Purse or Man's Bag

[Smaug777]

I have always hated having a wallet in my back pocket or keys in my front pockets. Actually I don't like having anything in my pocketses . A few months ago i went to a discount store and bought a purse, its a simple black one with a few buckles on it, not too femme. I keep everything in it but don't really carry it around with me in public. Still a little self conscious I guess. I will usually just take what I need out of it when I go somewhere and leave it in the car, hidden under something so no one will break in to take it. Now that i am considering wearing a skirt in public i might rethink and start carrying it with me also, since not all skirts have pockets anyway. When I ordered my last two skirts I also ordered a man's bag its a khaki vintage paratrooper shoulder bag. I'll see if I like that when it gets here. Does anyone else here carry a purse or man's bag? What styles do you like?

Craig

[crfriend]

"Manbags" have been around for ages, although they're more of a European thing than they are a New World thing. I suspect a simple bag without much embellishment would go over perfectly well in most areas.

Personally, I'm ruddy paranoid about losing things so I tend to keep stuff very close at hand. If I'm wearing trousers, the wallet goes in the front pocket not the rear and I hand-carry my keys (the pile of them, along with other accoutrements prohibit pocketing). In skirts with pockets, the wallet is in the hip pocket; in skirts without, the wallet is in a shirt pocket; in both skirted instances, if I don't want to hand-carry the keys, they go on a lanyard around my neck that's long enough to hide under any of my waistcoats.

[r.m.anderson]

I don't subscribe to carrying a purse or manbag.
I use a fanny pack all the time.
It is quick to fasten about the waist and carries most everything I need.
Keys; wallet; credit cards; loose coins; small flashlight; breath mints;
3 foot retractable tape measure; small swiss army knife; blue tooth
ear piece when I am not wearing it in ear; check book (why I don't know
I don't write checks any more) and a set of lock picking tools since I do
part time locksmithing.
On the belt a cell phone; digital camera and two small leatherman type
all purpose tools.
If I can't fix it - it don't need fixen.
So matter what I wear be it a skirt; skort; kilt or ugh pants/shorts with
or without pockets (which I do not need) I have the perfect answer.
With a manbag or purse I could carrying maybe a bit more but I would
have to dump it out and sort for what I need.
Oh well to each his own and the devil for all!

rm

[Ash]

Hi,
Due to the usual absence of pockets in skirts, and an aversion to stuffing pockets with stuff when there are pockets, I began using a shoulder bag some years ago. I'm afraid I now have 7 or 8 of various sizes and styles.
This is the most recent acquired, very spacious and comfortable to carry on the shoulder, perfectly secure:

http://www.kaleidoscope.co.uk/Fiorelli- ... 5FSize%7C0

I've only gone, so far, for black or brown, but I'm rather taken with the idea of a dark green one, or ivory.
No adverse reactions to using one, in shops, at work or out and about anywhere, whether I'm skirted or not.

It's just a bag, after all, for putting stuff in, eminently practical idea, so why not make it someone which looks good rather than a boring old rucksack, or (yuk!) sports bag. And I have to admit, to enjoying a bit of a kick out of carrrying one, not sure why that is, it's hardly daring these days.

Best wishes,
Ash

[Jack Williams]

Although i don't seem to get my head around a manbag, and my skirts have capacious pockets, my dresses do not. A shoulderbag goes back to the old hippy days... Still don't know what to do about dress-wearing out and about. Maybe that is something else that is "All in the mind".

[Since1982]

r.m. said: I use a fanny pack all the time.
It is quick to fasten about the waist and carries most everything I need.
Keys; wallet; credit cards; loose coins; small flashlight; breath mints;
3 foot retractable tape measure; small swiss army knife; blue tooth
ear piece when I am not wearing it in ear; check book (why, I don't know
I don't write checks any more)

I'm almost exactly in line with this description, ie: swiss knife in my pack is a Buck knife, blue tooth in mine is a knockoff for $15 bucks, yes even an unused checkbook, small black metal flashlight, Dubble Bubble gum instead of breath mints. Does the same job.,1 credit card, handful of change, velcro zip bag with Alka Seltzer about the size of a wallet, and my car etc. keys.

Look in the pics and looks at my picture of the re-entered picture from the 2006 World Series Of Poker that I played in the Seniors Event with a $1,000.00 buy in. for a shot at the very same fanny pack I still wear all the time. With skirts, shorts, and in the rare instance I am forced to wear (UGH) pants. (We have a female Judge here that demands pants on male jurors, anything they want on female jurors). I'm too old and decrepit to sue on Civil Liberties grounds, so I have ONE pair of "Jury pants".

[imadube]

While I was stationed in Europe with the U.S. Army (twice) I got to useing a man bag. First was a not very well made city Market special and the other I got in a leather shop. I had been looking for either one but be darned if I can find them SO - got out my old Game Boy carry case - two big top opening pockets with smaller pockets (mess web) inside and one long deep side pouch on the side. Carry staps for the hands but it is small enough to just clutch. Put a patch of an eagle and flag on the blank side so looks less like a clutch purse and more a utility tote case.

[straightfairy]

I'll point out at this stage that I only wear skirts at home, not in public.
However, I do use a small Karrimor rucksack with lots of pockets for general use; tissues, inhaler, diary, cheque book (when needed) pens, lunch for the office, etc - also use the same one as hand luggage on planes.
I bought a good tough one cos I also use it for shopping (I don't like carrying lots of small bags) and I want several years' use from it.

