Excess baggage
BY PRATIBHA UMASHANKAR
khaleejtimes.com
Why do women carry such huge handbags while men get away with wallets? Do women need all that they carry in their bags? And what do they carry? Is the bag a survival kit for all eventualities? Is being prepared for all eventualities a sign of insecurity? Weekend emptied out a few bags to spill the beans. A BAG is a woman’s lifeline. It’s a survival kit. Mine can see me through a couple of days on a deserted island. I seem to be surgically attached to my bag. We are inseparable like conjoined twins. Since it is such a butt of ridicule, I decided to do a bit of soul-searching — rather, bag-searching.
Like the proverbial Pandora’s box, things spilled out when I tipped its contents. A whole lot of papers which had passed their sell-by-date, bills, receipts, stubs of raffle tickets from shopping malls I’ve never won, a twisted sticking plaster that would cause major infection if used on a bruise, outdated strips of Panadol, mouth freshener, writing pad, an assortment of pens and pencils, post-it notes, a half-solved, crumpled crossword puzzle, not one, but two cell phones — for a just-in-case situation — a powdery packet of biscuits, again for a just-in-case situation, a bottle of water, the make-up pouch with light and dark shades of lipstick, a roll-on perfume, nail cutter, hairbrush, hairclips, rubber bands, facewash, a napkin, a bunch of tissues, wet wipes turned dry, a caked and unused powder compact, a congealed bottle of eyeliner (God did I need all this?!), a book — the one I was reading at the moment, an Mp3, a tape recorder, wallet, sunglasses, a diary, a clip-on light that can be fixed to a book so I can read in the dark that doubles up as flashlight, a whistle…. No kidding!
So what do other women carry in their bags? We decided to find out. We chose women from different walks of life. The common denominator was the huge handbag. We set out with a working hypothesis — women feel uncomfortable unless they have absolutely everything with them when they step out of the house. Here is the result of our “findings”. “That’s what’s in,” informs Miriam Westerberg, pointing to her elegant, but over-sized handbag. She should know. She is a model. Home to her is Stockholm and she has been in Dubai for just three months. Her profession keeps her on her toes, literally. When she’s not swooshing off from one photo shoot to another, she’s doing the rounds for casting for future assignments.
Her bag, understandably, is a cornucopia of veritable delights. She has bags within bags — four of them to be precise. “One for my passport and other important stuff,” she smiles. And then she empties out yet another bag — the mini make-up kit. Out come lipstick, sunscreen cream, lip gloss, roll-on perfume, a powder compact, nail polish, nail clippers and even a small bottle of shampoo. And then there’s a largish wallet with credit cards, cash and the like. The fourth satchel snugly fits a pair of stilettos. “Just in case I get a call for a casting appointment,” she informs. Otherwise she goes around in a pair of flat, sensible shoes. At an imposing 5 feet 11 inches, she doesn’t really need high heels.
Ah yes, there is swimwear and a beach towel. “I relax on the beach between assignments if I have time to kill,” she explains. But her glowing, naturally tanned complexion, thanks to her being half Swedish and half Nigerian, doesn’t need a boost either. The big bag itself has tiny compartments to fit her cell phone, an MP3, and of course, the ubiquitous chewing gum. Despite the amount of things her bag houses, it’s neat. She hates clutter. Everything is compartmentalised. No obsolete bills or stubs of lipstick. She just dips into her big bag and picks up the small bag she wants —for a quick freshening up. “Personally I’d prefer a smaller bag,” she confesses. “I carry this huge one because of my heavy portfolio.”
The portfolio, which is every model’s bread and butter, weighs a couple of kilos. “It’s not good for my shoulder,” says Miriam. But I prefer everything to go into one bag. I have this habit of leaving behind one of them if I carry two things. I have lost a lot of bags — in cabs and at counters — with my passport and credit cards. It’s such a bother when that happens in a foreign country. So I stick to my huge bag. But the danger is, if I lose this one, I lose it all!” Miriam often thinks of pruning her bag — paring it down to the bare minimum. “Maybe I carry stuff like shampoo and nail polish that I have never used when on the move. I carry them just in case….”
