How do you mange your bags?
I have personally gone from a super practical Dutch girl that used to have one stylish, but comfortable back pack that went with everything, to a large assortment of bags that I constantly mix & match with my outfits. Most of my outfits now don’t feel complete without the perfect bag. The back pack is a relic from the past and instead I have embraced bags in all kinds of colors and patterns.
I asked the same question on my Facebook page and it seems that the changers from the non-changers are almost split half way. Here are some of the answers to my question:
The non-changers
Nanda: “I have quite a few bags and I would like to change it with every outfit, but the truth is that I have no time for that, so I just change bags once in a while”.
Laura: “Nope–same old bag all the time. I just make sure that it’s a nice neutral and has all the bells and whistles I need to make my life easier!”
Radin: “No change. Safe the hassle to avoid important things to bring along.”
Lorraine Rose: “Mostly the same, who can afford to change it?”
Rita: “I change my bags every month or so, unless I’m doing something slightly grubby, then I toss everything into my nylon tote for the day. My bags are all some shade of neutral so they work with everything. I have some very nice ones and I mostly change so that I’ll use them all and not wear any one out.”
Emily: “Change periodically, but tend to dress in same color family for a while and then switch, so do the same with bags. My daughter turned me on to the joy of a large bag.”
Luciana: “I wear a bag for a few weeks, sometimes for a month or more, and than I change for another one. If I keep changing bagas everyday I’d forget something I need…. It does not work for me. Now I am wearing a lime yellow one that I love.”
Cynthia: “Once I find a purse I like, I keep it until it falls apart. I’m particular about a bag’s features.”
Silvia: “Only when dressing up hate changing it and forget things.”
The changers
Aileen: “Change with every outfit, but a good tip I heard recently was to put all the important items into a little bag which can be easily moved from one bag to the next.”
Noeline: “I coordinate with my outfit. I have a few cosmetic size bags in which I place all the things I need to put in my bag + my wallet – that way it takes no time at all to swop bags and I don’t end up leaving anything vital behind.”
Lonie: “I change my bag with every outfit. If just going down the Village I use any bag that happens to be handy lol”
Tracey: “Change it for each outfit”.
Zaidah: “Change every time and follow my outfit color”.
Cara: “Change it up!”
Trina: “Change with outfits.”
Vita: “Change it.”
As mentioned above, I’m now firmly in the changers camp as I see the bag as a great tool to add extra interest to an outfit. As Aileen mentioned, a good way to manage changing bags is to buy a ‘bag in bag’ or bag organiser that you can easily move from bag to bag.
A company that specializes in this is Bag in a Bag or check out all the options on this Pinterest Board. If you like to get a new bag then I’ve got all my favorite bags in my online shop.
So what do you do? Do you take the same bag all the time or change it with every outfit?
Feature image by Monika
Sylvia is 40+style’s editor-in-chief and has been helping women find their unique style since 2011. An alumni of the School of Color and Design, she is devoted to empowering women of any age to look and feel their best. Read more about Sylvia and 40+style on this page.
Want to get more articles from 40+style in your inbox, subscribe here.
You can also connect with 40+style on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
Support 40+style by using the links in our articles to shop. As an associate for Amazon and many other brands, we receive a small commission (at no cost to you) on qualifying purchases which enables us to keep creating amazing free content for you. Thanks!
I love the look of a great purse.
I do change out my bags if an outfit calls for it. I won’t carry a black bag when wearing pastels on my body.
Bag weight has been a big issue for me. I work in Manhattan, walk around a lot and have many social commitments. There are days I feel like a mule. Carrying a smallish bag is often just not an option. My solution has been cloth bags of the Vera Bradley solid-colored variety. I would like something a bit more structured and fancy but they start off heavy when empty!
I unfortunately (ha, ha) have a passion for purses. I am forever changing it (and yes I always leave stuff at home that I need – do I really need to bring those tylonols today???). I like to change my purse to go with my outfit and to match the season. I have different attache type bags which are for work only. Other purses just for the weekend (depending what I’m doing – shopping, sports, etc.) Dressier purses for dinner. Purses just for church and small clutch type purses just if I need to quickly run somewhere. I change my wallet to go with the purse. Sounds like a lot of unnessary work but I do this the night before when I plan my next day outfit. This seems to work ok, however, sometimes (mostly during the winter) I match the purse to my coat, or gloves or boots and then take all that all off and I’m left with my outfit and a purse that doesn’t match. Yes, sometimes my coat doesn’t match my outfit but I figure I can get away with it if no one will see what’s underneath. I’m still working on coming up with a better system but I still need to change purses all the time. I can’t use the same one over and over again.
In Winter I Seem To Stay With Black. Summer Time Is Changing As Needed.
