The Mysterious Grown-Up Bag

My friends and I are on an endless quest for a Grown-Up Bag. We've proudly graduated from candy-colored Coach or Dooney + Burke monstrosities to well-crafted leather handbags in colors which appear in nature rather than in Rainbow Brite.

Criteria for the grown-up bag exist to serve the college/grad school student as well as the young professional. Grown-Up Bags should be roomy enough for a newspaper or magazine, a waterbottle, a cell phone or P.D.A., and in some circumstances a laptop. Extra points to those with big enough balls to start carrying the artifacts usually found in the elusive Mom Bag. Mom Bag contents include band-aids, calculators, books, tweezers, and painkillers (not recreational... young bitches still corner that market.)

Grown-Up Bags should have the structure necessary to hold all of your professional shit. Look for metal feet on the bottom of a bag so it can be set down and remain sturdy.

They should have a quality material that's as natural as possible be it leather, a quality synthetic leather (NO vinyl), canvas, or cotton.

GUB's should come in colors that don't assault the eye. Interpret this as you will. If you work in a dynamic and contemporary field like advertising, a bright red or bright blue purse might be appropriate. C.P.A.s should probably avoid the brights.

GUB's should not dip too much into the murky waters of the Trendy Bag. This means NO metallics, ruching, bows, excessive zippers, charms, vinyl, fur, or any other freaky shit the depraved carriers of the Trendy Bag have imagined.

Finally... here are some winners.
















1. Tano's "Sex Bomb": $195








2. Hype's "Piccadilly" Large Satchel: $186













3. Perlina's "Career Classic" Large Satchel: $198













4. Tano's "Flip Side" Bucket Bag: $179













5. Urban Outfitters' Burlap Doctor Bag: $58




The purses above are just a few of the millions of other Grown-Up Bags in stores and online. If you're an internet (shopping) predator like me, visit these sites:

www.zappos.com
www.tanobag.com
www.irvs.com
www.musthavebag.com
www.lorisshoes.com
www.urbanoutfitters.com
www.nordstrom.com

Also: Some PURSE LINGO that the pros use... Douchebags.

BUCKET: A large bucket-shaped bag of cloth or leather. Typically features a single shoulder strap.
CLUTCH: A narrow, handheld bag with no strap.
EAST-WEST: A handbag wider than it is tall.
HOBO: A roomy, unstructured, rounded bag, typically with a single top zipper and shoulder strap.
MINAUDIERE: A small, heavily ornamented evening bag.
NORTH-SOUTH: A bag taller than it is wide.
SATCHEL: A structured handbag with double handles, locking hardware, and a wide, flat bottom. May be large or small.
TOTE: A big-ass bag.

*Courtesy zappos.com, except for that of "tote."