It’s just the just-in-case stuff that bulges a woman’s bag. Miriam tends to be faithful to one bag. “I buy a good bag that goes with most of my outfits and tend to wear it out. But even a good bag can be used only for a season or two. And then the trend changes.” But why do women carry such big bags and stuff them with things? “You know, I think women are vain,” she says, without the slightest hint of vanity. “We like to look nice and well groomed all the time. So we carry a whole lot of things that we might need.” What about men? Aren’t they vain? “Mmm … they are. Male models are. And they groom themselves too. But guess they leave their stuff in the car,” says Miriam.
“You know, you can rent designer bags. You see, celebrities cannot be seen with the same bag twice. And designer bags cost a fortune. And how many bags can you buy? So they rent a bag. It could come for as low as $100.” With that Miriam picks up her all-purpose bag and strides out. As she leaves, she says, “I must really think of carrying a smaller bag.” If Miriam is a professional model, on the other end of the spectrum we Dr Nishi Singh-Shrivastav, Medical Microbiologist-Virologist and Infection Control Specialist. Currently she is now on the faculty of Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology. “My bag is not among the largest in the market. It’s a good medium-sized specimen. Does size really matter?” asks Dr Nishi.
“I’ve had problems with cervical spondylosis so I was advised by my orthopedic colleagues and physios to not carry heavy loads. Sigh! If only that was possible…. Not conducive to keeping my “swan neck” healthy! But my bag is large enough to carry my all that I need around with me. Dr Nishi’s bag has two small pouches and one zipped one on the outside. “I seek comfort in knowing my bag (the contents too) inside out. So frequent changes are definitely out, unlike Dubai’s fashionistas,” says Dr Nishi. “I guess am too lazy to be bothered.” The Doc then goes on to take an exhaustive inventory of her bag. Except the proverbial magician’s rabbit, it holds a whole lot of things.
Exhaustive list of contents:
Main compartment:
Mobile phone, home keys, car keys, sunglasses, packet of facial tissues passport photocopy, post-it notes, chapstick, lip gloss, lipstick, small perfume, hair comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, kohl stick, box of mints, throat lozenge, silver box in a velvet cover with fennel seeds, supari and cardamom, chewing gum, mint slips, dental floss and stick, a sachet of Earl grey scented tea and two Kashmiri kahwa teabags, cinnamon sticks, two pens, two sharpened pencils, miniature copies of an extract of the Ramayana, Hanuman Chalisa, a pair of Sri Krishna padukas (silver enameled slippers of deity, magnifying lens with in-built light (do you guys know about this contraption? Very useful for 40+ brethren — or “sistern” — with failing eyesight in dimly-lit romantic eateries), silver business card holder in a velvet sleeve, cloth napkin, hand lotion tube and a copy of the SSY pamphlet (Siddhi Samadhi Yoga).
Wallet (with seven pockets)
Currency notes, coins, sacred red thread, and picture of my favourite deity, more sacred thread, six free AA cards (how does one know when the car is going to break down, so expert assistance at hand), staff ID card, driving license, E-gate card, medical license, health card, air miles card, frequent flyer card, five credit cards, two ATM cards, Medical Association card, two Medical insurance cards (younger daughters' and mine), another license (Hmm!) five copies of my photos of husband and two daughters.
Outside pocket:
Sewing kit with two additional safety pins, after mints sachet, six Band Aids, seven spirit swabs, antacid, Buscopan, Brufen, Panadol, antihistamine and Ranitidine tablets, three Ural and hand sanitiser sachets, dental floss and toothpick, nail emery board. The doctor adds in a parenthetical clause, “One of the allowed luxuries after I left the main hospital/clinical practice and chose academics is long nails. But they have an annoying habit of chipping in working hands. Wish I could be a lady of leisure and flaunt long, sexy, red painted claws….” And then she looks at the contents of her bag and exclaims, “Oh, my God! Do I really carry all this stuff with me all the time? I seem to be prepared for any eventuality! A sobering thought.” Now how does one begin to analyse this assortment of paraphernalia? “Let's begin with the professional stuff,” she says, bracing herself. “I certainly do not carry so many medicines around for my needs (in decent health for my age!) They are in case I am asked to help out at the college campus.