I change up sometimes , but not every day or week even . Lately I have been staying home so it’s been easier lol , but soon I will be back to work and I am thinking I wi try to change more often 🙂
I have over 50 bags therefore i do try to change bags according to outfit, occasion, and function. however, during the week i am more of a using one bag person. not forever, just for as long as i am not tired of it. my current one is a RL Denim & Supply slouchy woven jute bag. it says summer, cool, casual, and does double duty as a tote (so i can transport stuff from home to office to home).
the one handbag i am not a fan is the clutch bag, of which all the fashion editors/assistants, street fashion bloggers, and fashionistas everywhere have been spotted with. I need both hands and am forever fearful of dropping or losing a clutch. i just ordered a Carrot googly eye laptop sleeve for a song. i want to test drive it to see if a clutch is doable.
anyone can’t leave home without her clutch bag here??
I change my bag depending on what I need to do that day! I have a big big yellow one that holds all my music for rehearsals (I’m a music student), a medium navy cross-body one that I use for everyday errands/walking around town, and a little black satin clutch I pair with fancy outfits. The big yellow one is cheery and easy to spot in a crowded backstage area, the navy one is a slightly trendy (it has fringe!) take on a fairly classic and neutral bag, and the little clutch holds JUST enough for a fancy event where I don’t have pockets. It’s a nice system– only problem is remembering to switch over my wallet!
I change my bag 6-8 times a year. Funny thing is I have friends who think that is a lot because they have one bag that they carry for years until it wears out.
I’m in-between. I own several different handbags, but most of them will go with multiple outfits. So I don’t change every single day, but a couple of times a week, I guess? It’s easy enough to shift stuff over – it takes less than a minute, mostly because I don’t cart around a ton of stuff — and I like the variety, the way they complement different outfits, and how different ones may fulfill different needs (larger totes for when I’m taking along my laptop, something a little more streamlined for a professional event, etc.)
My mother, who is 82, is from a generation where bags and shoes ALWAYS matched and were changed for appropriate outfits. She tried to teach me the same but once I got to my 30’s I started to develop my own way of wearing bags which has carried through. I have a love of handbags and feel they really “speak” to you, and about you. I make sure my bags generally go with everything and I will wear the same bag for a couple of months, then buy or use another bag for another couple of months and so on.
My wife has about sixty vintage D&B AWL bags (plus a few better bags for the evening, generally vintage skins). She likes to match by color. Manhattan women tend to need big bags since they walk a lot and therefore usually carry their dress shoes in a bag. She solves the switching issue as many other NY women do… two bags lol. They carry a Le Pliage tote (practically a uniform) for the big stuff every day and then for the other bag they just have to switch out a purse and a few small things.
As an obsessive fan and photographer here are photos of the d&B stuff, altho she’s solidified her likes and has sold a few. I love the D&B Teton line!
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/dooney
Lately, I’ve been using a toolbox that I took from my husband as my bag. It’s silver, with rivets, very sturdy, has a foam-lined interior, and could take someone down if I were confronted with an emergency. But I use it because I think it looks great. I used to switch bags a lot, and I had a fave, a thrifted Coach bag, but for now I’m sticking with the tool box.
Yes, I change every day and choose a handbag to go with my outfit.
Takes me exactly 60 seconds. My bags are in my dressing room, in a neat cupboard (thank you, Anja). I just need to remove a wide cover from the chosen bag, take out the Very Intelligent Pocket (bag-in-bag) from the bag I used the day before, put the VIP in the bag of the day and slide the yesterday-bag in the wide cover. That’s all. Never forgetting anything as everything is in my VIP. This is a link to the VIP site:
http://www.tintamar.com/vip.html
I keep a small cosmetic bag within my handbag that I change once a month unless I am going to a special night out. Then I coordinate to match my outfit. I also do the same with my toe nail polish.
I have a number of bags which I would love to change every other day to go with my outfits and sometimes justfor the heck of it. I tried a sorting things out by putting my to-do lists, a couple of lists I need to refer to occasionally, some papers which I may need at any point of time like cheque books etc in a small plastic folder; my lipstick, comb, floss and nail filer in a small pouch, but problem is there are still a few things like pens, pencils and small stationary items ( binder clips, pencil leads, glue stick, paper flags etc.)and (money)change which I tend to throw in pockets of the bag I carry and which take time to shift as it means checking all pockets. So, I change my bag when I have the time and rarely match it with my outfit.
For my day bag, I mostly stick with the same one for a month or so, unless it doesn’t go at all with the outfit. I always change it up for the season, darker for cold months, lighter/colorful for summer. For night, I have a variety of bags that I take to go with the outfit.
I have a have a “neutral” bag, that is my workhorse (I change this by season). I have a little yarn shop so I drop it behind the counter until I leave. But from Thursday to Sunday I change purses according to outfits and occassions.
What am I?
