The butler bag is apparently the world’s first compartmentalized handbag. It was designed by Jen Groover who “was inspired by the common problem of digging through a purse in panic wondering whether something was lost or if she was holding up a line of people while her children were screaming.”  She was convinced that a handbag could be functional and fashionable at the same time.

Groover’s original idea was to put a dishwasher tray into her diaper bag. It was like magic! Everything had it’s place and was at her fingertips. She realized that this compartmental divider was also the answer to her bag problem. The butler bag comes in two timeless leather designs and an assortment of colours. You can buy the smaller version on-line for $95 and the larger one for $150.

I switch handbags often, so I keep the contents of my handbags to an absolute minimum. The butler bag is not be the best solution for me because I couldn’t fill it up (and it would get too heavy if I could). But it might be the perfectly practical and stylish solution for you if you like to use one bag for long stretches of time. Is anyone out there using one of these bags? I’m curious to know whether the contents remain compartmentalized once it’s in the swing of everyday use.

The Classic and Hybrid Butler bags are available in an assortment of colors.