The spiritual stuff is to tide me over the stress of day-to-day living and the waiting/travel time, when I’m stuck in those interminable traffic jams. “Not much make-up stuff. Loathe to be too made-up, but definitely fussy about personal grooming and hygiene, hence the toothbrush-toothpaste, hand sanitiser, tissues, napkin etc. The supari holder is a cherished gift from a favourite aunt of my husband's, who passed away a few years ago. “Cards! The sheer number of plastic I lug around — 24 in all. The professional stuff apart, if I combine the credit limit of all the plastic, the banks have generously offered, I can live in great style. But does one really wish to live on borrowed feathers, so to say. So even though I lug them around, I’m one of the cash-only types. They do come in handy when travelling abroad. Recently we splurged to our hearts' content (female bonding exercise) when visiting my elder daughter at her Med school in the UK and my poor husband got a frantic phone call from the bank reporting frenzied transactions on the cards!
As for the teabags, cinnamon sticks etc, like to carry my own healthier brews. Am I beginning to sound like a fussy old lady? Now for the just-in-case items: The SSY pamphlet. The guru was over to the university to speak to the students and introduce the young Emarati medical lab students to a holistic view of health and wellbeing. Still in situ, just in case someone needs help outside of the strictly narrow medical therapy. “An old M&S IOU of a princely sum of Dh15 have been I’ve been lugging for ages hoping I’ll have it adjusted next time I shop there. Hasn’t happened in years. They’re not going to like that! Does the Doc believe things in the bag expand/increase in proportion to the bag? Is it a case of bigger-the-bag-more-junk-you-carry?
“I resent referring to my precious stuff as “junk” snorts Dr Nishi. I’m fairly meticulous about turning my bag upside down periodically to get rid of the dirt. Neurotic infection control “bugs lady” that I am!” Now for the tough one. We ask her to compare her bag with her husband’s wallet.
The contents of her husband’s wallet:
Notes, two business cards, the lawyer’s business card(!) Indian Consul General’s business card, Health Administrator's card. E-gate card, four credit cards, labour card, ATM card, frequent flyer card, driving license, health insurance card, favourite deity's picture, three silver coins, Salik ID card, AA card and contraption to magnify with light. “I’m amazed at how few things he carries!” says Dr Nishi. It’s indeed a revelation for her. “Not even the same number of plastic!” she exclaims. “I think it’s a futile exercise to go into any “comparative double blind placebo control” studies with the things I lug around.” Dr Nishi admits that her family does get amused by her obsessive carrying some of the stuff the world over that also includes bags of chili peppers-Tabasco while travelling.
“But most of the times they are quite grateful when I produce the required items in times of need,” she says and adds as an aside: “I must say I have a very appreciative brood and spouse, who actually would like me to carry my bag around more often. But I baulk at carrying it to society dos….
“And to be honest, I do carry just the wallet sometimes, especially when grocery shopping. But I find myself juggling the phone, sun shades, keys, cell phone and wish I had brought my hold-all along.” So, a small, dainty bag is a no-no for the Doc. But all we can say is, “Bravo!” for her magical bag. Stefanie Branke, a Senior Account Manager at a PR company describes her bag with four compartments as “Biiiig!” She is physically and emotionally attached to her bag. “Since I got my favourite big bag for Christmas, I’m using it almost every day during the week, as everything I “need” fits easily inside. It’s definitely the biggest bag I have,” she says. When we ask her to empty its contents, down to the last pin and the forgotten receipt, list and analyse them, she gets a bit defensive.
“Oh, I just cleaned out my bag this morning,” she says. “But here you go. Two pens, one invitation card to an event some time ago, a laundry receipt, business card holder with business cards, sunglasses, normal glasses, one agenda — private, one more agenda for meetings, purse, mobile phone, car key, a cosmetic bag containing lip gloss, lip balm, hand lotion, hairpins, and nail polish.” When it comes to bags, according to Stefanie, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. “I don't see how you can even compare the two! They are two completely different worlds,” she says.