I am intrigued to know how many handbags everybody has! I don’t know if I have a lot (my husband thinks I do) or not as many as everybody else! I have leather handbags in brown, black, grey, beige, navy, tan and I change them according to what I wear or if I am using a more neutral bag I tend to stick with it for a month and then swap over. Usually in the summer (it is raining now!) I break out my apple green Tod’s bag which makes me feel happy, although it is getting slightly scruffy now. I don’t mind changing the contents as I have a mental checklist – make-up, hairbrush, tissues, phone, keys, water. I know white accessories are in this year and have ventured into white shoes but still not sure of white handbags. I don’t like vinyl/pleather bags but do have some raffia/woven bags which are nice for summer (if we have one).
I have quite a few but have never counted them. At least 20+…. I have one white bag, but I hardly ever use it. Although I love white for clothes, I tend to prefer a different color for my handbag…
I have 10 good leather bags and three shopping bags, two of which are nice.
And I thought I was overdoing it. Thanks Sylvia…. I still have 10 to go before I get to your stage haha.
Lorraine: I clean my bags with foamy stuff called Shoe Shampoo. And I have taken a scruffy bag to a good bag shop who totally restored it for a little amount of money (unfortunately they are out of business…)
me, too, for years i just could not keep any white handbags i took home (thanks for the return policy). this year because of the red hot white trend, i finally took home a tiny white bucket leather bag. it is still locked away at home not seeing the light of the day.
i am also not a fan of vinyl and pleather bags regardless how “real” they resemble leather. the only leather bags i’d invest are the ones not too heavy. i can’t stand heavy bags. i don’t care if it was a Celine trapeze bag, i won’t have it even if it was given to me for free! 😉
I usually change with every outfit unless it is a neutral bag which goes with different looks. Not only the colour but also the style of a handbag is important I think. I wouldn’t want to use a sporty bag with a floral dress even if the colour matches!
I always use a small “bag in a bag” for all essentials which saves a lot of time in the mornings.
Annette
Lady of Style
Yes I agree. The style makes a difference to the outfit too!
I change my bags to go with the outfit. I bought a bag liner for my large bags. The liner is made of felt and has many compartments for small make up bags and money purse , i pad etc. I put everything I need into this bag liner so all I have to do is pull out the liner out and put it into the new bag.
If I use a small bag then I have small bags with makeup etc so you pull those out and put into new bag.
That is what I need….
I change my bags and purses with every outfit.
There was a time that I had 250 bags but I donate most of them to The Salvation Army and gifted others to friends and family.
Now, I own about 80 which means that I do repeat the same bag but I tried to keep at least week in between.
Wow that is still a lot of bags. You must have some great storage!
Ofelia… 250 bags…. I take my hat off to you.
I admire the “changers,” but changing my purse with every outfit would drive me mad! Instead, I have one or two everyday bags for each season, plus a “city bag” when I know I’m going to be walking a lot and don’t want to be weighed down, plus a few small bags for the evening. Great post. Thanks–Susan
Glad you enjoyed the article. It’s so great to read how everyone is so different! I still find it funny how I have changed so much….
I have a practical, every day bag that I schlep to the store etc. on weekends and any time I’m doing something more interesting than grocery shopping I pick a bag for my outfit!
Due to having 4 children 4 1/2 years apart each, I carried diaper bags for a long time and gave up purses altogether. I am making up for lost time! Thank goodness my taste isn’t over the top expesnive or we would be broke!!!!
I try to compromise. I like cheaper bags of cloth that are different but stay away from fake leather. That just melts here in Singapore. Instead I don’t go for the mainstream brands but buy most of my bags in small shops which are more affordable…
I definitely prefer leather as well, but leather can run from mid price to very expensive depending on the designer….
I’m fairly obsessive about changing my bag to go with what I’m wearing, up to a point. I live in Seattle, where the weather doesn’t change all that often, or, if it’s nice one day, it will be cold and grey the next, so if I choose a pale neutral (like cream, let’s say) it won’t go with what I’m wearing tomorrow, when it starts to rain again. I solve this by leaving small quantities of what I use the most (moisturiser, eyeglass wipes, tissues, etc.) scattered in each bag, but also have three or four small bags (with zippers) that carry the rest of my stuff. Then I just pull the small bags out and deposit them in one of perhaps four bags I have going simultaneously, which takes a few seconds. I have four bags right now I like to switch off. One is purple/violet, one is cream, two are dark brown (but different shades of dark brown). I decided a long time ago that variety is what fuels me, otherwise I’d lose my creativity. If I have to stick to one color I stop thinking in terms of colors and combinations, and then my creativity dries up.
You are pretty organised Alison. I’m still moving my things from one bag to another. I need one of those bag-in-bags!
I mostly use the same one, but change out for special occasions or situations
Brett
I tend to use a neutral bag for work but will definitely change it whenever the outfit calls for it. I think accessories make the biggest difference in my basically simple clothing. I wish there were more options for great but comfortable and affordable shoes here (NYC). I miss many of the smaller but unique shoe shops that have gone out of business and find that shoes are either very flat ballerinas or uncomfortable and high heels.
Yes, I agree that a bag can really lift an otherwise basic outfit!
Perhaps try online for shoes? (the shoes tab in my shop section has some wonderful choices…)