[davemcwish]

Hi,
Due to the usual absence of pockets in skirts, and an aversion to stuffing pockets with stuff when there are pockets, I began using a shoulder bag some years ago. I'm afraid I now have 7 or 8 of various sizes and styles.
This is the most recent acquired, very spacious and comfortable to carry on the shoulder, perfectly secure:

http://www.kaleidoscope.co.uk/Fiorelli- ... 5FSize%7C0


Best wishes,
Ash

This is really stylish Ash and relatively stealthy - good choice.

As i'm looking myself I'd be very interested is other styles you found.

davemcwish

[Brandy]

I use one of these;http://www.eugeneleatherworks.com/hand- ... c-2_5.html

It comes in three sizes; regular. large and x-large. I use the large. She has a new style called the Euro-pack that I like. I already have two and I can only use one at a time, but still ...

It has several usefull features; the attachment has clips and can be moved so it can be woren as a sling bag, or a back pack, front or back. I put it into sling mode, put on my airline carry-on back pack, with this bag over the front and head off down the airport. All the important stuff is in front under my nose.

-- Brandy

[sapphire]

I use a bag from Overland Equipment: http://www.overlandequipment.com

The particular model I use the Placer. It's a fairly small bag, 7" x 5.5" x 3.25" The styling is neither masculine or feminine and I find it very practical.

In it I carry: keys, pens, crochet hooks, cell phone, notepad, small planner, wallet (with coin purse), folding scissors, glucose meter, insulin pen and needles, flashlight, checkbook, comb, card holder, Tide-to-go, hand moisturizer, mini sewing kit, swiss army knife, lip balm or lip gloss, supermarket coupons, any new prescriptions I may have, clip on sunglasses. If I have envelopes to mail, I can stick them in th

The company offers many styles. Placer is one of the smaller ones,, but there are messenger bags as well.

Again, these bags are gender neutral. They are a bit "outdoorsy/casual" though, so may not be appropriate for more dress up events.

Mine has a long shoulder strap, which at maximum length can be worn across the body, leaving both hands free. On the darker side, with all the stuff I carry, I could take the bag off, swing it around and cause damage.

[davemcwish]

Just bought my first bag. It's from the same brand (Oriano) as the pic below but slightly shorter and with 2 end pockets



davemcwish

[mountain-mug]

I've used a number of bags over the years, starting long before skirting. My current choice is from REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) and is called the Boarding Bag.


It is roomy enough to hold wallet, check book,keys, sunglasses, small camera, reading glasses, pen and paper. Having to stuff all this stuff in pockets would be difficult, and I like to have these things available. You never know when you'll have a chance at that one-in-a-lifetime picture, or just something that catches the eye. Of course, in this day and age, the checkbook is seldom used! But living and traveling in a state with many remote areas (some even off the grid), a check can come in handy!

This is my first try at images, so I hope this gets posted correctly!

[wineglass50]

Since my prostate surgery and resulting incontinence, I have found a shoulder bag a necessity. At first I had much incontinence and had to change pads frequently and a shoulder bag kept a ready supply of pads. After a while the incontinence became more like a period and I only have to change a pad maybe once during the day. But the convenience of a purse or shoulder bag for all of the essentials a person has to carry is just amazing. Wallet, keys, cell phone, note pad, pens pencils, comb, lip moisturizer, glasses, hearing aid batteries, hemmorhoid supplies, tissues, ect. ect.. I will always be carrying a purse now and not cluttering up my pockets. I bought a small used Coach leather messenger bag off E-bay and had to get used to the looks and comments from some people, but I tell all of them they should definetly try a purse, it's just the greatest and so convenient. Plus it doesn't matter if I'm wearing a skirt, shorts, or pants, all I have to do is grab my bag and go. The greatest fear we have to overcome is within ourselves, we are the ones who feel uncomfortable, everyone else really doesn't care. Carrying a purse in public is just like wearing a skirt, kilt or dress for the first time in public, very jittery, nervous and all but after doing it several times it becomes not only enjoyable but almost natural and normal. The only negative comments I've gotten were from guys and after talking with them they also agreed maybe a bag is the way to go, most women say they never understood why men didn't always use handbags.

[Stuart]

I have one given to me by a friend; I think it was made for a camera. It's small, has a shoulder strap, and is similar in size to what sapphire referenced (but much less stylish). I carry it everywhere. Last night, I took two sons (one to sing in the choir, one to listen with me in the audience) to a performance of a local community orchestra (http://www.winchesterorchestra.com/). I was wearing a dark turtleneck, long skirt, low heels, and carrying my ever-present "man bag." The crowd was generally older and "highbrow," as one would expect at a classical music event.

I'm generally clueless about what others are saying behind my back, but I didn't notice any staring or disapproval. Neither son mentioned anything. I'm fortunate to live in a tolerant area; if I don't make a big deal about my clothing, nobody else does.

When I was a university student, I was always hauling a backpack, and nobody noticed. Today, I think of the "man bag" as a smaller, lighter backpack, and nobody notices that either. If you're unsure about carrying a "purse," then get yourself a small backpack. Or, just re-imagine your purse as one.

stuart