Point taken.
Strangely, her big bag was a gift from her boyfriend. Even more strangely, he makes fun of her “a bit” about it, “Although the condition for getting my bag for Christmas from him was that I have to carry his belongings in it as well, when we go out together. When I ask him to get something out of my bag, though, he usually gives up pretty quickly!” Stefanie admits she has tried to carry a smaller bag, but felt distinctly uncomfortable. “It’s much more difficult to fit everything into a small bag.You spend too much time arranging the contents so it fits and have to pack and unpack at least 100 times!” she says. So, men, now you know the reason why women carry a holdall. Stefanie says she doesn’t really have any 'just-in-case' items. “If I notice any in my bag, I usually remove them very quickly,” she says. But admits that things in the bag increase in proportion to the size of the bag.
“Definitely, although I still feel that I REALLY NEED everything that's in there!” She follows a simple thumb rule to know she’s carrying way too much: “You can measure the increase in the content of your bag by the increase in back/shoulder pain that results from carrying around all those kilos!”
We rest our case.
Merla Bungcasan, who works for a telecommunication company says her bag is “bigger than the typical shoulder bag”. Unlike Stefanie, she changes her bag every two weeks or so. She too carries bags within bags. “I’m so used to having so many things in my bag I feel I need them and feel comfortable carrying them along, than not having them in case of necessity….” There you go. Fits our working hypothesis! The 'just-in-case' items are safety pins, charger and USB and memory card. Smart girl! And men, wipe that collective smirk off your faces. The woman of today needs both a safety pin and a memory card!
For Merla, her bag is like a security blanket. “Its a good and comfy feeling when you can carry everything,” she says. She admits that family and friends have dipped into her bag for things they urgently need. “They have said it’s a magic box.”
So there!
khaleejtimes.com
Why do women carry such huge handbags while men get away with wallets? Do women need all that they carry in their bags? And what do they carry? Is the bag a survival kit for all eventualities? Is being prepared for all eventualities a sign of insecurity? Weekend emptied out a few bags to spill the beans. A BAG is a woman’s lifeline. It’s a survival kit. Mine can see me through a couple of days on a deserted island. I seem to be surgically attached to my bag. We are inseparable like conjoined twins. Since it is such a butt of ridicule, I decided to do a bit of soul-searching — rather, bag-searching.
Like the proverbial Pandora’s box, things spilled out when I tipped its contents. A whole lot of papers which had passed their sell-by-date, bills, receipts, stubs of raffle tickets from shopping malls I’ve never won, a twisted sticking plaster that would cause major infection if used on a bruise, outdated strips of Panadol, mouth freshener, writing pad, an assortment of pens and pencils, post-it notes, a half-solved, crumpled crossword puzzle, not one, but two cell phones — for a just-in-case situation — a powdery packet of biscuits, again for a just-in-case situation, a bottle of water, the make-up pouch with light and dark shades of lipstick, a roll-on perfume, nail cutter, hairbrush, hairclips, rubber bands, facewash, a napkin, a bunch of tissues, wet wipes turned dry, a caked and unused powder compact, a congealed bottle of eyeliner (God did I need all this?!), a book — the one I was reading at the moment, an Mp3, a tape recorder, wallet, sunglasses, a diary, a clip-on light that can be fixed to a book so I can read in the dark that doubles up as flashlight, a whistle…. No kidding!
So what do other women carry in their bags? We decided to find out. We chose women from different walks of life. The common denominator was the huge handbag. We set out with a working hypothesis — women feel uncomfortable unless they have absolutely everything with them when they step out of the house. Here is the result of our “findings”. “That’s what’s in,” informs Miriam Westerberg, pointing to her elegant, but over-sized handbag. She should know. She is a model. Home to her is Stockholm and she has been in Dubai for just three months. Her profession keeps her on her toes, literally. When she’s not swooshing off from one photo shoot to another, she’s doing the rounds for casting for future assignments.
