. Eventually, half way through the season, I get the job done. I tell myself, clearly, I need to stop while I'm ahead. But the siren of the handbags keeps calling. Wouldn't a yellow crossbody look grand for spring?