Her bag, understandably, is a cornucopia of veritable delights. She has bags within bags — four of them to be precise. “One for my passport and other important stuff,” she smiles. And then she empties out yet another bag — the mini make-up kit. Out come lipstick, sunscreen cream, lip gloss, roll-on perfume, a powder compact, nail polish, nail clippers and even a small bottle of shampoo. And then there’s a largish wallet with credit cards, cash and the like. The fourth satchel snugly fits a pair of stilettos. “Just in case I get a call for a casting appointment,” she informs. Otherwise she goes around in a pair of flat, sensible shoes. At an imposing 5 feet 11 inches, she doesn’t really need high heels.
Ah yes, there is swimwear and a beach towel. “I relax on the beach between assignments if I have time to kill,” she explains. But her glowing, naturally tanned complexion, thanks to her being half Swedish and half Nigerian, doesn’t need a boost either. The big bag itself has tiny compartments to fit her cell phone, an MP3, and of course, the ubiquitous chewing gum. Despite the amount of things her bag houses, it’s neat. She hates clutter. Everything is compartmentalised. No obsolete bills or stubs of lipstick. She just dips into her big bag and picks up the small bag she wants —for a quick freshening up. “Personally I’d prefer a smaller bag,” she confesses. “I carry this huge one because of my heavy portfolio.”
The portfolio, which is every model’s bread and butter, weighs a couple of kilos. “It’s not good for my shoulder,” says Miriam. But I prefer everything to go into one bag. I have this habit of leaving behind one of them if I carry two things. I have lost a lot of bags — in cabs and at counters — with my passport and credit cards. It’s such a bother when that happens in a foreign country. So I stick to my huge bag. But the danger is, if I lose this one, I lose it all!” Miriam often thinks of pruning her bag — paring it down to the bare minimum. “Maybe I carry stuff like shampoo and nail polish that I have never used when on the move. I carry them just in case….”
It’s just the just-in-case stuff that bulges a woman’s bag. Miriam tends to be faithful to one bag. “I buy a good bag that goes with most of my outfits and tend to wear it out. But even a good bag can be used only for a season or two. And then the trend changes.” But why do women carry such big bags and stuff them with things? “You know, I think women are vain,” she says, without the slightest hint of vanity. “We like to look nice and well groomed all the time. So we carry a whole lot of things that we might need.” What about men? Aren’t they vain? “Mmm … they are. Male models are. And they groom themselves too. But guess they leave their stuff in the car,” says Miriam.
“You know, you can rent designer bags. You see, celebrities cannot be seen with the same bag twice. And designer bags cost a fortune. And how many bags can you buy? So they rent a bag. It could come for as low as $100.” With that Miriam picks up her all-purpose bag and strides out. As she leaves, she says, “I must really think of carrying a smaller bag.” If Miriam is a professional model, on the other end of the spectrum we Dr Nishi Singh-Shrivastav, Medical Microbiologist-Virologist and Infection Control Specialist. Currently she is now on the faculty of Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology. “My bag is not among the largest in the market. It’s a good medium-sized specimen. Does size really matter?” asks Dr Nishi.
“I’ve had problems with cervical spondylosis so I was advised by my orthopedic colleagues and physios to not carry heavy loads. Sigh! If only that was possible…. Not conducive to keeping my “swan neck” healthy! But my bag is large enough to carry my all that I need around with me. Dr Nishi’s bag has two small pouches and one zipped one on the outside. “I seek comfort in knowing my bag (the contents too) inside out. So frequent changes are definitely out, unlike Dubai’s fashionistas,” says Dr Nishi. “I guess am too lazy to be bothered.” The Doc then goes on to take an exhaustive inventory of her bag. Except the proverbial magician’s rabbit, it holds a whole lot of things.
Exhaustive list of contents:
Main compartment:
Mobile phone, home keys, car keys, sunglasses, packet of facial tissues passport photocopy, post-it notes, chapstick, lip gloss, lipstick, small perfume, hair comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, kohl stick, box of mints, throat lozenge, silver box in a velvet cover with fennel seeds, supari and cardamom, chewing gum, mint slips, dental floss and stick, a sachet of Earl grey scented tea and two Kashmiri kahwa teabags, cinnamon sticks, two pens, two sharpened pencils, miniature copies of an extract of the Ramayana, Hanuman Chalisa, a pair of Sri Krishna padukas (silver enameled slippers of deity, magnifying lens with in-built light (do you guys know about this contraption? Very useful for 40+ brethren — or “sistern” — with failing eyesight in dimly-lit romantic eateries), silver business card holder in a velvet sleeve, cloth napkin, hand lotion tube and a copy of the SSY pamphlet (Siddhi Samadhi Yoga).
Wallet (with seven pockets)
Currency notes, coins, sacred red thread, and picture of my favourite deity, more sacred thread, six free AA cards (how does one know when the car is going to break down, so expert assistance at hand), staff ID card, driving license, E-gate card, medical license, health card, air miles card, frequent flyer card, five credit cards, two ATM cards, Medical Association card, two Medical insurance cards (younger daughters' and mine), another license (Hmm!) five copies of my photos of husband and two daughters.
Outside pocket:
Sewing kit with two additional safety pins, after mints sachet, six Band Aids, seven spirit swabs, antacid, Buscopan, Brufen, Panadol, antihistamine and Ranitidine tablets, three Ural and hand sanitiser sachets, dental floss and toothpick, nail emery board. The doctor adds in a parenthetical clause, “One of the allowed luxuries after I left the main hospital/clinical practice and chose academics is long nails. But they have an annoying habit of chipping in working hands. Wish I could be a lady of leisure and flaunt long, sexy, red painted claws….” And then she looks at the contents of her bag and exclaims, “Oh, my God! Do I really carry all this stuff with me all the time? I seem to be prepared for any eventuality! A sobering thought.” Now how does one begin to analyse this assortment of paraphernalia? “Let's begin with the professional stuff,” she says, bracing herself. “I certainly do not carry so many medicines around for my needs (in decent health for my age!) They are in case I am asked to help out at the college campus.
The spiritual stuff is to tide me over the stress of day-to-day living and the waiting/travel time, when I’m stuck in those interminable traffic jams. “Not much make-up stuff. Loathe to be too made-up, but definitely fussy about personal grooming and hygiene, hence the toothbrush-toothpaste, hand sanitiser, tissues, napkin etc. The supari holder is a cherished gift from a favourite aunt of my husband's, who passed away a few years ago. “Cards! The sheer number of plastic I lug around — 24 in all. The professional stuff apart, if I combine the credit limit of all the plastic, the banks have generously offered, I can live in great style. But does one really wish to live on borrowed feathers, so to say. So even though I lug them around, I’m one of the cash-only types. They do come in handy when travelling abroad. Recently we splurged to our hearts' content (female bonding exercise) when visiting my elder daughter at her Med school in the UK and my poor husband got a frantic phone call from the bank reporting frenzied transactions on the cards!
As for the teabags, cinnamon sticks etc, like to carry my own healthier brews. Am I beginning to sound like a fussy old lady? Now for the just-in-case items: The SSY pamphlet. The guru was over to the university to speak to the students and introduce the young Emarati medical lab students to a holistic view of health and wellbeing. Still in situ, just in case someone needs help outside of the strictly narrow medical therapy. “An old M&S IOU of a princely sum of Dh15 have been I’ve been lugging for ages hoping I’ll have it adjusted next time I shop there. Hasn’t happened in years. They’re not going to like that! Does the Doc believe things in the bag expand/increase in proportion to the bag? Is it a case of bigger-the-bag-more-junk-you-carry?
“I resent referring to my precious stuff as “junk” snorts Dr Nishi. I’m fairly meticulous about turning my bag upside down periodically to get rid of the dirt. Neurotic infection control “bugs lady” that I am!” Now for the tough one. We ask her to compare her bag with her husband’s wallet.
The contents of her husband’s wallet:
Notes, two business cards, the lawyer’s business card(!) Indian Consul General’s business card, Health Administrator's card. E-gate card, four credit cards, labour card, ATM card, frequent flyer card, driving license, health insurance card, favourite deity's picture, three silver coins, Salik ID card, AA card and contraption to magnify with light. “I’m amazed at how few things he carries!” says Dr Nishi. It’s indeed a revelation for her. “Not even the same number of plastic!” she exclaims. “I think it’s a futile exercise to go into any “comparative double blind placebo control” studies with the things I lug around.” Dr Nishi admits that her family does get amused by her obsessive carrying some of the stuff the world over that also includes bags of chili peppers-Tabasco while travelling.
“But most of the times they are quite grateful when I produce the required items in times of need,” she says and adds as an aside: “I must say I have a very appreciative brood and spouse, who actually would like me to carry my bag around more often. But I baulk at carrying it to society dos….
“And to be honest, I do carry just the wallet sometimes, especially when grocery shopping. But I find myself juggling the phone, sun shades, keys, cell phone and wish I had brought my hold-all along.” So, a small, dainty bag is a no-no for the Doc. But all we can say is, “Bravo!” for her magical bag. Stefanie Branke, a Senior Account Manager at a PR company describes her bag with four compartments as “Biiiig!” She is physically and emotionally attached to her bag. “Since I got my favourite big bag for Christmas, I’m using it almost every day during the week, as everything I “need” fits easily inside. It’s definitely the biggest bag I have,” she says. When we ask her to empty its contents, down to the last pin and the forgotten receipt, list and analyse them, she gets a bit defensive.
“Oh, I just cleaned out my bag this morning,” she says. “But here you go. Two pens, one invitation card to an event some time ago, a laundry receipt, business card holder with business cards, sunglasses, normal glasses, one agenda — private, one more agenda for meetings, purse, mobile phone, car key, a cosmetic bag containing lip gloss, lip balm, hand lotion, hairpins, and nail polish.” When it comes to bags, according to Stefanie, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. “I don't see how you can even compare the two! They are two completely different worlds,” she says.
Point taken.
Strangely, her big bag was a gift from her boyfriend. Even more strangely, he makes fun of her “a bit” about it, “Although the condition for getting my bag for Christmas from him was that I have to carry his belongings in it as well, when we go out together. When I ask him to get something out of my bag, though, he usually gives up pretty quickly!” Stefanie admits she has tried to carry a smaller bag, but felt distinctly uncomfortable. “It’s much more difficult to fit everything into a small bag.You spend too much time arranging the contents so it fits and have to pack and unpack at least 100 times!” she says. So, men, now you know the reason why women carry a holdall. Stefanie says she doesn’t really have any 'just-in-case' items. “If I notice any in my bag, I usually remove them very quickly,” she says. But admits that things in the bag increase in proportion to the size of the bag.
“Definitely, although I still feel that I REALLY NEED everything that's in there!” She follows a simple thumb rule to know she’s carrying way too much: “You can measure the increase in the content of your bag by the increase in back/shoulder pain that results from carrying around all those kilos!”
We rest our case.
Merla Bungcasan, who works for a telecommunication company says her bag is “bigger than the typical shoulder bag”. Unlike Stefanie, she changes her bag every two weeks or so. She too carries bags within bags. “I’m so used to having so many things in my bag I feel I need them and feel comfortable carrying them along, than not having them in case of necessity….” There you go. Fits our working hypothesis! The 'just-in-case' items are safety pins, charger and USB and memory card. Smart girl! And men, wipe that collective smirk off your faces. The woman of today needs both a safety pin and a memory card!
For Merla, her bag is like a security blanket. “Its a good and comfy feeling when you can carry everything,” she says. She admits that family and friends have dipped into her bag for things they urgently need. “They have said it’s a magic box.”
So there!
Labels: designer bags, designer handbags, handbags, large leather bags
posted by Give Me Something to Blog About @ 7:49 PM
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